Design Robotics

Abstract

The use of industrial robotics in architecture is characterized by the dominance of two distinct approaches. The first attempts to solve practical problems using engineering methods without affecting design scope. The second is dominated by creative and artistic design experimentation, primarily seeks to inspire, and consciously leaves the practicalities and constraints of the construction industry out of the investigation. “Design Robotics” as a third, more strategic approach links design innovation to the reality of industrial production. The paper articulates its associated research methods and approaches by reviewing recent examples of research conducted by the Design Robotics Group (DRG) at Harvard University. The work, focused on robotically enabled ceramic systems, is a highly systematic form of research that bridges the gap between primarily artistic endeavors and the construction automation research of the building industry.