This research trajectory proposes the deployment of twin robots on site to rapidly erect fabric structures. This was explored using a method for the rigidizing of double curved thermoplastic textile forms into structurally stable components through the application of heat and pressure. As a case study for the larger system, a piece of synthetic cloth was twisted into a hyperbolic paraboloid, and then scanned with a 1D laser to verify shape and location. Based on this information, tool paths that match the physical sample are created for two robots operating in KUKA Roboteam with custom toolheads. Tests for optimal temperature and pressure with one and two robots were performed.

Project Team: Peter Shaw, and Luis Orozco. In conjunction with Tutors Sean Alquist and Wes McGee’s 2015 Research Through Making Project “Knit Architectures”