This research presents Vizor, a software framework to facilitate Human Robot Collaboration (HRC) in fabrication using Augmented Reality (AR), specifically within the environment of high Level of Automation (LoA) prefabrication for the AEC industry. The framework supports skill set extensions of fabrication setups via the integration of human craft and automation through AR and improves the accessibility and adaptability of these fabrication setups. It features a Grasshopper plugin for low-barrier-to-entry prototyping and an integrated HoloLens application for operation. The tool is demonstrated through three use case examples and validated in a proof-of-concept case study involving a craftsperson and a 14-Axis robotic setup, which demonstrates a novel interactive task-sharing process. Vizor opens new opportunities to extend robotic prefabrication with craftspeople who are skilled yet untrained in robotic control and provides greater access to tools for prototyping HRC workflows.
This research demonstrates an integrative computational design and fabrication workflow for the production of surface-active fibre composites, which uses natural fibres, revitalises a traditional craft, and avoids the use of costly molds. Fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are highly tunable building materials, which gain efficiency from fabrication techniques enabling controlled fibre direction and placement in tune with load-bearing requirements. These techniques have evolved closely with industrial textile processes. However, increased focus on automation within FRP fabrication processes have overlooked potential key benefits presented by some lesser-known traditional techniques of fibre arrangement. This research explores the process of traditional bobbin lace-making and applies it in a computer-aided design and fabrication process of a small-scale structural demonstrator in the form of a chair. The research exposes qualities that can expand the design space of FRPs, as well as speculates about the potential automation of the process. In addition, Natural Fibre-Reinforced Polymers (NFRP) are investigated as a sustainable and human-friendly alternative to more popular carbon and glass FRPs.
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