Ecological Robotics

Brendan Harmon & Hye Yeon Nam

Ecological Robotics

Robots in Architecture

• Autonomous brick laying
• Weaving tensile structures
• Assembling timber frames
• Constructing complex formwork
• 3D printing
• Etc…

Robots in Landscape Architecture

• Aerial Sensing
• Autonomous Planting
• Autonomous Mowing
• Autonomous Earthmoving

Pasted-Based Robotic Planting

Implementation

Capabilities

• Computational patterns
• Microtopography
• High precision
• High germination rate

Computational Planting Design

Procedural Noise Prints

Living Typography

Robotic planting as living typeface

Echo

Robotic planting as musical interface

Field Experiment

Field Experiment

Future Work

• Deploy on unmanned ground vehicles
• Integrate machine vision & sensors
• Develop new methods for autonomous planting
• Design algorithmic planting patterns
• Conducted controlled field experiments

Field Robotics

Clearpath Warthog UGV

Conclusion

• Ecological performance
• Iterative, adaptive planting
• Algorithmic aesthetics