A Declarative Human-Robot Interaction Framework: Integrating Improvisation and Materiality in Robotic Fabrication and Design

Collaborative robots, with their computational power and versatile manipulation capabilities, hold significant potential in design and fabrication. However, their reliance on predefined CAD models and algorithms limits their effectiveness in creative, dynamic and unstructured contexts. In contrast, humans easily adapt to dynamic conditions during craft, improvise novel making strategies and embrace emergent material properties as part of form-finding. This paper investigates how human-robot interaction (HRI) can augment human adaptability through the computational power of robotics while embracing materials as a medium for creativity. The main contribution of this study is a declarative HRI workflow and its software implementation that relates real-time sensor feedback to robot's action selection. The results showed how this workflow enabled the improvisation, reproduction and modification of material expressions through dynamic tool path planning in robotic sand casting and clay forming. Consequently, this paper expands ongoing discussions on innovative ways to combine robotic technology with craft sensibilities.