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Compas XR
Compas FAB
Impact Printing
Compas Timber
AIXD: AI-eXtended Design
AI-Augmented Architectural Design
AR Timber Assemblies
Architectural Design with Conditional Autoencoders
Integrated 3D Printed Facade
Think Earth SP7
Robotic Plaster Spraying
Additive Manufactured Facade
Human-Machine Collaboration
Timber Assembly with Distributed Architectural Robotics
Eggshell Benches
Eggshell
CantiBox
Autonomous Dry Stone
RIBB3D
Data Driven Acoustic Design
Mesh Mould Prefabrication
Data Science Enabled Acoustic Design
Thin Folded Concrete Structures
FrameForm
Adaptive Detailing
Deep Timber
Robotic Fabrication Simulation for Spatial Structures
Jammed Architectural Structures
RobotSculptor
Digital Ceramics
On-site Robotic Construction
Mesh Mould Metal
Smart Dynamic Casting and Prefabrication
Spatial Timber Assemblies
Robotic Lightweight Structures
Mesh Mould and In situ Fabricator
Complex Timber Structures
Spatial Wire Cutting
Robotic Integral Attachment
Mobile Robotic Tiling
YOUR Software Environment
Aerial Construction
Smart Dynamic Casting
Topology Optimization
Mesh Mould
Acoustic Bricks
TailorCrete
BrickDesign
Echord
FlexBrick
Additive processes
Room acoustics


Timber Assembly with Distributed Architectural Robotics, 2018-2022
PhD research project
This PhD research focuses on the robotic assembly of timber structures with integral timber joints, specifically, crossed-half-lap joints. The proposed method uses a set of custom-built, remote-controlled, high-force robotic clamps to operate in collaboration with an industrial robotic arm to overcome challenges of timber joint assembly, such as providing large assembly forces and avoiding misalignments. This method enables the automatic assembly of non-repetitive and spatially connected timber structures.
To aid the design of structures that can be constructed with this fabrication method, we developed custom computer modeling, visualization, and feasibility-checking software for designing structures with lap joints. In addition, we also used state-of-the-art software for (1) Online robotic control, for synchronizing arm and clamps (2) Robotic path planning among dense partially-built structures. (3) Structural analysis of the completed timber structure. We developed custom software for modeling, visualization, and feasibility-checking
As a proof of concept, we have designed and robotically assembled a spatial frame structure (4.8 x 3.0m footprint, 3.4m tall) at the Robotic Fabrication Lab, ETH Zurich comprising 40 pieces of 100x100mm profile timber elements. We used a 6-axis robotic arm mounted on a 3-axis overhead gantry and four custom robotic clamps for the assembly.

Publications:

Leung, Pok Yin Victor, Aleksandra Anna Apolinarska, Davide Tanadini, Fabio Gramazio, Matthias Kohler. " Automatic Assembly of Jointed Timber Structure using Distributed Robotic Clamps." In PROJECTIONS - Proceedings of the 26th CAADRIA Conference - Volume 1, The Chinese University of Hong Kong and Online, Hong Kong, 29 March - 1 April 2021, pp. 583-592.
PDF

Yijiang Huang, Pok Yin Victor Leung, Caelan Garrett, Fabio Gramazio, Matthias Kohler, Caitlin Mueller. "The new analog: A protocol for linking design and construction intent with algorithmic planning for robotic assembly of complex structures." SCF '21: Symposium on Computational Fabrication 9, 2021 (2021): 1-17.
LINK

CAADRIA 2021 conference video

Credits:
Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich

In cooperation with: Prof. Dr. Agathe Koller-Hodac and Marco Rossi (Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences), Prof. Caitlin Mueller, Yijiang Huang (MIT, Department of Architecture Building Technology)
Research programme: NCCR Digital Fabrication
Collaborators: Pok Yin Victor Leung (project lead), Dr. Aleksandra Anna Apolinarska, Prof. Joseph Schwartz, Davide Tanadini, Gonzalo Casas

Copyright 2024, Gramazio Kohler Research, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Gramazio Kohler Research
Chair of Architecture and Digital Fabrication
ETH Zürich HIB E 43
Stefano-Franscini Platz 1 / CH-8093 Zurich

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