Augmented Human and Extended Machine:
Adaptive Digital Fabrication and Human-machine Collaboration for Architecture
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Author / Producer
Date
2023
Publication Type
Doctoral Thesis
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yes
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Abstract
This research aims to establish adaptive digital fabrication processes that include human-machine collaboration in digital fabrication. In the past two decades, digital fabrication in architecture engineering and construction (AEC) has significantly advanced, enabling more complex, customised, and precise fabrication results. Even though most digital fabrication processes aim for full automation, they still require human participation for either material deposition, quality control, or finishing. While humans are still needed, current digital fabrication processes are not adaptive enough to include humans in the digital control logic. This inflexibility limits the robustness and autonomy of digital fabrication and its applicability in areas that are more difficult to automate, such as on-site fabrication or fabrication with more complex material systems.
Therefore, this doctoral research aims to include human actions and decision-making in digital fabrication processes. This combination of human tacit knowledge and dexterity with the precision and endurance of machines has the potential to increase the productivity, adaptability and robustness of digital fabrication. To facilitate human-machine collaboration, this research establishes more adaptive digital fabrication processes, linking digital models with physical fabrication environments.
For this, digital twins are developed to efficiently control and capture data from the entire fabrication process and all its components. These digital twins are linked with extended-reality interfaces, actuators and tracking systems to inform and track humans and machines during fabrication. The research results are obtained through physical experiments and four proof-of-concept case studies investigating various aspects of human-machine collaboration in architecture and digital fabrication. By solving practical and methodological challenges, this research demonstrates how human-machine collaboration supports a faster and more sustainable integration of digital fabrication in AEC. Furthermore, this thesis illustrates the aesthetic and technological benefits of such collaborative systems, as well as their potential to expand our repertoire of digital fabrication workflows.
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published
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Editor
Contributors
Examiner : Kohler, Matthias
Examiner : Gramazio, Fabio
Examiner : Dörfler, Kathrin
Examiner : Baudisch, Patrick
Examiner : Salter, Christopher Lloyd
Book title
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Pages / Article No.
Publisher
ETH Zurich
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Edition / version
Methods
Software
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Date collected
Date created
Subject
Augmented Reality (AR); Digital fabrication; Robotic fabrication; Human-machine interaction; Extended reality; Architecture; Augmented reality fabrication; interactive fabrication
Organisational unit
03708 - Gramazio, Fabio / Gramazio, Fabio
03709 - Kohler, Matthias / Kohler, Matthias