Professor Emily Whiting awarded new NSF award

On Friday, July 27th, NSF awarded Professor Emily Whiting a new grant. This new NSF grant will support new research on “Computational Joinery,” collaborative with Robotics Professors at Dartmouth College and SUNY at Albany. The project will develop theory, techniques, and mechanical designs needed for robots to rapidly build large, rigid structures from blocks that geometrically interlock, without the need for fasteners, cement, or glue. The work is motivated by the desire to quickly assemble structurally strong buildings, furniture, and devices, in such a way that the structure may later be disassembled and the parts re-used. Fabricating in parts presents many advantages: for instance, individual components may be fabricated efficiently, packed for storage and transport, repaired or replaced as needed, and design changes can be made readily in response to changing customer needs. Design of smooth surface finishes allows applications such as modular furniture and packaging of delicate parts for shipping, and embedding mechanical or electrical components will allow rapid construction of robots and other devices.

Professor Whiting leads and directs The Shape Lab at Boston University, which is a branch of the Vision & Graphics Group in the Department of Computer Science.

Congratulations, Professor Whiting!