Kangaroo

PAACADEMY provides online courses on the Kangaroo physics plugin for Grasshopper, teaching architects how to use real-time simulation for form-finding, mesh relaxation and structural optimization.

Kangaroo is a Grasshopper plugin by Daniel Piker that provides a real-time physics simulation engine directly inside the parametric design environment. It allows designers to simulate forces, tensions, and physical constraints on geometry, enabling form-finding processes, structural relaxation, and dynamic design behavior that responds to physics rather than manual geometric modeling.

In architectural and computational design practice, Kangaroo is used to solve complex geometric problems that are difficult to model manually:

• Tensile Structures: Simulating fabric and cable networks to find natural, structurally efficient resting states.
• Mesh Relaxation: Smoothing complex polygonal geometries by applying spring forces to mesh edges.
• Dynamic Wearables: Driving responsive physical relationships between moving parts in fashion and jewelry design.