Design Robotics Group
Research
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The Design Robotics Groups focusses on funded research and other projects. We work with industrial partners, industry associations, students, faculty and staff of the GSD, as well as with other groups at the University..
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Ceramic Futures II The second year of ceramic research focusses on robotic interventions for the manufacture and post-processing of pressed tiles - the most common of all tile products. Related to this project will be a course offering at the GSD in the fall semester of 2011, as well as a design workshop on architectural ceramics at INHA University in Seoul, Korea.
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Sustainable Materials and Construction This ongoing project looks at frameworks for the design and construction of building products made from recycled materials, emphasising lifecycle performance and considering branding and economic aspects. This project is related to a GSD course offering in the fall of 2011..
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Flexible Tooling The lack of variable tooling to matches the flexibility of robotic manipulators has long limited our ability to pursue low-volume customized fabrication. This project looks at low-cost forming devices for use with a variety of materials.
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Ceramic Futures I The research studies two major challenges for ceramic products in the construction industry – the need for increasing product diversity and customization, and the mounting pressure to conform to ever higher standards of environmental performance in design and construction. Both aspects of ceramics are looked at through a holistic, process-centric research approach that includes all aspects of the ceramic lifecycle, from production, distribution, and installation to operation and eventual dismantling. The two challenges of customization and sustainability are distinct yet related through the common goal of waste reduction. The research, a collaboration with Prof. Christoph Reinhart's GSD Sustainable Design Group, looks at opportunities for the strategic integration of common digital design tools in a newly develope robotic production method. The research developed a modular, integrated workflow for performance analysis and robotic fabrication of customizable ceramic components.
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RoboKline Franz Kline’s Black and White series serves as the inspiration for this project. How can a highly
digital and automated production process create a unique end-product without involving complex automation approaches? In close relation to the PhD thesis
“ Mass Customization Based on Economic Models and the Parallels to Unique Works of Art” the essence
of this research project is to understand the relationship between physically uncontrollable aspects and highly controlled computational approaches. In the context of robotic painting issues of paint application enforce a playful customization combined with robotic precision.
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Metal Sky A fabrication study using robotically folded sheet metal is currently being installed at the GSD. The project investigates the role of design automation in the context of a parametrically variable design. The integrated design to robotic fabrication process involves a custom automation tool developed for a parametric Digital Project environment. Design variations involve individualized sheet metal shapes that can be customized without impacting the time and cost of fabrication.
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Ann Arbor Municipal Center Sculpture The project involves the fabrication of a series of milled foam molds for use in the casting of a large, permanent sculptural installation at the Ann Arbor Municipal Center. The sculpture, designed by Herbert Dreiseitl-(LOEB '11), consists of a vertical cast bronze element and a horizontal waterway that together carry water through the site. Provision are made for the molding and casting of these elements at a Michigan foundry. The research explores the translation of hand sketches into digital data for robotic tooling and production. Molds for bronze and concrete castings have being produced on the multiaxis robotic mill.
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