Robotic Landscapes: Developing Computational Design Tools Towards Autonomous Terrain Modeling

Abstract

Until today, on-site robotic construction processes in landscape architecture have been limited to predefined and controlled environments like road building or mining pits. We are presently developing an autonomous walking excavator that paves the way for new and advanced on-site design strategies. The shift towards robotic construction in terrain modeling and landscape architecture demands an adaptive design approach, where the resulting topology is inherently linked to landscape performance and the local conditions of a site. This paper discusses the computational design tools that may help redefine how design and construction processes can be better adapted to real-time topological and sensory data. This approach will, in due time, revolutionize how designers think, act and play with contemporary landscapes robotically, and reimagine their intrinsic relationship to infrastructure.