Robotic Sand Carving

Abstract

This paper presents research aimed at translating Ukiran Pasir Melela, traditional Balinese sand carving, into a new robotic-enabled framework for rapidly carving stiff but uncured cement sand blocks to create free-form and architecturally scalable unique volumetric elements. The research aims to reconsider vernacular materials and craft through their integration robotic manufacturing processes and how this activity can provide localized, low energy manufacturing solutions for building in the Anthropocene.Balinese sand carving shows potential advantages over current, and rather environmentally damaging, machining process primarily using soft materials state to make deep, smooth cuts into material with little torque. Transferring this manual and low-impact craft to robotic-enabled fabrication leverages heuristic knowledge developed over decades and opens possibilities for expanding and transforming these capabilities to increase the variability of potential future applications.