Computer-aided design (CAD) systems are tried-and-true tools used to design many of the physical objects we use each day. But CAD software requires extensive expertise to master, and many tools incorporate such a high level of detail that they don’t lend themselves to brainstorming or rapid prototyping.

In an effort to make design faster and more accessible for nonexperts, researchers from MIT and elsewhere developed an AI-driven robotic assembly system that enables people to build physical objects by simply describing them in words.

Their system uses a generative AI model to build a 3D representation of an object’s geometry based on the user’s prompt. Then, a second generative AI model reasons about the desired object and figures out where different components should go, according to the object’s function and geometry.          

The system can automatically build the object from a set of prefabricated parts using robotic assembly. It can also iterate on the design based on feedback from the user.

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