This course introduces students to robotic fabrication and assembly techniques and their evolving role in architecture and construction. Students will explore the practical implementation of robotic workflows while developing critical design and fabrication thinking. The course emphasizes design-through-making, empowering students to prototype robotic assemblies in the Yale School of Architecture’s Robotics Lab. This version of the course adopts a new AI-assisted scripting approach, enabling students to generate robotic workflows without requiring prior parametric modeling experience. Instead of manual script-building, students will learn how to craft effective prompts and iteratively refine AI-generated Grasshopper scripts. This shift lowers the barrier to entry while preserving the rigor of robotic logic, tooling, and physical realization. Through lectures, lab sessions, and hands-on projects, students will explore how automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence are reshaping the future of architectural production and leave the course with a portfolio of robotic workflows, physical artifacts, and prompt-based scripting strategies.
Students must complete shop training before enrolling in this course.