The Master in Robotics and Advanced Construction (MRAC) seeks to train a new generation of interdisciplinary professionals who are capable of facing our growing need for a more sustainable and optimised construction ecosystem. The Master is focused on the emerging design and market opportunities arising from novel robotic and advanced manufacturing systems.
Through a mixture of seminars, workshops, and studio projects, the master programme challenges the traditional processes in the Construction Sector. It investigates how advances in robotics and digital fabrication tools change the way we build and develop processes and design tools for such new production methods.
State of the Art Raw Timber and AEC Industry Wood waste is often disregarded in the wood industry and the construction industry. Majority of wood used in construction is sawn and processed wood that not only generates waste on its production but it is also associated with high CO2 emissions, because of the embodied energy … Read more
Introduction There is an urgent need to find innovative solutions to combat climate change and adapt to its effects in an era when our planet is facing unprecedented environmental challenges. The global climate crisis has not spared Barcelona, a city renowned for its vibrant culture and stunning architecture. Increasing temperatures have become a palpable reality, … Read more
Aim To develop a modular system for seamless automated assembly and disassembly, specifically tailored for the reclamation and repurposing of planar, semi-standardized waste materials ,and also to foster circularity by maximizing resource efficiency and ensuring a sustainable end-of-life use for products within the system. Context State of the art Methodology Assembly and disassembly process by … Read more
How might we improve clay 3D printing by integrating automated post-processing techniques and hybrid workflows?Our goal is to implement craftsmanship techniques to robotic processes to elevate surface finishes & improve dimensional accuracy to create new opportunities for the mass customization of clay. Introducing our project Clay Virtuoso. Our project focuses on how might we enhance … Read more
Aim Our objective is to construct a wall with an emphasis on maximizing the utilization of construction and demolition waste, thereby minimizing landfill contributions. This will be achieved by incorporating a sustainable binder through advanced robotic processes. Context Construction and demolition waste accounts around 30% of waste generated in Europe, making it the heaviest and … Read more
Context Is additive manufacturing going to change the way we fabricate? Certainly it is, Additive manufacturing has an immense growth potential with a 22% annual growth as it has offers mass customisation and reduced waste. One of the challenges in additive manufacturing is to improve the precision and reliability of the manufacturing process. This can … Read more
Our Aim Is To Design a Robotic Manufacturing System using Wood Offcuts for Prefabricated and Customized Self Shading Facades CONTEXT In the realm of mass timber production, a staggering 40% of a wooden log goes to waste, with an additional 25% arising from trimming and edging processes. Despite this substantial waste, innovative approaches have emerged … Read more
Mechanical Inserts for 3D printed Clay Due to land scarcity, the construction industry pushes architecture to shift its focus towards the entire life cycle of the final construction, considering its various phases, from its sourced material and manufacture, to its utilization and eventual end of life. Minimizing material usage and construction time has provoked the … Read more
Rapid urbanization demands more efficient construction methods: Labor shortage in the construction industry: It is important to note the type of machinery being used by these two companies for 3D printing. Tvasta uses a robotic arm equipped with an extruder for printing concrete and L&T uses a gantry system, which is a big framework inside … Read more
How can we ensure high quality products using non-standardized wood in architecture? Abstract Inspired by the success of the “Realform” research project, which ingeniously reuses non-standardized wood scraps and uses the grain data to create a seamless, material-based design, this project aims to advance the topic of sustainability in architecture. Building on the foundation of … Read more
Changing architecture with AI Market study Architecture as a profession is well know for its long work hours and less pay. Because as an industry in general is the least optimised industry just above agriculture and hunting in 2020. This results into more work load and less output. Hence the productivity rate is negative 1.4,which … Read more
The objective of this project is to expand the capabilities of specific robotic processes in additive manufacturing, known as impact printing, Impact Printing, a novel additive manufacturing Robotic technique that consolidates pliable soft particles through a robotic shooting process. The cohesion among these soft particles arises from the conversion of kinetic energy, acquired during acceleration, … Read more
PROJESCT INTRODUCTION This project is a robot end-effector solution that can carry multiple objects and rotate them at different angles and displacements during a single pick and place motion. The solution solves the efficiency problem of current robotics applications in architectural masonry by outputting the robot’s spatial motion through a grasshopper and picking and placing … Read more
Brief Intending to improve productivity, our focus fell upon the constraints of robot arms. The bounding area of limitation is a reoccurring issue when working with machines, as the area of reach is defined by the physical limitations of the physical components. In this blog, we investigate a solution to increase the range reach for … Read more
Animating Light with a 6 Axis Robot Light painting—an extraordinary photography technique that transforms the darkness into a canvas and lights into brushes. In this blog post, we’ll present our concept of Van Glow, a robotic arm End Effector that can create animations with light. ContextLight painting is a photographic technique where exposure is made … Read more
The primary goal of this project is to design and fabricate a custom end-effector that can be attached to an ABB robot. The system that our group decided to explore involves the idea of utilizing an airbrush and robotically controlling it. This system will utilize a Raspberry Pi Pico for control and Grasshopper for generating … Read more
The idea behind ReWood Dynamics centers on an innovative approach to using waste wood in the construction industry. This concept involves a two-phased process to transform discarded wood into a usable and sustainable building material. Initially, the concept requires a delignification treatment of waste wood. This process aims to enhance the structural integrity of the … Read more
Stack Lamination: Exploring the Intersection of Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing Brief: This workshop was conceived with the aim of familiarizing participants with the procedural intricacies of Stack Lamination milling, employing an Industrial KUKA robot arm. The methodology encompassed the integration of both digital and conventional fabrication approaches. We engaged in practical applications of 3-axis CNC … Read more
Exploring the Intersection of Subtractive and Additive Manufacturing In the pursuit of challenging manufacturing norms and pushing the boundaries of creativity, our team delved into the intricate world of stack lamination during the recent workshop. Focused on creating functional and visually stunning furniture pieces for a potential cafeteria in Barcelona, our journey unfolded through three … Read more
A City’s Revolution has come!Uplifting its community by changing the perception and usage of modern cities through Hygiene Barcelona’s lack of public toilets can lead to unhygienic situations such as relieving oneself on the streets of the city but also having to find another solution without the guarantee of knowing if the facilities will be … Read more
During this one week workshop we explored the combination of stack lamination and 5 axis robotic milling for the speculative production of furniture for the new IAAC cafe. As a group we conceptualized and developed 3 items of furniture that could be produced using stack lamination. Each design was rationalized to make use of a … Read more
Brief Our curiosity brought us to an intriguing investigation at the nexus of technology, craftsmanship, and acoustics in the quest to elevate spatial design. This blog shares the story of our journey, where we used a cutting-edge multi-material 3D printing technique to produce personalized sound-diffusing walls—a first for the industry. Our concept began with a … Read more
The emergence of additive manufacturing has expanded the horizon for developing designs that are not only more environmentally sustainable but also commercially viable, addressing critical issues in our surroundings. In the field of architecture, multi-material 3D printing opens up a compelling opportunity to imbue intelligence into the surfaces of our built environment by thoughtfully selecting … Read more
State of the Art In the quest for sustainable and energy-efficient cooling solutions, the TerraCool project endeavors to harness the natural properties of clay through the innovative application of multi-material 3D printing technology. This research project aims to develop an advanced evaporative cooling system utilizing seashell ceramic. “TerraCool” is not only a testament to the … Read more
