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.


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Framework for Coral Reef Restoration

Coral reefs play a pivotal role in the ocean’s capacity to sequester carbon dioxide, acting as natural carbon sinks. Through the process of calcification, corals convert carbon dioxide from the water into limestone (calcium carbonate) structures, which comprise the coral skeleton. This not only helps in reducing the amount of CO2 in the ocean but … Read more

Decarbonization of Construction Transportation

The intertwined relationship between the construction industry and transportation systems is a cornerstone of modern development. This synergy, while enabling the creation of the infrastructure essential for our expanding populations and their demands, also brings to light the challenges of sustainability and environmental impact. As we navigate the complexities of urban growth and infrastructural expansion, … Read more

Paint Detection

Our project began with an engaging challenge: to digitally map the future home of the Institute of Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) using cutting-edge technology. We harnessed photogrammetry, a method that transforms a series of photos into a comprehensive 3D model, using both drones and smartphones to capture the images. This technique allowed us to … Read more

Truss and Roof Health

ROBOTIC SOLUTIONS FOR 3D SPACE ANALYSIS AIM This workshop ran in collaboration with Noumena and IAAC where we were introduced to a environmental scanning and data processing workflows which combined the use of photogrammetry and point-cloud data. The site of the study was at IAAC’s new building which is yet to be constructed. From this … Read more

PatchX

Aim The project was aimed to develop a methodology to detect damages in walls with the help of Yolo’s trained models furthering to gain the quantitative and economic analysis of the development any project. Workflow Initially, we conducted a site scan using an RGB camera of Dji drone the site was mapped section by section … Read more

Stylized Point Cloud

Aim The main objective is to generate a new formation of point cloud of the new IAAC building, that is inspired from a style (Artistic /Architectural) using  AI / Machine learning and change the existing point cloud with the the new stylized point cloud. State of The Art Image-to-image translation is a class of vision … Read more

Site Assistant

‘’To use a mobile robotics to aid in the accuracy of construction and installation planning by creating a new visual communication link using scanned data from the built environment.” The Site Assistant is an mobile robotic assistant designed to enhance efficiency on construction sites. It addresses the common challenge of locating specific objects within walls … Read more

I-P_Mapper

Context I-P_Maper(Intersection Point Mapper) is a project based on ROS and scanning. It mainly focuses on controlling the robot tool path to scan and get the data we want. Given the time constraints, we maximized our efforts and performed a series of tests in order to develop a program that could accurately identify up to … Read more

Object Database Creation Automation

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

Material Stories / Clay

The analyzed material of our team in this class is clay, which is a fine/grained sediment primarily composed of small particles of minerals that are formed when rocks are exposed to different elements such as rain, wind and temperature changes. It can be considered as a natural material which is taken from the Earth, however … Read more

Thermal Sensing for Advanced Cork Manufacturing

This research study delves into the realm of advanced robotics and semi-automated manufacturing processes that take into account the material properties of cork. Specifically, it explores the design and fabrication of a surface system that is optimized for both aesthetic appeal and functional performance. Building on the knowledge gained in a previous term on robotic … Read more

Insightful Sensing

AIM \\ To create custom designed, 3D printed interior surface cladding, constructed of individual components with high quality surface finish and tolerance. CONTEXT \\ Last term we designed a dual end effector that would have an extruder and a wire cutter within the same tool, allowing us to post process the 3D printed pieces to … Read more

NOT_Tiles

AIM \\ Create a design logic that would enable artists and mosaic makers to create unique, one of a kind and highly complex mosaic patterns by giving a second life to broken tiles; having full control of the overall geometry pattern and manufacture of each individual tile through computational technologies and mass production robotic strategies. … Read more

Adaptive AM in Robotics

Context Additive manufacturing is growing exponentially in many industries at many levels, pushing towards new upgrades as a competitive alternative by reducing its logistic and production costs and increasing its flexibility and adaptability to the market’s demand. However, there is still an important challenge that it is facing: a gap on matching references between physical … Read more