Two Teams of MSD-RAS Students Present Research at ACADIA 2023

Students from Weitzman's MSD-RAS (Robotics and Autonomous Systems) Program had the opportunity to present their research at ACADIA 2023 which took place in Denver, Colorado from October 26th through the 28th.

Pouria Vakhshouri represented his team and spoke about their research into robotic die-cast extrusion of ceramic elements for facade screen applications. Students on the team include Haohan (Jason) Tang, Shuoxuan (Shane) Su, Bentian Wang, and Jingyu (Joey) Luo. Their research focused on leveraging the properties of clay material and integration air extrusion and robot movement to optimize the production process of building components fabricated by robots. By analyzing architectural aesthetics and ceramic assembly characteristics, a modular, self-organizing and adaptive building facade design method is developed. This innovative approach overcomes geometric limitations in traditional extruded ceramics, enabling the rabid mass productions of customized ceramic modules for industrial applications.

Renhu (Franklin) Wu and Shunta Moriuchi presented their team's research into robotics rotational slip-casting of variable geometry ceramic parts fabricated from the same mold. Other students on the team include Yinglei (Amber) Chen and Sihan Li. Their research introduced an innovative slip casting approach that allows for the production of diverse clay forms using a single mold by employing a 6-axis robot that simultaneously rotates the mold during the solidification process. A key innovation in their research is the development of a simulation program specifically designed for the dynamic slip casting process. The simulation program predicts the solidified slip's shape in real-time, and a customized end effector attaches the mold to a robotic arm and injects additional slip for precise edge control.

The students' research was conducted during their Spring 2023 semester with instructor, and Director of the MSD-RAS Program Robert Stuart-Smith, along with instructors Nathan King, Billie Faircloth, and Jeffrey Anderson.