Getting Started

28 September to 1 October 2021

At the beginning of this week, Robin Godwyll introduced us to some projects in the field of creative robotics. 
We learned how to manually set up and control the UR robots at the BURG, and which things need to be paid attention to in order to function properly. Our first assignment was to draw or write with the robots, having a pencil holding tool attached. Next we attached a grabbing tool. Robin prepared different 3D-printed cups and a box full of sand. We filled up one of the cups and made the robot spill the sand into another cup.

During day two we worked digitally and learned the basic functions of Grasshopper’s robotic controlling: What is parametric modelling? What is the designspace? What do I need to prepare in order to write a script? Together as a group we wrote the first script with which we could send 2-dimensional signals to the robot (e.g. drawings).

On day three and four we tested our sripts, this time controlling the robot digitally. Robin provided us with another script for 3-dimensional works. We took existing tools, applied them to the robot and used them to write, stamp or wipe patterns into the sand.