Schedule

Class 01 Saturday 3/1

• Course introduction
• Lecture on the definition of industrial robots, how robotic arms are used in the manufacturing sector, and how architects are visualizing their use for AEC
• Assignment 1 “Robotic Automation Precedent Study” assigned

Class 02 Saturday 3/8

• Assignment 1 presentations
• Lecture on basic setup for a robot station and how to manage a RobotStudio file hierarchy. Basic robotic arm motion explained. Tooling, targets, and work objects introduced
• Assignment 2 “Generative Robotic Drawings” Part A assigned

NO CLASS Saturday 3/15

• No class but appointments will be open for students to complete Assignment 2

NO CLASS Saturday 3/22

• No class but appointments will be open for students to complete Assignment 2

Class 03 Saturday 3/29

• Assignment 2 programs run on robot
• Lecture: Autopathing Grasshopper Curves in RobotStudio
• Assignment 2 Part B assigned

Class 04 Saturday 4/5

• Assignment 2B programs run on robot.
• Lecture: Using Grasshopper to Rationalize Paths and Join Into Single Curve
• Assignment 2 Part C assigned

Class 05 Saturday 4/12

• Assignment 2C programs run on robot
• Lecture: Deriving Panel Designs from Generative Drawings (working title for Assignment 3: “Thermoplastic Carapace”)
• Students work on panel designs

NO CLASS Saturday 4/19

• No class but appointments may be open for current assignment.

Class 06 Saturday 4/26

• Review of student panel designs
• Lecture: Variable panelization based on basic gravity loads using Karamba
• Students work on panelizations

Class 07 Saturday 5/3

• Review of panelizations
• Lab: Testing forming limits of thermoplastics (deliverable: matrix of material performance data)

Class 08 Saturday 5/10

• Review of material studies
• Students begin work on designing custom tooling (“end effectors”):
  • One which secures the plastic sheets along four edges
  • One which leaves a single edge or multiple partial edges unsecured for potential panel overlap or scaling
• Students begin work on forming elements to crease thermoplastic panels

Class 09 Saturday 5/17

• Lab: Testing material studies using robotic tooling and programming
• Students work on robotic programs to work within limits of material performance

Class 10 Saturday 5/24

• Review of students’ material tests and programs
• Lecture: Using HAL to automate robotic mass customization directly from Grasshopper

In full course 5 additional classes would be used to complete design, fabrication, and assembly of “Thermoplastic Carapace” projects. These additional classes would also give time to develop drawings and renderings for supporting boards.