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Software & hardware development

Currently, as a Research Engineer in Tsinghua SIGS, Xiayu is developing large-scale 3D printing technology based on composite (fluid and powder) consumables and practical building materials (concrete) with an interdisciplinary team, and focusing on the establishment of extensible software and hardware platforms and updating corresponding architectural knowledge structures.

1 / Model Slicing and Toolpath Plug-in Development for 3D Printed Architecture

Role: Co-designer | Project Leaders: Chenwei Sun, Yidong Ma
​Sponsor: Wuxi HQDA Technology Co,.Ltd.

2 / Rotatable Fine Extrusion Print Head Design for 3DCP Decorative Panels

Role: Principal Designer | Partners: Zilu Guo, Qi Liu, Chenwei Sun
Sponsor: Institute of Future Human Habitats, Tsinghua SIGS

3 / Mixing and Pumping All-in-one Machine for 3D Printed Concrete

Role: Co-designer | Project Leaders: Weiguo Xu, Chenwei Sun
Partners: Yongqi Liang, Zilu Guo, Qi Liu
Sponsor: Institute of Future Human Habitats, Tsinghua SIGS

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1/ Model Slicing and Toolpath Plug-in Development
for 3D Printed Architecture （Excerpt)

Role: Co-designer | Project Leaders: Chenwei Sun, Yidong Ma
​Sponsor: Wuxi HQDA Technology Co,.Ltd.

Design purpose: 3D printing concrete process using robotic arm

  • To allow designers and field technicians to program, test, and modify the robot arm operation code in a simple and easy way, according to the actual situation.


Design platform: algorithm core cross-platform, front-end interaction interface including:

  1. Windows client developed using UE4

  2. Grasshopper plug-in

  3. Revit plug-in (TBD, only the interface is reserved)
     

Figure 1

The user interaction layer interacts with the core layer of the system, which is a software library written in C# that provides a "core library interface" that can be invoked by all front-end platforms. The core library also includes algorithms and serialized file functions.

Below the core layer is the data layer, including the Design Metadata, which stores all the functional modules, toolpath modules, kinematic mechanisms, etc., used in a design solution to facilitate design exchange and reconstruction in different platforms. It also includes Module Library, which stores the definition information of all modules such as toolpaths.

The architecture of the whole system and functions is detailed in Figure 2 below

Figure 2

Figure 3 Part of the internal test function block in GH

Users can use the Grasshopper library to generate print toolpaths and perform operations such as chunking of the print toolpaths based on the function modules defined in Rhino. The prototype diagram of the node connection can be seen in the following figure.

Figure 4

Users can perform functions in UE4 from design to exporting motion simulation, exporting printed toolpaths, etc. A simple interface prototype is shown in the figure below.

Figure 5

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2 / Rotatable Fine Extrusion Print Head Design for 3DCP Decorative Panels （Excerpt）

Role: Principal Designer | Partners: Zilu Guo, Qi Liu, Chenwei Sun
Sponsor: Institute of Future Human Habitats, Tsinghua SIGS

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