The robot is now an architecture tool. At this year’s Autodesk University in Las Vegas, our Building Tech Lab and Digital Practice unveiled the Mobile Robotic Assistant for Architectural Design, or MRAAD (pronounced “EM-rad”).
MRAAD is a robotic arm mounted to a kit-of-parts table with a revolving working surface and holsters for 10 different tools. The tools include an end mill, hot knife, hot wire cutter, LED panel, 3D scanner, two-stage and one-stage glue dispensers, grippers, video camera, and a laser cutter. MRAAD is designed for use in prototyping construction assemblies, studying automated fabrication workflows, and for design processes, such as model making, shadow studies, and converting physical spaces and objects to digital.
MRAAD is designed for anyone to use—no robotics experience required. A simple digital interface allows users to apply robotic functions to prototyping and design processes. The robot can quickly and easily execute tasks by picking up one tool for a procedure, replacing it in its holster, and then moving on to the next. By bringing robotics into the design process, the Building Technology Lab is reimagining how we design for an automated future, and how we partner more seamlessly with progressive fabrication and construction partners.
Watch the video below to learn more about how our team developed MRAAD.