Call for Papers: Minimal Machines

Guest Editors:

Prof. Dr. -Ing. Karola Dierichs, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
Dr. Karin Krauthausen, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany
Prof. Dr. Glenda Caldwell, Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Prof. Dr. Dagmar Reinhardt, University of Sydney, Australia

Submission status: Open
Submission deadline: 1 January 2025

Description

This Topical Collection integrates contributions from the fields of Computational Design and Construction as well as the Humanities. Minimal machines are understood as experimental approaches to kinetic processes in an age of robotics, where both hardware and software are reduced to their essential minimum. In this context, the Collection aims to reflect on the rapidly emerging field of Mixed Reality (MR) in architecture, considering not only its technological aspects but also its cultural and human-centered implications.

We invite contributions on the following topics:

• Mixed reality including augmented reality and virtual reality devices and frameworks for design, architectural or construction robotics applications
• Mixed reality methods or use cases for human-centered approaches to architectural or construction robotics
• Artificial intelligence in mixed reality for architectural design and construction robotics
• Historical cultural perspectives of mixed reality in architectural design and construction robotics
• Theoretical cultural investigations of the implications of mixed reality in architectural design and construction robotics

Submission guidelines

All papers must be prepared in accordance with the Submission Guidelines. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our online submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Topical Collection, please select »Minimal Machines: Cultures of Mixed Reality for Architectural and Construction Robotics« from the dropdown menu.

Submitted papers should present original, unpublished work, relevant to one of the topics of the Topical Collection. All submitted papers will be evaluated on the basis of relevance, significance of contribution, technical quality, scholarship, and quality of presentation, by at least two independent reviewers. It is the policy of the journal that no submission, or substantially overlapping submission, be published or be under review at another journal or conference at any time during the review process. Final decisions on all papers are made by the Editor-in-Chief.

Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.
More information can be found on the Springer website.

Meet the Guest Editors:

Karola Dierichs is a Professor of Material and Code at the Weißensee School of Art and Design Berlin within the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity« (MoA) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. She also works as a scientist at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces in Potsdam. Her core research areas include materials design, minimal machines, and the cultures of creation in art and science.

Karin Krauthausen is a researcher in the Cluster of Excellence »Matters of Activity« at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany. Her work focuses on understanding tissue, texture, and entanglement in biology, mathematics, and design, as well as linguistics and literature. She is a literary and cultural scholar with a focus on epistemological questions.

Glenda Caldwell is a Professor in Architecture and the Academic Lead of Research in the School of Architecture & Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering at the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. She is an architecture and design scholar with internationally recognised expertise in physical, digital, and robotic fabrication, leading Industry 4.0 innovation through human-centred research in human-robot collaboration, design robotics, media architecture, and human-building interaction. Her research sits at the cross-section of architecture and interaction design where she: (1) integrates human, social, and technical considerations into robotic processes and industrial manufacturing; and, (2) uses a ‘Research-through-Design’ approach to engage industry and communities in a reflexive conversation about creativity, architectural innovation and how we might collaboratively solve societal and environmental challenges and harness future opportunities.

Dagmar Reinhardt leads the robotics research group and the Master of Digital Architecture Research stream and at the School of Architecture, Design, and Planning at the University of Sydney, Australia. She is a practicing architect, researcher, and educator. Her research focuses on the intersection and integration of architecture, acoustics, structure, robotics, fabrication, material, and constructions constraints into design and interdisciplinary collaborations.