Welcome to the official UT Robotics Lab Wiki!
What is the UT Robotics Lab
The UT robotics lab is a place for creative avant-garde exploration and practical realization of digital worlds into our own real one. Here at the UT Robotics lab we foster an environment of curious exploration and offer a wide array of tools and support for UT students to unleash their creative appetites and see their imaginations realized! Using state of the art Kuka Kr60 Robot arms and a DKP400 two-axis positioner the robotics lab is equipped to handle a variety of tasks both immediately or with a simple tool change. The Kuka robot arms are industrial robots that are utilized for a variety of tasks and sent shockwaves in the world back in 1971 when KUKA built Europe's first welding transfer line built for Daimler-Benz. We have adapted these powerful robots to various design tasks and have produced some of the most unusual geometries in the UTSOA!
Incremental Metal Forming UT Robotics Lab Robots Pen Drawing Tool
What We Do
At the UT Robotics Lab, through our continuous research into robotics and design, we have developed various custom tools and workflows using a variety of scripting languages such as Grasshopper, Python, VBA, and others that include:
- Drawing
- Extruding
- Dabbing
- Incremental Metal Forming
The Process is simple! The KUKA's act like sophisticated 6 axis CNC machines where we would program the robot using the KUKA PRC plugin for grasshopper to give it a set of toolpaths to follow. Each task has its own pre-dedicated workspace which allows the KUKA PRC to translate virtual space in Rhino 3D to the real world setup. Instead of writing code, simple function-blocks are connected with each other and the results immediately visualized. This instantaneous feedback allows the acceleration of the process from the programming environment to the robot, or from design to fabrication. Our currently developed KUKA PRC process accepts MESHES and LINES and can be used with some of the Tools we have extensively worked with and continue to perfect including:
- Rod bending
- Heat gun forming
Milling
Gripper functions
The versatility of the Robots allows for a simple tool change for the head of the robot that would transform it into a totally different machine. One thing we are very proud of is that we make our own tools through 3D Printing or Steel Milling, which adds an entire level of versatility to what exactly we can use the robots for. This customization pushes us forward to test new setups and apparatus as a part of our continuous research effort that seeks to blur the line between Robots and Design.
Incremental Metal Forming Heat Gun Forming Rod Bending
We also hold annual exhibitions of our work at UT which we invite all students to attend and see where our process have advanced and what we were able to produce with them so far. Current research including dabbing processes and using resin to form unique and unusual objects. Our multitalented and multidisciplinary team includes students from Architecture, Sustainable Design, and Electrical Engineering means we as a family as we each bring something unique to the table and seek to keep UT at the forefront of architecture schools and design production.
Exhibition (1) Exhibition (2) Multilayered Pen Drawing
How To Reach Us
Students are invited to visit the Robotics Lab at the basement of Sutton Hall to view some of the work we have completed. The Lab is already frequented by instructors and students alive that require robotic solutions for their design problems. We offer training on the use of KUKA robots and CNC machines. To reach us contact the Head of the UT Robotics Lab Ben Rice at his email: ben@utexas.edu to schedule a showing, a job, or training. So grab your pens, laptops, and keyboards and unleash your creativity, we'll be waiting for you!
