The Robot and the Apprentice: Preserving the Japanese Art of Carpentry

Utsunomiya, Japan – Traditional Japanese carpentry is a delicate craft. Instead of using nails or glue, the joints are cut into intricate designs that fit together like the perfect Tetris puzzle.

The ancient technique – called shiguchi – provides beauty and function. The joints between the pillars and beams of a building carry a lot of weight and can be easily damaged. Their entanglement to increase the contact area helps relieve stress and strengthen the overall structure – a consideration that is especially important in an earthquake-prone country like Japan.

Historically, these special joints were carved and outlined by experienced craftsmen. But with many carpenters out of the industry, Japanese contractor Shimizu is developing a robot to keep the tradition alive for years to come.

There are pros and cons to Shimizu’s high-tech strategy. On the one hand, the wood needs to be repositioned several times for the robot to make a cut in different directions. On the other hand, the robot is capable of extreme precision and accuracy, especially when it comes to curved surfaces.

Instead of reproducing traditional joint patterns, Shimizu aims to create new methods that take advantage of the advantages of robots, and pass traditional skills into a new form.

Shimizu is developing a robot that can implement imitation of shiguchi joints. (Photo by Joe Sakurai)

One of its innovations is to tie beams together by cutting their edges into semi-circles, rather than more angular edges that might be difficult for a robot.

Another is to shape the wood in a way that essentially allows one piece to connect to another. Traditional shiguchi joints are usually designed to be assembled in a straight line or at a 90-degree angle. But the new turning approach gives builders more flexibility in grouping joints together and better maneuverability in tight spaces.

Shimizu’s efforts come amid an acute shortage of human craftsmen able to handle woodworking.

The construction industry is struggling with its old craftsmen, and it needs an influx of new talent to inherit these skills. But young people are reluctant to enter a field that is perceived as difficult, dangerous and dirty. Companies are responding with robots to improve business conditions, either by providing support or handling specific tasks.

Shiguchi joint cut by Shimizu robot: The company is working on new styles more suitable for robots. (Photo courtesy of Shimizu)

The Shiguchi robot has a slightly different purpose – direct mechanization of craftsmen’s work. While the shortage of craftsmen drove their development, the project went beyond simply imparting traditional skills, leading to the development of entirely new forms of carpentry.

Shimizu also aims to promote the wider use of wood in construction.

The construction industry plays a major role in Japan’s decarbonization efforts. According to Shimizu, log construction generates less than half of greenhouse gases from reinforced concrete per cubic meter, and a third less than buildings with steel structures. Wood also has the advantage of storing the carbon dioxide that the trees absorb as they grow.

And the lighter weight of wood compared to concrete reduces the amount of work required to found the building as well. But since the wood itself is more expensive, the overall cost remains relatively high. Changing this will require new technology that broadens the contexts in which wood can be used, lowering its price and driving a virtuous cycle.

Shimizu aims to start using new shiguchi technologies next year after testing its power with full-size models.

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