Compas II: Introduction to Computational Methods for Digital Fabrication in Architecture

Abstract

This PhD-level course begins with an overview of the COMPAS framework basics, and then introduces digital fabrication methods and tools based on it. Students learn fundamentals of robotics, robot kinematics and planning, and basics of robot control applied in the domain of architecture and digital fabrication using the COMPAS and COMPAS FAB framework and open source tools.

Objective

1. Understand fundamentals of robotics, coordinate systems, transformations and orientation representations. 2. Learn forward and inverse kinematic functions and their application. 3. Learn Cartesian and kinematic robot planning methods 4. Apply these concepts to design and implement digital fabrication processes. 5. Gain an understanding of different robot control methods and their application.

Content

Lectures, tutorials and project-based exercises will focus on: - Introduction to fundamentals of robotics. - Introduction to COMPAS and COMPAS FAB framework. - Robot model representations. - Robot forward and inverse kinematics. - Robot path planning: Cartesian motion planning and kinematic motion planning, planning scene and collision detection. - Integration of planning tools into parametric design environment (CAD). - Overview and usage of ROS (Robot Operating System). - Design of digital fabrication processes (assembly of discrete elements, 3D printing, etc.).

Resources