I-Corps: Interoperable Building Information Modeling and Construction of Robotic Systems for Building Construction Automation

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a software technology that analyzes and plans construction automation. The productivity of the construction industry has stagnated and there is a critical skilled workforce shortage. The proposed technology seeks to more effectively harness the benefits and facilitate the adoption of robotics and automation in construction. This efficiency may boost the overall productivity of the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry and relieve some of the strain imposed by the current workforce shortage. Potential customers of the proposed technology include, but are not limited to, building designers, construction planners, contractors, subcontractors, and manufacturers of the off-site constructed (pre-fabricated) components of a building. Construction automation is a significant market sector; for example, the drywall installation market is estimated at $25 billion annually. The proposed technology is targeted at the construction automation market, especially wood framing and drywall installation applications.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a technology that leverages a logic-based approach for the analysis and simulation of construction tasks in downstream applications. The proposed technology seeks to provide input for robotic simulations by analyzing the constructability of the building design using simulated construction operations based on selected robotic systems, which can be off-the-shelf or redesigned/customized. Research results on logic representation and reasoning used to extract, classify, filter, and infer the target information from Industry Foundation Classes (IFC)-based building information models form the basis of the technology. The proposed technology may provide a way to automatically analyze building information modeling (BIM)-based building designs and infer construction level information through logic representation and reasoning. In addition, the algorithms may provide a useful tool to generate information automatically from BIM as input for robotic system analysis of construction automation. An end-effector system is provided to facilitate the use of industrial robotic arms in timber framing and drywall installation construction operations.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.