Digital Architecture Research & Technologies

Digital Architecture Research & Technologies DART develops computational design and additive manufacturing (incl. robotic) strategies in architecture to devise novel manufacturing processes.

Gradient ColumnGradient Column is a functionally graded structural column fabricated through spatial additive manufactur...
03/25/2026

Gradient Column

Gradient Column is a functionally graded structural column fabricated through spatial additive manufacturing that couples architectural design intent with structural performance and robotic production constraints. The work focuses on functionally graded lattice cellular materials with strut networks designed to achieve a high strength-to-weight ratio using minimal material. It develops a hierarchical, octree-driven design model in which geometry is discretized into unit-cell voxels, creating a spatial density field that maintains global regularity while allowing local variation. Within each cell, truss topologies are generated and meshed to produce a clean, non-redundant truss skeleton suitable for robotic path planning.



Team: Christopher Voltl (.robotics), Prof. Dr. Mania Aghaei Meibodi (), Prof. Wes McGee.
Photographer: Christopher Voltl
DART Laboratory, Taubman College, the University of Michigan
Photos and Diagrams Copyright DART Laboratory, UMICH.

Gradient ColumnGradient Column is a functionally graded structural column fabricated through spatial additive manufactur...
03/23/2026

Gradient Column

Gradient Column is a functionally graded structural column fabricated through spatial additive manufacturing that couples architectural design intent with structural performance and robotic production constraints. The work focuses on functionally graded lattice cellular materials with strut networks designed to achieve a high strength-to-weight ratio using minimal material. It develops a hierarchical, octree-driven design model in which geometry is discretized into unit-cell voxels, creating a spatial density field that maintains global regularity while allowing local variation. Within each cell, truss topologies are generated and meshed to produce a clean, non-redundant truss skeleton suitable for robotic path planning.



Team: Christopher Voltl (.robotics), Prof. Dr. Mania Aghaei Meibodi (), Prof. Wes McGee.
Photographer: Christopher Voltl
DART Laboratory, Taubman College, the University of Michigan
Photos and Diagrams Copyright DART Laboratory, UMICH.

Prof. Dr. Mania Aghaei Meibodi Receives NSF CAREER Award!We are delighted to announce that DART Laboratory Director Prof...
12/13/2025

Prof. Dr. Mania Aghaei Meibodi Receives NSF CAREER Award!

We are delighted to announce that DART Laboratory Director Prof. Dr. Mania Aghaei Meibodi has been awarded the NSF CAREER Award for her project, “Data-Driven Extrusion-Based Robotic 3D Printing of Reinforced Concrete.”

Over the next five years, Prof. Meibodi and the DART Lab will advance intelligent non-planar slicing and robotic 3D printing methods to fabricate materially efficient structural elements that accelerate sustainable multi-story construction—addressing the nation’s urgent housing shortages.

The award also supports new teaching and outreach initiatives in robotic 3D printing, computational geometry for additive manufacturing, data modeling, and machine learning, with a strong commitment to broadening participation in STEM and design futures.

We are grateful to the NSF Advanced Manufacturing (AM) program for their support and look forward to pushing the boundaries of robotic construction.

NSF CAREER link: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2441176

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