Small Robots and Big Projects

This paper describes a custom robotic process for semi-autonomous survey and layout of architectural elements for a large-scale renovation project. Specifically, the research presents a custom single-task robotic device accompanied with software and workflow methods for surveying, localizing, and marking the positions of façade anchors along the surface of primary steel members. Enabled by custom robotic locomotion and real-time localization, the presented approach offers high-tolerance installation in a low-tolerance environment while minimizing dangerous erection steps that would typically be done by field personnel. The robotic system and the workflow are designed, developed, and tailored to the specific project needs and parameters of the renovated building. For instance, the Halbach magnetic locomotion system presented in this paper is custom designed to traverse the radius of steel pipes that the building structure consists of. On the one hand, such specificity renders the robotic hardware obsolete when applied beyond this project. However, the hardware simplicity enabled by its single-task purpose, allowed the team to rapidly develop and deploy the robotic system on-site within a year which would have not been possible with generic hardware. The paper describes the current stage of development of the robotic system and uses the presented robotic workflow to outline the benefits of single-task robotics approach in construction.