Robotic Aggregations

Digitally Controlled Pouring for Designed Granulates
FIRST MEETING 08.04.2014 at 9.45, room 10.23, ICD

Aggregate Architectures are architectural material systems consisting of large numbers of granules lying in loose frictional contact. Whereas conventional Architectural Assembly Systems require the designing architect to be in full control of both the shape of the individual component and that of the overall geometry, Aggregate Structures are poured into temporarily stable configurations and can thus be merely predicted in terms of their probable formations. Material Geometry is replaced by Material Behavior. Digitally controlled fabrication processes are in most cases thought of within the paradigm of precision.

The application of such manufacturing methods for the configuration of merely probable formations is relatively rare, however especially in recent years such systems have increasingly been explored, e.g. the digital pouring of sand, liquids or foam.

The relevance for the application of digitally controlled pouring processes for the aggregation of designed granular structures lies initially in establishing repeatable processes that allow for the statistic observation of the aggregate behavior. On the next level, digitally controlled processes can allow for configurations which are manually hard or even impossible to achieve.

The seminar ‘Robotic Aggregations’ will begin to explore the application of robots for the pouring of designed granular matter. Participants will develop effector-types to be coupled with the robot’s control system which are based on different logics of distributing a designed granulate. The outcome will be a scaled prototype of a robotically aggregated and disaggregated structure.

Everyone is welcome. Technical aptitude and a skill or interest in scripting is useful. The seminar is taught in direct cooperation with the ITECH Master Seminar ‘Computational Design and Digital Fabrication’.
Selected Projects: Robotic Aggregations