CLAY DJ
As digital tools are becoming the dominant mode of architectural design and fabrication, developing hybrid design contexts that integrate currently separate design steps into the fabrication process is necessary.
The separation between design and fabrication is escalating not only in the construction industry but also in design thinking methodologies and pedagogy. With the rise of digital technologies, geometrical tools have changed from notational representations to digital information models. In many cases, digital technologies have enabled designers to get closer to the pre-Albertian artisanal way of design. In other cases, their interaction with the object of design occurs within a digital environment transforming the object into an information model rather than a tangible object.
This study brings artisanal free-hand making into real-time digital prototyping with robotic arms. Results show great potential in exploring design options by encoding uncertainty and embracing material instabilities into an integrated digital thinking-robotic fabrication workflow. In this framework, design is an accumulation of momentary decisions within the spectrum of allowed possibilities.
Practice Area: Architecture, Digital thinking, Digital Fabrication, Art, Human-Robot Interaction
Type: Academic
Date: AUG 2021
Part of "Digital impromptu: real-time design and making through human-robot interaction"
The bricks are designed with a global strategy in mind: they should be stackable to create one or more column-like structures. In order to achieve this, the designer must only ensure that the radius of the first and last layers of each brick is consistent. All the layers in between are open to exploration and can change within the predetermined ranges. To simplify this process, the designer can use a MIDI controller. By setting the midpoint of the assigned knob rotation to the desired radius, the designer can ensure that the design starts and ends with the knob in the correct position. This method allows for easy attainment of the desired radius.
