A Dual-Robot Human Collaborative Workflow for Material-Informed Bamboo Assembly

Ahmad Mansuri; Davide Lombardi; Asterios Agkathidis; Hanmei Chen

A Dual-Robot Human Collaborative Workflow for Material-Informed Bamboo Assembly

Ahmad Mansuri^*
, Davide Lombardi
, Asterios Agkathidis
, Hanmei Chen

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Architecture

University of Liverpool

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review

Abstract

This paper presents and validates a dual-robot human–robot
collaboration (HRC) workflow for bamboo roof assembly, addressing the
challenge of translating vernacular double-curvature roof geometries into
robotic construction. Traditional Indonesian roof typologies are shaped by
material-led logic and craft-based assembly, yet bamboo’s anisotropic
properties, irregular node distribution, and variable bending behaviour make
precise robotic execution challenging. To address this, the study develops a
three-stage workflow and tests it through a 1:4-scale prototype. First, the
primary roof frame is assembled to establish the geometric reference boundary.
Second, a mirrored dual-robot setup coordinates the bending, placement, and
holding of bamboo members based on form-finding simulation and roof-surface
parameterisation. Third, a secondary layer is assembled at non-uniform angular
orientations derived from the tectonic logic of Bataknese roof geometry.
Comparative experiments show how variations in stiffness, node position, and
bending tendency lead to deviations from computationally predicted symmetric
curves. Within this process, human operators contribute through local
adjustment, turn-taking assembly, and joint tightening. The findings demonstrate
that synchronised robotic action, combined with targeted human intervention,
can support the fabrication of vernacular-inspired bamboo structures while
reframing material uncertainty as a design-informed parameter in
material-aware automation.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Informed creativity and fabrication in architecture and engineering:
Subtitle of host publication	Proceedings of the 44th Annual Conference of the Association of Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe
Publication status	Published - Sept 2026

Cite this

@inproceedings{e583fb0ac7624c31bedf4851632636be,

title = "A Dual-Robot Human Collaborative Workflow for Material-Informed Bamboo Assembly",

abstract = "This paper presents and validates a dual-robot human{\textendash}robot collaboration (HRC) workflow for bamboo roof assembly, addressing the challenge of translating vernacular double-curvature roof geometries into robotic construction. Traditional Indonesian roof typologies are shaped by material-led logic and craft-based assembly, yet bamboo{\textquoteright}s anisotropic properties, irregular node distribution, and variable bending behaviour make precise robotic execution challenging. To address this, the study develops a three-stage workflow and tests it through a 1:4-scale prototype. First, the primary roof frame is assembled to establish the geometric reference boundary. Second, a mirrored dual-robot setup coordinates the bending, placement, and holding of bamboo members based on form-finding simulation and roof-surface parameterisation. Third, a secondary layer is assembled at non-uniform angular orientations derived from the tectonic logic of Bataknese roof geometry. Comparative experiments show how variations in stiffness, node position, and bending tendency lead to deviations from computationally predicted symmetric curves. Within this process, human operators contribute through local adjustment, turn-taking assembly, and joint tightening. The findings demonstrate that synchronised robotic action, combined with targeted human intervention, can support the fabrication of vernacular-inspired bamboo structures while reframing material uncertainty as a design-informed parameter in material-aware automation.",

author = "Ahmad Mansuri and Davide Lombardi and Asterios Agkathidis and Hanmei Chen",

year = "2026",

month = sep,

language = "English",

booktitle = "Informed creativity and fabrication in architecture and engineering:",

}

A Dual-Robot Human Collaborative Workflow for Material-Informed Bamboo Assembly. / Mansuri, Ahmad; Lombardi, Davide; Agkathidis, Asterios et al.
Informed creativity and fabrication in architecture and engineering: Proceedings of the 44th Annual Conference of the Association of Education and Research in Computer Aided Architectural Design in Europe. 2026.

Research output: Chapter in Book or Report/Conference proceeding › Conference Proceeding › peer-review

TY - GEN

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AU - Lombardi, Davide

AU - Agkathidis, Asterios

AU - Chen, Hanmei

PY - 2026/9

Y1 - 2026/9

N2 - This paper presents and validates a dual-robot human–robot collaboration (HRC) workflow for bamboo roof assembly, addressing the challenge of translating vernacular double-curvature roof geometries into robotic construction. Traditional Indonesian roof typologies are shaped by material-led logic and craft-based assembly, yet bamboo’s anisotropic properties, irregular node distribution, and variable bending behaviour make precise robotic execution challenging. To address this, the study develops a three-stage workflow and tests it through a 1:4-scale prototype. First, the primary roof frame is assembled to establish the geometric reference boundary. Second, a mirrored dual-robot setup coordinates the bending, placement, and holding of bamboo members based on form-finding simulation and roof-surface parameterisation. Third, a secondary layer is assembled at non-uniform angular orientations derived from the tectonic logic of Bataknese roof geometry. Comparative experiments show how variations in stiffness, node position, and bending tendency lead to deviations from computationally predicted symmetric curves. Within this process, human operators contribute through local adjustment, turn-taking assembly, and joint tightening. The findings demonstrate that synchronised robotic action, combined with targeted human intervention, can support the fabrication of vernacular-inspired bamboo structures while reframing material uncertainty as a design-informed parameter in material-aware automation.

AB - This paper presents and validates a dual-robot human–robot collaboration (HRC) workflow for bamboo roof assembly, addressing the challenge of translating vernacular double-curvature roof geometries into robotic construction. Traditional Indonesian roof typologies are shaped by material-led logic and craft-based assembly, yet bamboo’s anisotropic properties, irregular node distribution, and variable bending behaviour make precise robotic execution challenging. To address this, the study develops a three-stage workflow and tests it through a 1:4-scale prototype. First, the primary roof frame is assembled to establish the geometric reference boundary. Second, a mirrored dual-robot setup coordinates the bending, placement, and holding of bamboo members based on form-finding simulation and roof-surface parameterisation. Third, a secondary layer is assembled at non-uniform angular orientations derived from the tectonic logic of Bataknese roof geometry. Comparative experiments show how variations in stiffness, node position, and bending tendency lead to deviations from computationally predicted symmetric curves. Within this process, human operators contribute through local adjustment, turn-taking assembly, and joint tightening. The findings demonstrate that synchronised robotic action, combined with targeted human intervention, can support the fabrication of vernacular-inspired bamboo structures while reframing material uncertainty as a design-informed parameter in material-aware automation.

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