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Abstract: Abstract This paper discusses the design, fabrication, and assembly of the ‘Eggshell Pavilion’, a reinforced concrete structure fabricated using 3D printed thin shell formwork. Formworks for columns and slabs were printed from recycled plastic using a pellet extruder mounted to a robotic arm. The formworks were cast and demoulded, and the finished elements were assembled into a pavilion, showcasing the architectural potential of 3D printed formwork. The Eggshell Pavilion was designed and fabricated within the scope of a design studio at ETH Zurich. The structure was designed using a fully parametric design workflow that allowed for incorporating changes into the design until the fabrication. The pavilion consists of four columns and floor slabs. Each column and floor slab is reinforced with conventional reinforcing bars. Two different methods are used for casting the columns and floor slabs. The columns are cast using ‘Digital casting systems’, a method for the digitally controlled casting of fast-hardening concrete. Digital casting reduces the hydrostatic pressure exerted on the formwork to a minimum, thereby enabling the casting of tall structures with thin formwork. The floor slabs are cast with a commercially available concrete mix, as the pressure exerted on the formwork walls is lower than for the columns. In this research, 3D printed formwork is combined with traditional reinforcing, casting, and assembly methods, bringing the technology closer to an industrial application. PubDate: 2023-02-16
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Abstract: Abstract Robots are usually operated through text-based inputs made on an external computer or through an associated human machine interface (HMI). This requires skill and expert knowledge to take full advantage of the robot as machine, tool and extension of the human operator, thus limiting applications for users who hold manual skills but not machine knowledge. Consequently, this research aims to identify processes that allow a non-specialist to operator a robot with a similar ease as a specialist. This paper presents research into minimizing (or fully negating) text-based programming for robotic fabrication, thereby opening a potential for adopting robotic fabrication by users with a broader level of skills. This can be achieved by introducing a process for non-specialists to use a semantic drawn language, whereby manual instructions are drawn on a workpiece before being robotically processed. The language can be extended by the operator through interaction with a machine learning (ML) system operated on an HMI, which parses the language and informs the robot what to do. The paper discusses further research into a previously developed tablet interface framework that manages this process, and specifically details the process of adding ML functionalities that can continuously improve the framework. It describes the development process of a data gathering method; provides an overview use cases for classification results and choice of training system; and discusses results and limitations, with discussion of future work. PubDate: 2023-01-23
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Abstract: Abstract The interest in advanced robotic equipment in construction has increased in recent years. However, actual industry adoption lags behind—and fundamental considerations might be at fault. To date, little scholarship in Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) addresses the stakeholder perception of construction robot design. Therefore, we ask, “How do visual attributes of a construction robot influence the perception of AEC stakeholders'” To conduct our study, we performed a bibliometric analysis on a corpus of 59 scholarly research articles, 5 expert interviews and created and pre-validated a robot database of 50 robot pictures classified on their visual attributes of morphology, color and material. As a result, we present a study with 161 construction professionals who judged these robots based on three visual main criteria: ease of use, work task adaptability and risk of job loss. In total, more than 6500 data points are collected and analyzed using binary logistic regression. The five key findings are that construction professionals perceive that: (1) Zoomorphic (animal-like) robots are easier to use than anthropomorphic (human-like) or mechanomorphic (machine-like) robots, (2) Bright robots are easier to use than dark robots, (3) Zoomorphic and anthropomorphic robots are more multifunctional than mechanomorphic robots, (4) Anthropomorphic and mechanomorphic robots are more of a risk to job loss than zoomorphic robots, and (5) Dark robots are more of a risk to job loss than bright ones. These results are important for academics and practitioners that aim to increase the likelihood of positive stakeholder perception of robots in construction. The findings can further help to develop specific user-centered design principles. Such implementation can reduce the risk of construction professionals rejecting future robots when they are introduced at the AEC job site. PubDate: 2023-01-11 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00087-y
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Abstract: Abstract Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) plays an important role among the non-destructive methods used to analyze, measure and collect data from pavement layers, building structures and archaeological sites. A GPR device consists of a radar able to get an image, technically called radargram, of the subsurface. Due to the decreasing costs of calculation power, it is now possible to analyze and interpret radargrams more efficiently than in past. While technological advancements and improvements in the post-processing of data have increased the power of this process, it is also important to consider survey technique as a key factor in nondestructive testing. The aim of this paper is to propose a modification of a well-known survey technique called Common Mid-Point (CMP). The conventional CMP survey technique requires that the transmitter and receiver of the GPR device be physically separated to survey a site. This provides the benefit of determining the speed of light in the host medium from the slant of the hyperbola reflection of a buried target. The CMP process unifies the inspection technology into a single device, making the use of GPR more accessible to robots on construction sites. The method documented in this paper is based on a mathematical model for adapting the conventional CMP for conventional GPR radar devices, in which transmitter and receiver cannot be separated physically. PubDate: 2022-12-25 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00086-z
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Abstract: Abstract While half of all construction tasks can be fully automated the other half relies to a certain degree on human support. This paper presents a Computer Vision (CV) and Human–Robot Interaction/Collaboration (HRI/C) supported Design-to-Robotic-Assembly (D2RA) approach that links computational design with robotic assembly. This multidisciplinary approach has been tested on a case study focusing on urban furniture and involving experts from respective disciplines and students. PubDate: 2022-12-12 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00084-1
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Abstract: Abstract In recent years, research in computational design and robotic fabrication in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) has made remarkable advances in automating construction processes, both in prefabrication and in-situ fabrication. However, little research has been done on how to leverage human-in-the-loop processes for large-scale robotic fabrication scenarios. In such processes, humans and robots support each other in fabrication operations that neither of them could handle alone, leading to new opportunities for the AEC domain. In this paper, we present Tie a knot, an experimental study that introduces a set of digital tools and workflows that enables a novel human–robot cooperative workflow for assembling a complex wooden structure with rope joints. The system is designed for a dually augmented human–robot team involving two mobile robots and two humans, facilitated by a shared digital-physical workspace. In this shared workspace, digital spatial data informs humans about the design space and fabrication-related boundary conditions for decision-making during assembly. As such, humans can manually place elements at locations of their choice, following a set of design rules that affect the gradual evolution of the structure. In direct response to such manually placed elements, the cooperating robots can continue the assembly cycle by precisely placing elements and stabilizing the overall structure. During robotic stabilization, the humans make rope connections, which require high dexterity. The concept and workflow were physically implemented and validated through the cooperative assembly of a complex timber structure over five days. As part of this experimental investigation, we demonstrated and evaluated the performance of two tracking methods that allowed the digitization of the manually placed elements. In closing, the paper discusses the technological challenges and how a hybrid human–robot team could open new avenues for digital fabrication in architecture, accelerating the adoption of robotic technology in AEC. PubDate: 2022-12-10 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00083-2
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Abstract: Abstract Collaborative robots, or cobots, provide opportunities for their use in a range of complex scenarios in different industries, including construction. As a variant of industrial robots commonly used in automation, cobots incorporate inbuilt safety measures, lower costs, and easier operator programming. This article questions the state of recent peer-reviewed research regarding the uptake and implementation of collaborative robotics in the construction industry. A ‘horizon scanning’ review of literature is presented in this article to uncover recent trends and forecasts in cobotics research specific to the construction industry. The horizon scan targets examples of human–robot collaboration (HRC) and other human–robot interactions (HRI) focussed on construction tasks. By examining where HRC has been applied in construction, we identify which drivers, enablers, and barriers that influence the future of construction cobots. Human-readable task models coupled with vision systems, such as augmented reality or haptic feedback and wearable interaction devices are strong enablers in how HRC can be better adopted. Most existing research into producing diversity in robot interaction methods for HRC prescribes to overcoming static approaches, which is well suited to answering the ever-changing nature of construction sites. On the other hand, the dynamic nature of construction sites and worker perceptions impact the uptake of new technologies in industry where cobots are often mistaken for highly automated industrial arms. Based on these findings, the need to build trust through successful use cases and case studies that demonstrate successful outcomes and productivity evaluations are necessary to overcome the barriers to cobot adoption in the construction industry. PubDate: 2022-12-02 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00085-0
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Abstract: Abstract This paper outlines an important step in characterizing a novel field of robotic construction research where a cable-driven parallel robot is used to extrude cementitious material in three-dimensional space, and thus offering a comprehensive new approach to computational design and construction, and to robotic fabrication at larger scales. Developed by the Faculty of Art and Design at Bauhaus-University Weimar (Germany), the faculty of Architecture at the University of Applied Sciences Dortmund (Germany) and the Chair of Mechatronics at the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany), this approach offers unique advantages over existing additive manufacturing methods: the system is easily transportable and scalable, it does not require additional formwork or scaffolding, and it offers digital integration and informational oversight across the entire design and building process. This paper considers 1) key research components of cable robotic 3D-printing (such as computational design, material exploration, and robotic control), and 2) the integration of these parameters into a unified design and building process. The demonstration of the approach at full-scale is of particular concern. PubDate: 2022-10-22 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00082-3
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Abstract: Abstract Although robotic arms provide precision and control in the fabrication process, they are limited in sensing the environment and responding to it accordingly. This limitation poses significant challenges as robotic tooling operations can only be carried out on surfaces that are known digitally. To address this limitation, we propose a vision-based sensing framework to digitally reconstruct and register the work environment prior to robotic tooling operations, with the goal of enabling tooling operations to be carried out on indefinite surfaces. The paper presents the validation of the hardware and software components of the proposed framework for accuracy, reliability, and efficiency in robotic fabrication. Through this validation study, we explore the effects of surface geometry, camera pose configurations, and reconstruction resolution on digital reconstruction and registration accuracy and fabrication feasibility. Moreover, we demonstrate that this framework can be adapted to different fabrication scenarios, including additive and subtractive tooling operations. In a broader perspective, we postulate that the study presented in this paper lays an open-source foundation and a low-cost alternative for future research that can be operationally and computationally scaled and adapted for various areas of applications that deal with complex design-fabrication scenarios. PubDate: 2022-10-03 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00081-4
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Abstract: Abstract This research investigates the robotic assembly of timber structures connected by wood–wood connections. As the digitization of the timber construction sector progresses, digital tools, such as industrial robotic arms and Computer Numerical Control machines, are becoming increasingly accessible. The new-found ease with which wood can be processed stimulates a renewed interest in traditional joinery, where pieces are simply interlocked instead of being connected by additional metallic parts. Previous research established a computational workflow for the robotic assembly of timber plate structures connected by wood–wood connections. This paper focuses on determining the physical conditions that allow inserting through-tenon joints with a robot. The main challenge lies in minimizing the clearance between the tenon and the mortise in order to keep the connections as tight as possible. An experimental protocol has, therefore, been developed to quantitatively assess the performance of the insertion according to different geometric parameters. Robotic insertion tests have been carried out on over 50 samples of 39 mm Laminated Veneer Lumber. Results showed the interest of tapering the joint with a 5 degrees angle, in addition to introducing an offset of 0.05 mm, to minimize friction forces during the insertion. This configuration was confirmed by successfully assembling a 2,50 m long box girder with the same parameters. PubDate: 2022-09-26 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00080-5
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Please help us test our new pre-print finding feature by giving the pre-print link a rating. A 5 star rating indicates the linked pre-print has the exact same content as the published article.
Abstract: Abstract The latest technological developments, especially in software, have made it possible to lower the barrier to entry for robotics, notably in fields that have typically been under-automated, like construction. Robotics in the construction industry is not new, but its acceleration has been marked in the last 10 years. This article presents the latest evolution of HAL Robotics’ software, now called the HAL Robotics Framework alongside its associated concepts, its technical features, and its use in manufacturing and construction. PubDate: 2022-08-30 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00078-z
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Abstract: Abstract With the recent advancements in deep learning and computer vision, the AI-powered construction machine such as autonomous excavator has made significant progress. Safety is the most important section in modern construction, where construction machines are more and more automated. In this paper, we propose a vision-based excavator perception, activity analysis, and safety monitoring system. Our perception system could detect multi-class construction machines and humans in real-time while estimating the poses and actions of the excavator. Then, we present a novel safety monitoring and excavator activity analysis system based on the perception result. To evaluate the performance of our method, we collect a dataset using the Autonomous Excavator System (AES) (Zhang et al., Sci Robot 6(55):eabc3164) including multi-class of objects in different lighting conditions with human annotations. We also evaluate our method on a benchmark construction dataset. The results showed our YOLO v5 multi-class objects detection model improved inference speed by 8 times (YOLO v5 x-large) to 34 times (YOLO v5 small) compared with Faster R-CNN/YOLO v3 model (Zhang et al., In Proceedings of the 38th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction 461 (ISARC), pp. 49–56. InternationalAssociation for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC), Dubai, UAE (2021). https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2021/0009). Furthermore, the accuracy of YOLO v5 models is improved by 2.7% (YOLO v5 x-large) while model size is reduced by 63.9% (YOLO v5 x-large) to 93.9% (YOLO v5 small). The experimental results show that the proposed action recognition approach outperforms the state-of-the-art approaches on top-1 accuracy by about 5.18%. The proposed real-time safety monitoring system is not only designed for our Autonomous Excavator System (AES) in solid waste scenes, it can also be applied to general construction scenarios. PubDate: 2022-07-26 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00077-0
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Abstract: Abstract A cable-driven parallel robot is controlled by varying the cable lengths. When the moving platform of an underconstrained cable robot, suspended using four cables and acted upon by only the cable forces and weight of the platform, is moved to a particular position in a workspace, it can have only a limited variation in orientation. The feasible range of orientations at different positions in a cuboidal workspace is obtained in this work. It is not attempted to find the poses where the mobile platform is in complete static equilibrium. The range of poses, when the net force in all directions and the moment of forces about vertical axis are all equal to zero, and the moments about two horizontal axes are limited to specified limits, are mapped. Static simulation of the cable-driven robot at different positions along a prescribed path, as it transfers a payload, is conducted. The set of cable lengths corresponding to a position and orientation is given as input to the simulation and the equilibrium position is found. It is observed that when the cable lengths correspond to a feasible orientation, the moving platform stays on the intended path and when cable lengths corresponding to infeasible orientation are given as input, the center of the platform drifts away from the desired position. Knowledge of the feasible range of orientations will be useful in avoiding this drift and guiding the platform along a desired path. PubDate: 2022-07-23 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00076-1
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Abstract: Abstract Digital manufacturing methods have been successfully used in different industries for years and have since had a positive effect on the development of their productivity. These methods offer significantly greater design freedom and make it possible to develop shape-optimized and function-activated components. In the construction industry, however, these technologies are only being used reluctantly, even though additive methods could make resource-efficient construction possible. The possibly decisive disadvantage of these methods is that a significantly higher granularity of product and process information is required, thus significantly increasing the planning effort. A circumstance that the framework described in this study, fabrication information modeling (FIM), could significantly mitigate by linking digital fabrication and BIM-based digital building design via a digital chain. For this purpose, FIM provides a methodology with which the information of a digital building model can be detailed, component by component, in a fabrication-aware manner. Based on the open exchange data format IFC, the FIM framework integrates seamlessly into the BIM context and enables automated detailing of the design information. PubDate: 2022-07-22 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00075-2
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Abstract: Abstract Innovators in construction companies do not have extensive experience evaluating on-site robots compared to traditional construction methods for a given project. Prior work observed that managers could take up to 10 months to compare the robot with the traditional performance without a consistent method among different evaluators. As new construction robots are being deployed on site, innovation managers in construction need to systemize and reduce the effort of such comparisons. This paper contributes a robot evaluation framework (REF) for innovators in construction based on three decades of literature and three in-depth case studies. It focuses on the Product, Organization, and Process feasibility and compares the Safety, Quality, Schedule, and Cost to recommend robot adoption using the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) multi-criteria decision analysis method. By applying the REF to ten real industry cases, each conducted independently by two graduate students in collaboration with a General Contractor and a robot manufacturer or start-up, this study provides initial quantitative and qualitative evidence that the REF is useful beyond the initial three cases to guide innovation managers in construction. This paper validates how the framework impacts the consistency of results and effort among several evaluators, who utilized more than 80% of the suggested REF variables. It also offers comparative Safety, Quality, Schedule, and Cost insights of the ten robots. The ten cases were selected to address different on-site robot cases and various construction project types in eight countries. Future work will expand the types of robots and projects to determine whether the framework needs further specialization to evaluate different robot types. PubDate: 2022-07-07 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00073-4
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Abstract: Abstract Modular integrated construction (MiC) represents the most advanced off-site technology. It is challenging to install hefty modules’ safely and effectively in high-rise building projects. Nevertheless, existing crane-lift activities are largely built on the personal experience and subjective judgements of crane operators and signalmen, which often causes time delay and safety hazards. Automatic crane-lift path planning has been demonstrated effective in addressing those issues. However, previous studies seldom considered MiC-specific characteristics such as self-rotation of lifted modules. This paper, therefore, aims to develop an innovative tower crane path planning system for assisting crane operators in high-rise MiC. This system consists of two critical components, i.e., modeling and computing. The modeling component is designed to build three types of models, i.e., original building information models, bounding box models and mathematic models, for setting up the path planning environment. The computing component is designed to work out the optimized crane-lift path using an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm based on three mechanisms, i.e., tower crane operation strategy, fitness function and collision detection. Two real-life MiC projects are used to validate the system. The results indicate that the developed system is effective and efficient in obtaining a collision-free and smooth crane-lift path using limited evolutionary generation and population size. Practically, this study with the advanced crane-lift assistance system should reduce hoisting cycle time and improve safety performance in off-site construction. Scientifically, the paper establishes a theoretical foundation for automated crane-lift path planning and contributes to the application of metaheuristics in the construction industry. PubDate: 2022-07-05 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00074-3
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Abstract: Introduction Robots have increased productivity, quality, and safety in structured manufacturing environments while lowering production costs. In the last decade, advances in computing and sensing have started to enable robots in unstructured environments such as construction. Objectives Given this new reality, this research aims to quantify the impacts of existing construction robots. Methods This study evaluates the Safety, Quality, Schedule, and Cost impacts of ten on-site construction robots for 12 construction projects spanning 11 contractors from Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States. Results The robots showed the potential to reduce repetitive site work between 25 and 90% and reduce time spent on hazardous tasks by 72% on average. On average, accuracy was improved by 55%, and rework was reduced by over 50%. Robots reduced the schedule on average 2.3 times with a median of 1.4x. The cost was reduced by 13%, with six cases that reduced it but four that increased the total costs. The comparative results also highlight under what project conditions (Product, Organization, and Process) could the robot perform better than the traditional method. Conclusion Even at this relatively early stage of robot deployment worldwide, the consistent evaluation of ten examples showed how promising the technology already is for a range of robot types, mobility, autonomy, scale, business models, and locations. Future work will expand the number of robot case studies utilizing the same comparison method. PubDate: 2022-06-27 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00072-5
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Abstract: Abstract This research investigates robotically fabricated polychromatic float glass for architectural applications. Polychromatic glass elements usually require labor-intensive processes or are limited to film applications of secondary materials onto the glass. Previous research employs computer numerical control (CNC) based multi-channel granule deposition to manufacture polychromatic relief glass; however, it is limited in motion, channel control, and design space. To expand the design and fabrication space for the manufacture of mono-material polychromatic glass elements, this paper presents further advancements using a UR robotic arm with an advanced multi-channel dispenser, linear and curved-paths granule deposition, customized color pattern design approaches, and a computational tool for the prediction and rendering of outcomes. A large-scale demonstrator serves as a case study for upscaling. Robotic multi-channel deposition and tailored computational design tools are employed to facilitate a full-scale installation consisting of eighteen large glass panels. Novel optical properties include locally varying color, opacity, and texture filter light and view. The resulting product constructs sublime architectural experiences through light refraction, reflection, color, opacity - beyond mere transparency. PubDate: 2022-04-28 DOI: 10.1007/s41693-022-00071-6
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