Mahesh Daas, dean of the University of Kansas School of Architecture & Design, argues in a new book that robotics will be an integral part of architecture in future. The book ‘Towards a Robotic Architecture’ (2018, Applied Research & Design Publishing), co-written by Daas with his collaborator Temple University Assistant Professor of Architecture Andrew John Wit, explores robotic construction methods, robotics used for building operation and maintenance, and the use of robotics in design. A chapter in the book also covers life on Mars made possible by robotic construction.
An expert in the field of robotics for over 20 years, Daas was president of the Association for Computer Aided Design in Architecture from 2007-09, and currently serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Architectural Computing.
Observing that robotics will influence every sphere of life from agriculture, medicine, architecture and climate change to a Mars mission, he explains that robotic construction methods, which are already in use, will become more widespread with robots making everything from small items all the way to skyscrapers.
About the use of robotics in architectural design, which necessarily requires human involvement, Daas says robots will become partners in the design process, for instance, when it needs to move into the prototyping phase. Robots are not going to take over design from humans; instead ‘one becomes the extension of the other’.
