The open-access article, Timber system with robotic milling and AR-guided assembly for reconfiguration, by Qianbin Xu, Assoc Prof Frederico Fialho Teixeira and Dr Maryam Shafiei, was published in Construction Robotics. The study presents an integrated digital workflow for designing, fabricating and assembling reconfigurable timber systems.
The research connects rule-based computational design of mortise–tenon joints with robotic CNC milling and augmented reality guidance. Joinery geometry and calibrated fabrication tolerances are embedded within a shared digital model, allowing the same design information to inform both robotic toolpaths and step-by-step assembly instructions.
A full-scale timber wall prototype was fabricated and tested through repeated cycles of assembly, disassembly and reconfiguration. The timber components achieved a stable friction fit using a calibrated joint clearance of 0.25 millimetres. They could be assembled with light manual tapping and without screws, nails or adhesives, demonstrating the potential of reversible joinery and reusable timber components for precise and low-waste construction.
The augmented reality-guided assembly process was tested in UQ VisLab using a Meta Quest 3 headset, Fologram and the Igloo 360 immersive environment. Holographic overlays communicated the position, orientation and sequence of individual timber blocks, while the surrounding projection environment provided an overall view of the design and assembly process. Together, these technologies supported accurate placement while maintaining a connection between the digital model and the physical structure.
By linking design rules, fabrication tolerances and assembly guidance within a continuous workflow, the research provides a practical framework for moving between computational models and physical construction. It also establishes a foundation for future work involving structural optimisation, quantitative performance testing and digital tracking of reusable timber components.
The research will be presented at ROB|ARCH 2026 at the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark. The conference will take place on 27 and 28 August 2026 under the theme Detangling Dependencies, which examines how robotics can respond to material, resource, data and emerging practice challenges in architecture and design.
Read the open-access article in Construction Robotics
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