User:Salix alba/Robotics in construction

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Introduction
Robots were originally introduced in the production of industrialized building components and modular housing. Later mobile robots were developed for special on-site construction tasks. Automated construction sites use robotics for logistics and assembly. Recently humanoid construction robots have been developed and tested. In the meanwhile, artists and architects have recently started to use robotics like CNC (computer numerical control) routers and 3D printing machines for creating one-off objects. Those applied robotics and processes of fabrication are now sprouting and called "Digital Fabrication".

1980's
According to Thomas Bock, first construction robots had been designed in the beginning seventies in Japan and late 70ies planning starts for use of robots in construction sites. After great successes of automation in manufacturing industries, the robotics in construction sites became a trend topic in building and construction industry for improving productivity. The ministry of construction launched several research and development projects in the field. Advanced researches in robotics in Waseda University accelerated those research as well. From the middle of 80ies to early 90ies, Japanese big general constructors competed each other in developing robots and automation system in construction. As a consequence, according to an investigation by Architectural Institute of Japan, more than 150 types of robots were developed in the period. Those robots are divided into mainly 4 categories.
 * Building frame or skelton; spraying fire retardants, welding, installing facades, assembling from-work, smoothing concrete floor
 * Finishing; smoothing concrete, painting, fitting equipment to ceiling
 * Inspectation; exterior tile inspectation, clean room inspectation
 * Maintenance; window glass cleaning, floor cleaning

Even though those robots are not cost effective and productive enough compared to human labors, they were promising in decreasing and eliminating factors of accidents in construction sites.

1990's
In addition to the development of construction robots in 1980's, other technologies for instance automated material distribution systems, prefabricated modular systems and central controlling systems with IT, were established in the early 1990's. The materials and technologies for integrated automated construction systems were ready and actually development of those systems had been carried out. Those systems marked advancements in all-weather construction, decreasing heavy/hazardous tasks and shortening entire construction duration. On the other hand, the cost effectiveness of those systems is not well achieved due to the high cost of system itself. Furthermore, productivity of the system was not competitive anymore compared to human labors since labor costs had reduced after the economy crisis in Japan. Repetitive tasks in a big scale, like construction of skyscrapers, are necessary to pay the initial cost of the system.

Current situation
Implementation of automation in the construction domain has been slow down, and currently only few types of robots are still working,. The situation is resulted from
 * unsuitability of the available automated fabrication technologies for large scale products
 * conventional design approaches that are not suitable for automation
 * significantly smaller ratio of production quantity/type of final products as compared with other industries
 * limitations in the materials that could be employed by an automated system
 * economic unattractiveness of expensive automated equipment
 * managerial issues

On the other hand, experimental works with rapid prototyping machines are sprouting today in architecture and art fields, called Digital Fabrication. Those fabrication technologies are applied to building structural components and facade in construction process. This movement comes from advanced parametric modeling tools including CAD/CAM and CNC tools. One of the first examples was The Vila Olimpica in Barcelona, Spain designed by Frank Gehry (Gehry Partners) and constructed by Permasteelisa. This partnership is still going on, for example the Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao, Spain (1997). CAD/CAM tools get so popular now that people started building own CNC machines with open-source softwares, sensors, actuators and chipboard like Arduino, and create experimental works by themselves.

Types of robotics in construction

 * Robotic precast concrete panel production
 * Prefabricated masonry walls
 * Robotic wooden panel productio
 * Robotic production of three-dimensional steel units
 * On site construction robots.
 * Mobile site robots
 * Mobile finishing/refurbishing robots
 * Mobile servicing robot systems
 * Automated high-rise construction sites
 * Humanoid construction robots

Digital fabrication

 * CNC
 * Stereolithography
 * Fused Deposition Modeling
 * [|Selective Laser Sintering]
 * 3D Printing
 * Contour crafting