Chidori
Project Type :
2025, 6-Axis Robot, Subtractive Manufacturing
Team : Reto Chen + Sarah Rupani
Chidori is a research project that reinterprets traditional Japanese Chidori joinery through robotic fabrication. The project investigates how interlocking timber joints—assembled without nails, glue, or metal fasteners—can be digitally modeled, robotically milled, and scaled into modular, self-supporting structures. Using a 6-axis robotic arm, the team explores precision toolpaths, jig design, and tolerance control to fabricate complex Chidori geometries that are difficult to achieve by hand. Through iterative prototyping and joint variations, the project bridges craft and automation, positioning Chidori as a contemporary system for lightweight, material-efficient, and reconfigurable timber construction