PORTFOLIO Justin Hanlon | 2023
In 2021, I was serving as a Tactical Coordinator in the Royal Canadian Air Force. A role uniting adventure and service. Now, a new challenge in robotics and construction. How might we make the places we inhabit more accessible, more meaningful, more sustainable, more beautiful? I intend to find out using the modern tools of parametric design, 3D printing, and artificial intelligence.
SELECTED WORKS
KIBAHA PRINT - SCAN - CUT PREDICTIVE DEFORMATION OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION ROBOMOSAIC STEREOTOMIC EXPLORATIONS ABBREVIATED CV
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KIBAHA
Intelligence in 3D printed earth
Project type: Advisors: Team: Contribution: Tools and Skills:
IAAC, 3DPA Phase I, 2023 Oriol Carrasco, Edouard Cabay, Alex Dubor, Secil Afsar, Nestor Beguin Joseph Naguib, Sakshi Pawar, Vesela Tabakova, Yang Xiao Large-scale 3D printing, paremetric modeling, performance analysis, prototyping 3D Printing Parametric Design Large-scale Prototyping 2
The benefit of 3D printing is the design freedom that is offered and the level of customization that can be achieved at minimal marginal cost. Kibaha is an example of how intelligent design can be printed into buildings. The openings in the walls of this home are precicely tuned to control the light and sightlines into the building. The living room is flooded with natural light and allows occupants to see out, while the bedroom is secluded from view through selective openings.
A gradient of openings ranging from fully closed to fully open permit specific types of light. The angle of the openings allow for direct or diffuse light as desired. A privacy map dictates where an observer outside the house would be permitted to see in, and where the view would be obscured by opaque walls.
The openings in the walls are adjusted parametrically prior to printing to obtain specific performance criteria. In this instance, a gradient of openings ranging from open to closed not only allows natural light into the home, but also controls the specific angle at which light can enter, preventing or permitting direct sunlight as desired. A walkaround analysis on the right indicates which areas of the home are visible from the exterior, and which remain secluded. The feasability of this wall type was tested at one to one scale using natural earth. Analyses for printability and light permeability were carried out prior to printing.
PRINT - SCAN - CUT
Preliminary steps towards a hybrid workflow for smooth 3D printed surfaces
Project Type
IAAC, MRAC Masters Studio III, 2023
Advisors:
Marielena Papandreou, Alexandre Dubor
Team: Contribution: Tools and Skills:
Francisco Martinez, Lucy Mendoza, Hritik Thumar Research plan, scanning workflow design, parametric design, part discretization, fabrication Robotic programming Scanning Rhino/Grasshopper (Anemone, Robots, Kuka PRC) Clay 3D printing Digital Fabrication 8
Print Rough surfaces left by layers of extrusion are a drawback of 3D printing for architecture and construction. The solution in this project was a hybrid workflow (additive and subtractive manufacturing) that allowed for improved alignment and surface finish. The workflow involved printing at various scales (desktop cartesian printer up to a Kuka KR150-2); scanning for the purpose of accurate path planning; and finally, wirecutting to remove the ridges left from printing. We accomplished this while demonstrating the technique on a 3D printed clay sculpture.
Front View 9
Discretization
Assembly
Scan Bridging the gap between digital and physical. Due to shrinking and deformation during printing, the physical part deviates from the shape of the digital part. The solution: scan parts after printing and rebuild them digitally. Generate accurate cutting paths from the rebuilt digital parts. Part alignment and cutting path accuracy improved significantly with this process.
Before scanning
After scanning
Complete workflow
Scanned print
Extract new cutting face
Align scans for global continuity
Plan new cutting faces
Plan cutting paths
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Cut Wirecutting drastically improves surface finish. Wirecutter edge conditions and robotic mobility impose limitations on the set of geometries that, once printed, can be wirecut. Within those boundaries, however, rich textural possibilities are available.
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This technique can be used to add rich textures to interior spaces. The variance of smooth and rough adds significant depth and visual complexity. Meanwhile, fired clay has a particularly warm and timeless appeal. This interior is an example of the wirecutting technique applied accross an entire wall. Such a surface is composed of tall, slender elements discretized into blocks that meet size and inclination requirements for printing and firing. Finished components can be stacked atop one another or fixed to the wall mechanically, allowing for straightforward assembly and disassembly.
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A major obstacle to high quality printed ceramic objects is the unpredictable nature of shrinkage and cracking that occurs during drying and firing. This project is a preliminary step in employing machine learning to solve this problem. The research involved the following: 1. A catalogue of simplified geometries was developed with easily identifiable reference points.
Infill Design
Density
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PREDICTIVE DEFORMATION Initial investigations of AI-Driven prediction of shrinkage and deformation in 3D printed clay
Project type: Advisors: Team: Contribution: Tools and Skills:
IAAC, MRAC Software III, 2023 Mateusz Zwierzycki Francisco Martinez, Lucy Mendoza, Hritik Thumar Research plan, workflow design, Kangaroo simulation, ANN training Rhino/Grasshopper (Owl, Kangaroo) Clay 3D printing Machine learning, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) 14
2. Kangaroo was used to create a set of synthetic data to train the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). This, to avoid the time required to print, dry, and fire actual parts.
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3. A regression-type ANN was trained and verified on the synthetic data using backpropagation, with a sigmoid activation function. Data inputs included inputs for extrusion thickness, and infill density and type.
A finalized workflow would involve three steps: collection of data; training and verification of the model; and application of the trained model to predictively scale the print to account for shrinkage. 16
OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION
Once I find you, I’ll follow you anywhere. At a respectable distance, of course
Project type: Advisors: Team: Contribution: Tools and Skills:
IAAC, MRAC Workshop 2.1, 2023 Carlos Rizzo, Mateus Sanchez, Daniil Koshelyuk Lucy Mendoza, Joseph Naguib Concept, target recognition and isolation Robotic control (ROS Noetic) Computer vision (OpenCV) Python 18
Object detection/colour
Frame
Mask
The robot acts based on analysis of a colour video feed. Colour identification and object isolation distinguish the target from the surrounding environment. Target distance and orientation are obtained from the object’s disposition the image stream. 19
Pseudocode for robotic control logic
The robot will turn, advance, and retreat based on its anaylsis of the target position. Advanced iterations of this project would suit ergonomic environments where humans and robots work collaboratively. Consider a scenario where an automated assistant follows a human user at a comfortable distance. This project lays the foundation for such future applications.
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Lay out tiles
Scan
Convert to mesh and extract edges
Shape and pack to desired design
Grout and place
ROBOMOSAIC
Trencadis reimagined for the age of digital fabrication
Project type: Advisors: Team: Contribution: Tools and Skills:
IAAC, MRAC Workshop 2.2, 2023 Alexandre Dubor, Vincent Huyghe, Daniil Koshelyuk Bipradip Biswas, Bora Çobanoğlu Research plan, scanning workflow design, parametric design, part discretization, fabrication Scanning Robotic pick and place Rhino/Grasshopper (Kangaroo, OpenNest) Digital workflows Python 22
The aim of this project is twofold: to bridge the gap between robotics and artisan craftsmanship, and to explore the idea of the circular economy, where useful materials are diverted from landfill. It is inspired by Gaudi's trencadis technique, which creatively repurposed broken tiles.
Lay out tiles
Shape and pack to desired design
Scan
Convert to mesh and extract edges
Grout and place
In this modern take, a UR robot is employed to pick-and-place ceramic shards. Shattered tiles are scanned and digitally catalogued. Using parametric tools, the tiles are arranged into intricate shapes and patterns. Finally, the robot meticulously places each tile. 23
While beautiful, mosaics are labor-intensive. Extensive use of the teqnique is therefore impractical currently. However, tiles are durable, and mosaics carry profound cultural significance. Perhaps the art of mosaic can be rejuvenated by integrating robotic technology to increase productivity and thereby reduce production costs. We envisioned a future application of this technology where mosaics embellish otherwise mundane areas like parking lots, pathways, and roadways. While these spaces are often seen as mere utilities, they have the potential to become cultural landmarks.
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STEREOTOMIC EXPLORATIONS Complexity from simple rules
Project type:
IAAC, MRAC Workshop 1.1, 2022
Advisors:
Rodrigo Aguirre, Ashkan Foroughi
Team:
Bipradip Biswas, Bora Çobanoğlu, Lucas Gottschild, Lucy Mendoza
Contribution:
Hexagon parametric design, fabrication
Tools and Skills:
Robotic programming Parametric design Rhino/Grasshopper (Weaverbird, Robots) Digital fabrication 26
A workshop to explore computational design and fabrication with ruled geometries. We designed and fabricated two types of stereotomic voussoirs, using a parametric logic that could be repeated across an arbitrary surface. A key takeaway was the great complexity that can be obtained from simple logic rules and alterations of patterns
Hexagonal Base Component
Parameters: Tile height Curve end Curvature Amplitude Frequency
Square Base Component
Parameters: Texture-Frequency Top width
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An ABB robot cuts the voussoirs using a hot wire. An iterative process allowed for the improvement of the patterns. Pattern parameters were adjusted until an optimal surface quality could be obtained. Digital
Physical
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AB-
Justin Hanlon, BEng, MBA, rmc. Info Born: 15 September 1992 Citizenship: Canadian
Education and Post-graduate in 3D Printing Architecture Training Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IaaC), Barcelona, Spain In progress. Completion March 2024 Master of Robotics and Advanced Construction IaaC, Barcelona, Spain 2022/2023 Master of Business Administration Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 2017/2018 Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, Ontario 2010 – 2015 Military training: Flight training, Basic Military Officer Qualification, first aid, leadership Across Canada 2010 – 2022 Work Officer, Royal Canadian Air Force Experience 2010 – 2022 Air Operations Officer, HMCS Calgary, Operations ARTEMIS and PROJECTION 2020 – 2021 Tactical Coordinator, 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron 2019 – 2022 Technical Skills Written and verbal communication Rhino, Grasshopper Sketching Machine Learning Digital fabrication AI Design tools Python ROS Languages English (native) French (working ability)
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Thank you. Justin Hanlon Barcelona, Spain just.hanlon@live.com +34 631 430 663
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