Holistic Construction Automation With Modular Robots: From High-Level Task Specification to Execution

Abstract

In situ robotic automation in construction is challenging due to constantly changing environments, a shortage of robotic experts, and a lack of standardized frameworks bridging robotics and construction practices. This work proposes a holistic framework for construction task specification, optimization of robot morphology, and mission execution using a mobile modular reconfigurable robot. Users can specify and monitor the desired robot behavior through a graphical interface. In contrast to existing, monolithic solutions, we automatically identify a new task-tailored robot for every task by integrating Building Information Modeling (BIM). Our framework leverages modular robot components that enable the fast adaption of robot hardware to the specific demands of the construction task. Other than previous works on modular robot optimization, we consider multiple competing objectives, which allow us to explicitly model the challenges of real-world transfer, such as calibration errors. We demonstrate our framework in simulation by optimizing robots for drilling and spray painting. Finally, experimental validation demonstrates that our approach robustly enables the autonomous execution of robotic drilling.