Outstanding sculptors’ works can now be recreated by a robot guided by software. It carves detailed sculptures from Carrara marble—as skillfully as a Renaissance master.
This automated system, named Michelangelo, was developed by the Italian company Robotor. A self-programming robot is ushering in a new era of sculpture.
As Robotor co-founders Filippo Tinkolini and Giacomo Massari explained, the invention significantly simplifies sculptors’ work with stone, which is physically demanding and often dangerous.
The startup founders said their cutting-edge solution comes from the heart of the Carrara region: “the very place where the valuable marble that Michelangelo used to carve his statues was produced.”
The robot sculptor is nearly four meters tall. It is made of zinc alloy and built to withstand heavy loads. In particular, it can cut the hardest materials with diamond-coated tools even in harsh conditions. The table that supports the structure can hold a block weighing up to 50 tons.
According to the developers, the robot quickly performs work that in the Renaissance would have required an entire army of sculptors.
Universal artist
First, the robot analyzes the material it will work with. After studying the stone’s properties and shape, the automated sculptor determines the best starting points for carving. Then it begins crafting the piece with colossal precision, following a 3D model. Clients can participate from initial planning through refinement and adjustment.
The software lets users refine the sculpture as much as they want. It also helps artists choose the right tools for each stage, the publication Designboom reported. In addition, the software monitors machining quality and the condition of the robot’s components in real time and alerts operators to any anomalies.
Robotor designed the technology from the outset to reduce material waste. The robot can repurpose leftover blocks or fragments, turning those remnants into additional sculptures.
Filippo Tinkolini and Giacomo Massari say the system performs about 99 percent of the work; the human contributes the remaining 1 percent, and that difference is important to them.
