The Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry has seen a great amount of digitalization of the information flows between stakeholders in the past years, with the wide adoption of Building Information Modeling workflows throughout the building’s life cycle - from conception to deconstruction. The robotics industry has also been undergoing a paradigm shift, integrating technologies for autonomy, human-machine collaboration, and robot operation in less closely-controlled environments. The above two points, together with specialised labor shortages in both emerging and mature construction markets, and the request of clients for novel and cost-effective paths to achieve architectural expression, provide an opportunity for the integration of robotic construction platforms in current building construction workflows. To investigate the feasibility and the potential implementation of such systems, a novel, modular and lightweight robotic facade construction platform was conceived, designed, prototyped and tested, using as pilot operations (1) the automated placement of ceramic tiles on the exterior of a building, and (2) the automated installation and on-site mass-customisation of an ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite System), using a modified construction approach. The first phase of the project, dealing with operation (1), focused on the development of the main hardware components of the system, such as the novel horizontal motion platform based on modular off-the-shelf aluminum truss components, a custom-made belt drive system, and a custom end-effector and automatic adhesive dispenser to facilitate the tile-placing operation. At this stage, an initial analysis was conducted on the expected system accuracy and the problems arising from the mobile nature of the robot’s operation. In the second phase, the larger-scale, multi-step operation (2) was used to further develop the platform’s sub-systems, control architecture, software-hardware integration and communication protocols between system components. New capabilities were also given to the robot, with the inclusion of a custom automatic tool changing unit along with two new tools to match the requirements of the new operation. The robot performance was also documented (proving sub-millimeter accuracy) using a laser total-station. The quality of the results of the robot operation was also gauged in both operations (1) and (2), by comparing the as-built samples with their digital counterparts. The relative success of the undertaking proves that the technology needed to automate construction processes and integrate digital fabrication in construction workflows already exists, and is in fact in large part commercially available. Further development in the construction robotics field is needed to closely integrate the generation of robot task information from existing design data, investigate more potential applications and develop relevant hardware components. Finally, due to the inherently risk-averse nature of the construction sector, efforts should be made advertise to stakeholders (designers, contractors, developers, clients) the benefits of implementing such systems toward human safety, time and cost savings, and architectural individuality.
To follow
Tilebot. Development of a lightweight modular robotic system for on-site component installation and facade fabrication
PYLARINOS, PANAGIOTIS
2018/2019
Abstract
The Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry has seen a great amount of digitalization of the information flows between stakeholders in the past years, with the wide adoption of Building Information Modeling workflows throughout the building’s life cycle - from conception to deconstruction. The robotics industry has also been undergoing a paradigm shift, integrating technologies for autonomy, human-machine collaboration, and robot operation in less closely-controlled environments. The above two points, together with specialised labor shortages in both emerging and mature construction markets, and the request of clients for novel and cost-effective paths to achieve architectural expression, provide an opportunity for the integration of robotic construction platforms in current building construction workflows. To investigate the feasibility and the potential implementation of such systems, a novel, modular and lightweight robotic facade construction platform was conceived, designed, prototyped and tested, using as pilot operations (1) the automated placement of ceramic tiles on the exterior of a building, and (2) the automated installation and on-site mass-customisation of an ETICS (External Thermal Insulation Composite System), using a modified construction approach. The first phase of the project, dealing with operation (1), focused on the development of the main hardware components of the system, such as the novel horizontal motion platform based on modular off-the-shelf aluminum truss components, a custom-made belt drive system, and a custom end-effector and automatic adhesive dispenser to facilitate the tile-placing operation. At this stage, an initial analysis was conducted on the expected system accuracy and the problems arising from the mobile nature of the robot’s operation. In the second phase, the larger-scale, multi-step operation (2) was used to further develop the platform’s sub-systems, control architecture, software-hardware integration and communication protocols between system components. New capabilities were also given to the robot, with the inclusion of a custom automatic tool changing unit along with two new tools to match the requirements of the new operation. The robot performance was also documented (proving sub-millimeter accuracy) using a laser total-station. The quality of the results of the robot operation was also gauged in both operations (1) and (2), by comparing the as-built samples with their digital counterparts. The relative success of the undertaking proves that the technology needed to automate construction processes and integrate digital fabrication in construction workflows already exists, and is in fact in large part commercially available. Further development in the construction robotics field is needed to closely integrate the generation of robot task information from existing design data, investigate more potential applications and develop relevant hardware components. Finally, due to the inherently risk-averse nature of the construction sector, efforts should be made advertise to stakeholders (designers, contractors, developers, clients) the benefits of implementing such systems toward human safety, time and cost savings, and architectural individuality.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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Tilebot final draft_online_submission_low_res.pdf
Open Access dal 12/09/2022
Descrizione: Tilebot_final_draft_online_submission_low_res
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/150362