Rob|Arch 2014 Conference
Conference to Exhibit Cutting-Edge International Research into Design Robotics

Media Contact: Wes McGee, chair@robarch2014.org
Website: http://www.robarch2014.org

Update: Early- bird pricing has been extended until March 14^th, 2014

Ann Arbor, MI – The Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan will host the Rob|Arch 2014 conference, May 14-18, 2014. Focusing on the theme of intellectual collaboration, the conference will bring together an international cohort of artists, designers, fabricators, and industry leaders for the purpose of advancing the discourse surrounding experimental robotic fabrication in their respective fields.

The Rob|Arch conference series was initiated by the Association for Robots in Architecture as an opportunity to link the automation industry with cutting-edge research institutions exploring the use of robotic fabrication in architecture, art, and design. In 2012 the conference was hosted by its founders in Vienna, Austria, and the 2014 conference will mark the first time the event travels to North America. The University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning is a leading research center for architectural applications of robotics, and is located in Ann Arbor, MI less than an hour outside of Detroit, the origin of industrial robotics in North America.

Workshops & Conference

Following the success of Rob|Arch 2012, the conference will again include a series of workshops aimed at exposing the advanced capabilities of applied robotic research. Held simultaneously at the University of Michigan, Carnegie Mellon University, and Princeton University from May 14 – 16, the workshops are an essential component to this year’s conference. While enrollment for the workshops is limited, individuals from all backgrounds are encouraged to register as no previous robotics experience is required to participate.

This year’s workshops cover a wide range of experimental robotic fabrication processes using advanced industrial robot workcells located at the host universities. Four simultaneous workshops will be hosted at the University of Michigan, led by teams from the Institute for Computational Design at University of Stuttgart, University of Technology Sydney, the Institute for Advanced Architecture Catalunya, the University of Michigan, and the cinematic robotics company Bot&Dolly. Three additional workshops will be hosted at Carnegie Mellon University’s dFab Lab by teams from the University of Innsbruck, Harvard GSD, TU Graz, and Carnegie Mellon University. And last, but not least, Princeton University will lead a workshop using their newly installed industrial robotics workcell in Princeton, NJ.

Directly following the workshops, the conference will take place from May 17 – 18 at the University of Michigan campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Four sessions over two days will highlight cutting-edge research into robotic fabrication currently taking place around the world, with presentations by industry leaders, academic researchers, and commercial end users. The internationally renowned publishing house Springer Wien/New York will publish and market the proceedings of the conference worldwide. We are also excited to announce our keynote speakers for the conference: Kendra Byrne (Bot&Dolly), Stu Shepherd (KUKA Robotics), Matthias Kohler (ETH Zurich), and Daniel Piker (Kangaroo).

Sponsors

KUKA Robotics is the main conference sponsor, with ABB Robotics kindly supporting as the main workshop sponsor. Additional workshop support is provided by Staubli Robotics and Schunk Intec GmbH.

Absolut, known as a promoter of both high-technology as well as culture and creativity, supports Rob|Arch 2014 as conference partner with Red Bull joining as media partner. Further media partners include Springer Wien/New York, Robotics.org, A3Automate.org, and McNeel. The workshops would not be possible without the support of our partner institutions: Carnegie Mellon University’s dFab Lab, Princeton University, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, University of Stuttgart Institute for Computational Design, University of Innsbruck RexLab, the Institute for Advanced Architecture Catalunya, TU Graz, and Virginia Tech’s CRAFTs Lab.

Awards

The KUKA Young Potential Award was founded to support young researchers in the field of robotics in architecture, art, and design. 2500USD will be awarded to the best scientific paper at Rob|Arch 2014 by a researcher of 35 years or less. Through three grants with a volume of 1000USD each, the ABB Mobility Grant supports the travel and accommodation costs of individuals who are highly engaged in robotic applications in the creative industry.

For further details and a full schedule of the event, please visit www.robarch2014.org.

The international Association for Robots in Architecture is originally a spin-off association of Vienna University of Technology. Its goal is to make industrial robots accessible for the creative industry, artists, designers and architects, by sharing ideas, research results and technological developments. Founded in December 2010 by Sigrid Brell-Cokcan and Johannes Braumann, robots in architecture is an open platform for everybody interested in the creative use of and innovative fabrication with industrial robots. The association pursues its goals by offering workshops and holding lectures at international conferences, schools, and universities, and by maintaining the Robots in Architecture homepage, which serves as a hub for all things robotic in architecture, art, and design – http://www.robotsinarchitecture.org

Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University of Michigan seeks to improve the human condition through thoughtful design and planning for the built environment. For over 100 years, Taubman College has offered students from around the globe a complement of disciplinary and interdisciplinary degree programs ranging from pre-professional to Ph.D. Its academic programs combine design, technology, and policy research while preparing graduates for positions that shape the built environment at scales ranging from local to global. Its committed and energetic faculty, staff, and students form a diverse, creative, and collaborative community within the University of Michigan, one of the world’s largest research universities – http://taubmancollege.umich.edu