Digital Fabrication via KUKA Steel Bending
Role: Designer, Architectural Research
Entity: Robotic Control, Scripting
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Skills Used: KUKA robot work, design conception, welding, scripting
Designed as a mix between Arch 571: Digital Fabrication and a Programming course within Arch:506 Experimental Courses, the project focused on using scripting techniques in conjunction with digital fabrication equipment. The final project was a large structure created from bending steel bars with the Kuka Robot based upon a script which organically moved the lines together.
Results and Process
The final form combined bent steel with another scripted fabric form. It was more-or-less successful, with the process being more important than the final form.
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Video of Script in Motion
This video shows the process the scripting mechanism went through to create the final form. At the time, this was done with RhinoScripting, a Visual Basic deritive within a 3D modeling program. If I were to redo this, we'd be using Python within Rhino, a much easier sytem to work with.
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