Light Distribution in 3D-Printed Thermoplastics.

Daylight distribution is an essential performance parameter for building facades that aim to maximize user comfort while maintaining energy efficiency. This study investigates the feasibility of using 3D-printed thermoplastic to improve daylight distribution and transmission. To identify how geometry influences light distribution and transmission, 12 samples with various patterns were robotically fabricated.

A framework for robotic excavation and dry stone construction using on-site materials.

Automated building processes that enable efficient in situ resource utilization can facilitate construction in remote locations while simultaneously offering a carbon-reducing alternative to commonplace building practices. Toward these ends, we present a robotic construction pipeline that is capable of planning and building freeform stone walls and landscapes from highly heterogeneous local materials using a robotic excavator equipped with a shovel and gripper. Our system learns from real and simulated data to facilitate the online detection and segmentation of stone instances in spatial maps, enabling robotic grasping and textured 3D scanning of individual stones and rubble elements.

Eggshell Pavilion: a reinforced concrete structure fabricated using robotically 3D printed formwork.

Unlabelled: This paper discusses the design, fabrication, and assembly of the 'Eggshell Pavilion', a reinforced concrete structure fabricated using 3D printed thin shell formwork. Formworks for columns and slabs were printed from recycled plastic using a pellet extruder mounted to a robotic arm. The formworks were cast and demoulded, and the finished elements were assembled into a pavilion, showcasing the architectural potential of 3D printed formwork.

Impact Printing.

This article introduces the concept of Impact Printing, a new additive manufacturing (AM) method that aggregates malleable discrete elements (or soft particles) by a robotic shooting process. The bonding between the soft particles stems from the transformation of kinetic energy, gained during the acceleration phase, into plastic deformation upon impact. Hence, no additional binding material is needed between the soft particles; the cohesion and self-interlocking capacities of the material itself acts as the primary binding agent.

Robotic Plaster Spraying: Crafting Surfaces with Adaptive Thin-Layer Printing.

Embedded in a long tradition of craftsmanship, inside or outside building surfaces, is often treated with plaster, which plays both functional and ornamental roles. Today, plasterwork is predominantly produced through rationalized, time-, and cost-efficient processes, used for standardized building elements. These processes have also gained interest in the construction robotics field, and while such approaches target the direct automation of standardized plasterwork, they estrange themselves from the inherent qualities of this malleable material that are well known from the past.