Augmented Fabrication

Augmented Fabrication was the focus of my PhD research, exploring how digital information can be embedded directly into the act of making. It positions fabrication as a spatial practice in which extended reality (XR) devices align digital geometry with physical objects, machines and workspaces. Rather than replacing human skill, Augmented Fabrication supports spatial reasoning and judgement, enabling custom fabricators to work more intuitively with complex forms.

Diatoma Pavilion (XR-assisted assembly)

A workspace with a workshop or laboratory setup featuring a digital drawing of a rainbow and blue flames overlaid on the image. There are tables, shelves with tools, a window, and various equipment visible in the background.

Collaborated with Dr Shabnam Loftian from QUT on her Diatoma bio-inspired pavilion, developing XR visualisation workflows to support assembly.

Digital geometry was overlaid onto physical components to guide alignment and placement, enabling accurate construction of a complex, lightweight structure.

Further project information can be found here:

Augmented reality display on a tabletop, showing 3D map projections and a QR code on a piece of paper.
A person holding a tablet device displaying a digital interface for modeling, with a 3D wireframe model of a structure in the background.

Co-Design Project (XR-assisted design)

Led the development of an XR-supported co-design process with YGCC, a local Indigenous family-owned logistics company.

Taking a co-design approach enabled frontline workers to engage directly in the design process, interacting with digital concept designs within a virtual distribution centre.

This supported real-time feedback, improved communication, and strengthened alignment between design intent and operational needs.

Image Source - Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub (ARM Hub)

Group of four people wearing safety gear indoor, with high-tech augmented reality devices on their heads, discussing or training.
Group of men in high-visibility vests and work clothing, one man trying on a virtual reality headset, inside a spacious industrial or warehouse-like setting with large windows and a plant in the background.
A man wearing an orange shirt and a virtual reality headset is carving a block of white foam or plaster material into a mountain-like shape using a power tool in an artist's workshop.

XR-Guided Fabrication (Foam Carving)

Using a Microsoft HoloLens 2, digital geometry is overlaid directly onto foam to guide manual cutting with an electric saw. The fabricator interprets the projected form in real time, aligning each cut with the intended geometry as it emerges through the material.

This approach supports the production of complex, non-standard forms without reliance on templates or drawings, allowing decisions to be made in situ through spatial understanding. The sculptural form draws from Buru by Hayley Pigram (Darug, Boorooberongal clan).

Image Source - Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub (ARM Hub)

A person carving a large white sculpture using XR in an industrial workspace with shelves of boxes in the background.
A person working on a sculpture of a bird in an industrial workshop, wearing orange and blue work clothes and safety hearing protection.

Mixed Reality Design-Build Workshop (Fologram)

A hands-on workshop exploring how mixed reality can support manual fabrication, culminating in the production of a full-scale sculptural prototype. Using the HoloLens 2, digital geometry was overlaid directly onto physical materials, guiding alignment and shaping throughout the build process.

Participants could compare the emerging form with the intended design in real time, enabling intuitive adjustments and collaborative decision-making. The resulting structure demonstrates how augmented fabrication can support the accurate realisation of complex forms without reliance on drawings or templates.

Image Source - Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Hub (ARM Hub) and QUT

People working together on a construction project involving a complex geometric wooden structure with digital overlay lines.
A wooden sculpture with intertwined strips of wood, displayed on a table at ARM Hub, an advanced robotics for manufacturing event.

Spatial Design with Gravity Sketch

I use Gravity Sketch VR as a tool for spatial design, enabling me to develop ideas in 3D. This approach allows designers and students to sketch, iterate, and evaluate form at full scale, bridging the gap between concept and fabrication.

In teaching, I introduce XR-based workflows that move beyond traditional drawing, encouraging students to think through making rather than representation. By working directly with form, proportion, and spatial relationships, students develop a more intuitive understanding of how designs translate into physical outcomes.

This work connects directly to Augmented Fabrication, where digital geometry is not only designed in space but also carried through into fabrication processes, supporting a more fluid relationship between design and making.

Image Source - Griffith University