Robotic Sketching: A Study on Robotic Clay 3D Printing

Abstract

Digital fabrication tools are typically employed to materialize a fixed design. Design limits the choice of material; Natural material behavior may consider as flaws in the fabrication. What if these tools and material behaviors being used as sketching tools to generate new design ideas? In this paper, we present a workflow in which digital fabrication tools, specifically robotic arms, are used as sketching tools. It is called robotic sketching; The goal is to sketch with effects of fabrication settings on emerging behaviors of materials in first steps of design. We exemplify this workflow with a case on robotic clay 3D printing.