Form-finding with Robotics - Fusing Physical Simulation and Digital Fabrication

Abstract

We present an experimental digital design and fabrication process investigating the integration of form-finding and industrial robotics. The design process is inspired by classical experiments producing minimal surfaces and tensile structures via physical simulation. The fabrication process resembles thermoforming whereby sheets of PET material are heat treated and while in a malleable state, where the material behaves like stretchable fabric, an industrial articulated robotic arm impresses a form while the sheet is air cooled and its final shape becomes stable and rigid. The three-dimensional plastic sheets are used as molds for glass-reinforced concrete casting. The key aspects of our approach include: (a) Mold-less fabrication: the design of our robotic end-effector can produce a range of free-form geometries without need for complex mold making (b) Reusable and durable artifacts: unlike traditional physical form-finding processes where the derived form is often ephemeral or fragile our process affords the detachment of a rigid artifacts which can be digitized, used as-is or employed in (c) Multi-stage fabrication: as the form-found geometry can be directly used for processes such as casting with excellent results in terms of surface finish. We present the design and development of our system and its deployment for an installation artwork.