Adaption of Construction Robots and Building Components

ADAPTATION OF CONSTRUCTION ROBOTS AND BUILDING COMPONENTS FOR ENHANCED ROBUSTNESS IN CONTACT SITUATIONS

Most current work in the field of construction robotics either automates existing construction machines that are designed for human operation or automates existing manual construction processes. Most building systems and construction components are not adapted to the requirements of robots and vice versa. As a result, the full potential of robotic construction is currently not exploited. The lack of implementation of robotic on-site construction processes in the industry highlights the need for reliable, robust, efficient and safe robotic on-site building systems. 

This project aims to take the first steps towards our long-term vision of developing a robotic construction system for automated assembly and disassembly. Such a robotic construction system shall comprise a robot/robots, building components and automated assembly processes, which are all compatible to each other. Since it is especially challenging to determine and control the state of the robot and the process in contact situations, we will specifically study these situations to gain insights into the requirements for such a robotic construction system. We will investigate the interaction dynamics to explore the capabilities and limitations of robots for developing successful, sensitive, and seamless control strategies for the assembly of building elements. 

Based on these findings, a list of requirements for such a robotic construction system will be defined. The requirements may concern the geometry, the material and friction, the joints, the connection mechanism, the precision of the robot, the motion capabilities of the robot, the sensors, the assembly strategy and the overall robustness of the robotic construction system. 

PARTICIPATING RESEARCHER

Tenure-Track Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anja Lauer
Institute of Construction Materials (IWB), University of Stuttgart

TEAM

Lingyue Wu (IWB)