Project Aurora
Robotic Rotomolding with Bio-Based Materials
Project Aurora explores robotic rotomolding as a method for forming lightweight bio-material shells through controlled rotation, gravity and cooling. Agar agar is introduced into a mold in a liquid state while the UR10e continuously rotates and tilts the mold, distributing the material across its internal surface. Unlike conventional rotational molding, robotic control enables more complex motion paths that influence material accumulation, thickness and final geometry.
The project investigates the relationship between robotic movement and material behavior, using changes in orientation, timing and cooling to control how the bio-material settles and solidifies. Through iterative fabrication tests, the process developed from simple molded samples toward repeatable three-dimensional components, demonstrating how robotic motion can become an active tool for shaping renewable materials and exploring alternative methods of architectural fabrication.