About

What We Do

At the UT Robotics Lab, through our continuous research into robotics and design, we have developed various custom tools and work-flows using a variety of scripting languages such as Grasshopper, Python, VBA, C# and others. Students and faculty are encouraged to get certified and join us in using the following processes (or developing new ones!):

• Drawing
• Extruding
• Dabbing
• Incremental Metal Forming

Currently, robots are programmed primarily using the KUKA PRC plugin for grasshopper to produce a set of toolpaths to follow. Each of the pre-defined tasks above has its own 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 current KUKA PRC scripts accept MESHES and LINES and can be used with some of the end-of-arm tools we have developed in-house. Some additional tools are available to all faculty and students with a minor lead time for tool changing and preparation:

• Heat gun forming

• Milling

• Gripper functions

The robotic arm's versatility allows it to become a completely different tool using a simple change in the end-effector. Whether a tool is custom-designed or off-the-shelf, we have the capacity to do almost anything robots are capable of. Our research is aimed at blurring the line between robots and design, and the lab is at your disposal for your own projects toward those ends.

 Incremental Metal Forming         Heat Gun Forming                                           Rod Bending                                                      Wood Milling

 Exhibition (1)                                                                       Exhibition (2)                                                          Multilayered Pen Drawing

Access

The Robotics Lab is only accessible to certified students or when a professor contacts the Tech Lab and requests time on the KUKA robots. Please ask your professor to contact the Tech Lab to begin this process. All work done on the robots must be done with a trained staff member of the Tech Lab present.

Support

• All support for Robotics is provided by TRIG
  • SUT 1.120
  • trig@utexas.edu

Documentation