Design + Technology LAB sets DesignTO in motion with interactive public installation
'Assembly Line' installation uses KUKA robotic arm to engage attendees of DesignTO 2022. Image courtesy of the Design + Technology LAB
Jan. 19, 2022 (Toronto, ON) - The Design + Technology LAB (opens in new window) at Ryerson University will be the home-base for interactive window installation ‘Assembly Line (external link, opens in new window) ’, activated as part of the launch of Canada’s largest design festival, DesignTO (external link, opens in new window) , from January 21 - 30, 2022. The innovative design project uses 3D projection mapping to augment the movement of an industrial KUKA robotic arm, and represents the evolving creative union between people and machines. Partygoers can interact with the installation from the alley next to the Design + Technology LAB at 288 Church Street in Toronto, Ontario. Attendees will be able to link to a website that allows them to draw a picture on their screens which will interact with the industrial robot. As the drawings are projected, they cascade down like on an assembly line as a robotic arm collects the virtual 2D drawings and transforms them into 3D forms. The workshop floor will serve as a gallery display of works created with the robot.
“What makes this installation truly unique is the integration of many different technologies. Using industrial robots that are typically limited to use in manufacturing processes, and programming them to do creative tasks, demonstrates a new frontier in the evolution of arts and culture through emerging technologies. Integrating creative robotics with fabrication techniques, projection mapping, and motion tracking also shows the level of technological complexity and capabilities of the Design + Technology LAB,” says Jonathon Anderson, Director of The Design + Technology LAB and Associate Professor in the School of Interior Design at The Creative School.
The Design + Technology LAB is a technology-based workshop that supports creative research, scholarship, curriculum, and entrepreneurship activities across The Creative School (opens in new window) , Ryerson University's faculty of media, design, and creative industries. The creative workspace aims to disrupt and revolutionize the use of technology within the creative fields by leveraging digital fabrication tools such as 3D printing, textile computing, AR/VR, and robotics, while expanding possibilities for audience engagement in arts and culture.
‘Assembly Line’ and new approaches to audience engagement
Audiences can expect an imaginative and interactive user-experience that engages various systems brought together via code innovatively generated by RTA New Media students from The Creative School.
Creators of the project include RTA School of Media students David Robert, Alexander Verni and Luigi Zaccagnini, lab technicians Adrian Kenny and Alda Escareño, and LAB Director, Jonathon Anderson.
“The access we have to these technologies has allowed us to transform their traditional industrial applications into an interactive medium. Co-creating between ourselves and the machine has been a process filled with wonder, frustration and creative innovation,” says RTA Media student Alexander Verni.
“It’s exciting, we get to explore the boundaries of what these technologies can do and present it to the public in a way that let’s them engage with it firsthand,” says RTA Media student David Robert.
The Creative School and the Design + Technology LAB have had a long standing relationship with DesignTO as a result of support from faculty like Jonathon Anderson who has served on the advisory committee for a number of years. The collaboration has evolved to include student and faculty work, and other creative contributions, and highlights the LAB's function as a platform to bridge design and the academy.
The DesignTO Festival returns for its 12th year in January 2022 with a citywide celebration of design and culture. Taking place in venues across Toronto, the Festival presents over 100 exhibitions and events, featuring bold and ambitious design ideas that respond to the pandemic, climate change, national identity, and more.
The Design + Technology LAB at The Creative School
The LAB (opens in new window) is a technology-based workshop that supports creative research, scholarships, curriculum, and entrepreneurship activities across The Creative School and Zone Learning. We look to disrupt and revolutionize the use of technology within creative fields by leveraging digital fabrication tools such as 3D printing, textile computing, AR/VR, and robotics.
About The Creative School at Ryerson University
The Creative School (opens in new window) is a dynamic faculty making a difference in new, unexplored ways. Comprised of Canada’s top professional schools and transdisciplinary hubs in media, communication, design and cultural industries, The Creative School offers students an unparalleled global experience in the heart of downtown Toronto.
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Media inquiries:
Tania Ulrich
Marketing and Communication Coordinator
The Creative School at Ryerson University
'Assembly Line' installation uses KUKA robotic arm to engage attendees of DesignTO 2022
Project uses 3D projection mapping on cube controlled by an industrial robotic arm