Cognitive Robotic Fabrication
Registration Link
Workshop Registration opens September 8th, 2025! Click the link above to be notified when registration becomes available.
Location : UM
Workshop Team
Johannes Braumann, Creative Robotics, Association for Robots in Architecture
Karl Singline, Creative Robotics
Emanuel Gollob, Creative Robotics
MAiRA, cognitive robot
Workshop Description
In this workshop, we will collaboratively prototype complex cognitive robotic systems that respond to real-time sensor input. Drawing from multiple data sources, participants will develop integrated workflows that directly inform physical fabrication processes.
The workshop leverages the visual programming environment Grasshopper to enable highly customized, geometrically intricate path planning. However, the workshop extends beyond Grasshopper, guiding participants through a novel workflow that links the Grasshopper environment to external control systems, streaming data that drives real-time updates of the physical environment for digital fabrication.
Participants will be among the first to explore the brand-new Parametric Robot Control - the successor to KUKA|prc - offering robust simulation and control of myriad industrial and collaborative robots. Purpose-built for seamless integration across diverse programming environments, the new framework acts as a versatile backbone for a complete range of robotic applications.
Attendees will stream data from various sources, from accessing robot-integrated sensor data to utilizing advanced hi-precision 3D vision systems such as Photoneo’s MotionCam series, translating real-time insights directly to a fabrication workflow.
The workshop targets participants with basic programming experience, ideally in Grasshopper, C# and/or Python, but not essential.
Key Learning Outcomes
- Going beyond Grasshopper’s usual dataflows for robotic fabrication
- Introduction to the new Parametric Robot Control
- Integration of multi-modal sensor streams
- Generative complex geometrically complex, sensor-responsive tool paths
- Implementation of adaptive digital fabrication
- Cross-platform workflows
- Collaboration within interdisciplinary teams
Workshop Schedule
3 Days, 6 hours per day – exact times will be adjusted to logistics, final hardware specifications and participant capabilities.
Day 1: Foundations and First Steps
Morning Session:
- Introduction, orientation and foundations
- Hardware walk-through
- Installing / launching required software
- First robot program
Afternoon Session:
- Principles of 3D vision and model sensing
- Hands-on calibration
- Streaming data into Grasshopper
- Simple closed-loop demo
Day 2: Data-Driven Development
Morning Session:
- Data-driven tool paths
- Generating complex, sensor-based trajectories in Grasshopper
- PRC simulation deep-dive
- Develop workshop team goal
Afternoon Session:
- Defined Fabrication concept
- Develop cross-platform pipelines
- Integrate data streams
- Iterative testing
Day 3: Fabrication and Finalization
Morning Session:
- Troubleshooting and tuning
- Material adjustments
- Digital fabrication workflow testing
- Real-time adaptation to material deviation
Afternoon Session:
- Final fabrication runs
- Documentation
- Team presentation of workflows and outcomes
- Critique and discussion of future research
Prerequisites
- Basic programming experience, ideally in Grasshopper, C# and/or Python (not essential)
- Interest in robotic fabrication and sensor integration
- Willingness to work in interdisciplinary teams
Workshop Outcomes
Participants will leave the workshop with:
- Hands-on experience with the new Parametric Robot Control framework
- Understanding of multi-modal sensor integration for robotic fabrication
- Practical knowledge of cross-platform workflows linking Grasshopper to external systems
- Experience developing adaptive, sensor-responsive fabrication processes
- Collaborative project experience in cognitive robotic systems
- Foundation for future research in adaptive digital fabrication