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.
MRAC Workshop 2.2 Introduction We know that trash is a problem, specifically with respect to construction and demolition waste. The saying is supposed to go, ‘One man’s trash is another’s treasure.’ but at the moment we are missing the processes to intervene in the massive flows of construction and demolition wasted that are sent to … Read more
The construction industry creates a waste that is expected to reach 2.2 billion tons globally by 2025 (Transparency market research). Because of this the market started trying different new techniques to construct with less waste, that is how with the 4.0 industrial revolution came the Additive manufacturing process, that fabricates physical 3D objects layer by … Read more
This project is looking to be a tool that allow the monitoring, messure and documentation of the AM process at the moment of the printing with the help of conventional cameras, analog sensors, robot Data and open source technology Limitless project use different technology process to adquire information and process it. After the creation of … Read more
A story of mosaic leftovers and their robotic revitalization In alignment with the circular economy and Barcelona’s climate action plan of 2030, we want to use broken ceramic tiles from the demolition site for large-scale applications. It offers numerous benefits, including cost savings, environmental sustainability, mass-customization, and increased efficiency. The goal of the workshop is the … Read more
PROJECT AIM Design an interactive led wall to maximize human interaction by providing some kind of conversation and movement. DEVELOPMENT PLAN BILL OF MATERIALS PROTOTYPE DESIGN For the prototype, we designed two different components for the sensor exploration, the one in the left we called “HandLED” and the one in the right the “Talking LED … Read more
During this Hardware seminar, we were able to understand different types of sensors used in robotics and the techniques used to process the collected data. The aim of the seminar is to use the sensors to understand the environment and then expect the robot to take decisions (automation) and carry a specific task (actuation). For … Read more
An interactive art installation that utilizes thermal imaging and real-time animation to create a captivating visual experience. The general aim of the project “Thermal Rhythm” was to generate an interactive art-wall in complete darkness which translates the human body movements into animations that controls or visualizes the emotions of the detected person through different colors … Read more
During the seminar, we explored the core concepts of ROS (Robotic Operating System), its vital tools, and the seamless integration of Python for interacting with robots. With this integration, we effortlessly processed sensor data and exercised control over the UR10e robot, which served as our platform for the seminar. Through practical exercises, we gained hands-on … Read more
Aim Fiducial Markers Aruco fiducial markers were used for object detection and localization. Fiducial markers are black and white markers that can be detected and identified by computer vision algorithms, making them useful in a variety of applications. Here are some of the benefits of using Aruco fiducial markers: Localization & Mapping Workflow Node Graph … Read more
real-time autonomous object detection The project “RTAOD” in the workshop 2.1 was developed to navigate and localize a robot autonomously through room and create a map of the scanned area. In the meantime it collects data of detected objects and counts the quantity of them. Required tools This project got realized by the Software “ROS … Read more
We programmed a turtlebot to identify and follow (at a respectful distance) the object of its affection: a simple yellow disk. We used the following in our project: Hardware Software Using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping To complete the process, a ROS node subscribed to the image topic being published that contained video from the Astra … Read more
In this course we learned about the Robotic Operating System (ROS) and the MoveIt motion planning using Python for controlling robots. We also utilized development tools such as Git and Docker for managing the data. We learned about different types of sensors which helped for the robot’s motion visualization and scanning for the purpose of … Read more
Objective of this research is to create a robotic scanning workflow that creates high definition meshes for use cases in design and fabrication. Tools Hardware and software used in this research are – UR RobotIntel Realsense D405MoveitIndustrial Reconstruction Initial Tests The initial tests were intended at understanding the parameters of the camera to obtain an … Read more
The efficient utilization of forestry products plays a vital role in sustaining industries such as construction and furniture manufacturing. To meet the demands of mass production, raw materials undergo a process of standardization, enabling streamlined operations and increased output. However, this standardization process results in the generation of valuable by-products such as planar offcuts. These … Read more
Post Tension wood is a project created in different steps. Extracting logs from trees from 12 – 15 diameters, this project scans each piece with the purpose of optimizing the fabrication and reducing the waste. Workflow Set Up & Calibration Production plan
This project focuses on creating a workflow and a tool to automate the design process with irregular wood offcuts.
This project focuses on resolving the algorithmic issues that needs to be tackled in order to automate the design process with irregular wood offcuts.
Main idea for this research is to: Requirements + Setup This package requires a depth camera (for rgb and depth data) and an industrial robot (to broadcast its state, and track movement of the attached camera). The path planning is done with Moveit Motion Planning (moveit_github). The motion planner used for this particular series of … Read more
The state of the art shows our pursue to develop organic geometries using Hyperboloid as design geometry The design takes advantage of the offcuts grain to create a rigid waffle-like structure. Horizontal and vertical members and then connected through notches and screws to stiffen the system. The outer horizontal members of this grid present bark … Read more
How can we improve the additive manufacturing process? According to a panel of experts, this process is not perfect. There are several issues on it, like the time that they normally spend prototyping to have “the perfect piece”. This involves different parameters like speed, pressure, Material Consistency, the calibration of the robot, etc. In most … Read more
Aim Develop prefabricated and post-processed 3D printed clay modules for self-supporting surfaces Context What could we learn from a study of Gaudi’s ceiling in Casa Batllo? This was the jumping off point of this studio. Responding to a requirement to choose an element of an Art Nouveau/Modernisme building – an opening, arch, or surface – … Read more
The objective of this studio was to implement an automated robotic process for the efficient fabrication of modular cork blocks, essential components of a doubly curved acoustic surface. The key objectives encompassed the following: By addressing these objectives, the studio aimed to advance the field of robotic fabrication while emphasizing the acoustic potential of cork … Read more
Ruled surfaces are a way to address both simplicity in terms of design rules and at the same time complexity in terms of the outcome. In this workshop we aimed at defining design rules which are performance driven, to obtain modular geometries. Through parametrization and manipulation of computational workflows we generated paths and mapped them … Read more
