Towards New Robotic Design Tools: Using Collaborative Robots within the Creative Industry

Abstract

This research documents our initial experiences of using a new type of collaborative, industrial robot in the area of architecture, design, and construction. The KUKA LBR-iiwa differs from common robotic configurations in that it uses seven axes with integrated force-torque sensors and can be programmed in the Java programming language. Its force-sensitivity makes it safe to interact with, but also enables entirely new applications that use hand-guiding and utilize the force-sensors to compensate for high tolerances on building sites, similar to how we manually approach assembly tasks. Especially for the creative industry, the Java programming opens up completely new applications that would have previously required complex bus systems or industrial data interfaces. We will present a series of realized projects that showcase some of the potential of this new type of collaborative, safe robot, and discuss the advantages and limitations of the robotic system.