Handmade with a Robot

Description

The work examines the collaboration between man (the craftswoman) and machine (the robotic arm) in the experimental production of ceramics. While the craftswoman is characterised by a high degree of flexibility, the strength of the robotic arm lies in its precision and endurance.  The core experiment is a ‘role reversal’: robots and humans take turns punching, laying out and gluing porcelain plates to form flaky ceramic structures. An evaluation of the experiments, which were also carried out by humans and robots only for comparison, shows that the collaboration saves time during programming, creates aesthetic aspects of the handmade product and optimally exploits the strengths of both parties. The ceramic structures produced thus illustrate the tension between high-precision robotic production and the creative flexibility of craftsmanship.