Embodied Automation

Stefanie Pender is an artist and researcher who explores the translation of embodied knowledge of craft processes into automated technologies. Through human-machine collaboration, she exploits form-finding phenomena and the emergent properties of glass in order to discover novel material properties.

During her Pier 9 Residency, Stefanie developed a Fused Filament Deposition Modeling Printer (FFDM) for the application of printing glass fibers. Emulating plastic filament printers, she built a tool that drives a glass fiber through a nozzle. A dual flame torch melts the glass at around 2,000˚F as it exits the nozzle and deposits this melted glass onto a surface. This tool is mounted to a small industrial robot which moves the tool to produce complex geometries inside a heated build chamber.

To learn more about Stefanie’s process building the printer visit her instructable here – http://www.instructables.com/id/Glass-Fused-Deposition-Modeling-FDM/

And more info about Stefanie and the Pier 9 Residency Program at these links –
http://stefaniepender.com
http://www.autodesk.com/air