In partnership with Research and Development at Zahner, Black Box Research Group hosted a two week workshop on robotic prototyping for full-scale distributed construction. This workshop continued graduate coursework from the Robotic Architecture Workshop, with graduate students cycling into the role of student teachers.
The fabrication prototyping for sheet metal was simulated at student’s homes, using the Cameo 4, a 12-inch width desktop cutting machine for precision cuts in vinyl, cardstock, and fabric.
Using the Cameo 4 as a desktop machine, the RAW workflow from CAD design to the generation of machine specific fabrication files/code mirrored the process Zahner engineers undergo when commissioning large scale machines and robots. Participants were exposed to the nuances of file preparation and machine tacit knowledge, exposing efforts that are fundamental to the production process but often invisible to designers . Paper projects acted as a stand-in for sheet metal components – allowing for simplified fabrication methods while still surfacing the challenges inherent in a full digital fabrication workflow for variable parts.
Below: RAW Summer student work by Jessica Flores (prototype)
Primary support for RAW Summer 2020 was provided by the Council on Science and Technology.
Fall 2021 undergraduate students in ARC311 installed a metal and bamboo exo-structure on the Biofabrication Shed, working with Zahner Labs.
