The seminar Robotic Aggregations has explored the application of robots for the aggregation and disaggregation of designed granular matter.
The main aim was the development of effector-types to be coupled with a six-axis robot’s control system. The effector-heads are based on different logics of distributing a designed granulate. Two main principles were explored.
The first one is based on an aggregation strategy which uses the granulate in its unordered state through the construction and deconstruction cycle. A custom-made gripper grabs a parcel of grains and drops it from a distance onto a pneumatic formwork. Different Gripper-Fingers and Grabbing-Dropping patterns were developed and tested. This strategy bears close resemblance to conventional full-scale construction processes such as cranes or dredgers. The advantage however of using a six-axis robot lies in the more precise control of motion paths and thus finer resolution of the aggregation.
The second one uses an aggregation strategy that relies on the aggregate being in a highly ordered state during distribution and in disordered state after that. A flow-controlled air-gun was constructed that allows to shoot single granules from a pointed magazine head. As a parallel research, the morphology of the individual granule was developed further to integrate flying behaviour based on seeds.
Institute for Computational Design - Robotic Aggregations
Karola Dierichs, Professor Achim Menges
Institute for Computational Design - Computational Design and Digital Fabrication
Tobias Schwinn, Oliver Krieg, Marshall Prado, Professor Achim Menges
Participants
Desislava Angelova, Sven Bauer, Julia Bührle, Ludwig Ebert, Ali Farhan, Moritz Finkl, Yohei Kanzaki, Petar Trassiev, Julian Wengcinek
Project Gallery
