SBIR Phase I: Automated Mortar Dispensing for a Semi-Automated Masonry Robotic System

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在开发自动砂浆分配系统，这是半自动砌筑（SAM）机器人系统的主要组成部分。 目前的技术挑战是开发一种砂浆分配系统，该系统可以准确地复制手动砂浆制备和应用的艺术。这意味着该系统可以考虑砂浆批量生产的变化性，并将化学和材料要求保持在相关标准中。 这项技术工作将侧重于所涉及的关键变量，如反应热、pH值、粘度、保湿性、时间变量和温度/湿度条件。 自动砂浆分配系统的主要挑战之一是现场天气条件造成的变化。 第一阶段项目将使我们能够研究开发一种测量和控制系统的可行性，该系统可以准确确定砂浆的质量，并根据需要进行调整，以生产符合SAM系统要求的一致砂浆。 大规模作业是动态的工作环境，需要在真实的时间内进行调整和纠正，这对自动化提出了许多挑战，但如果成功，潜在的好处是巨大的。SAM机器人系统这一项目具有更广泛的影响/商业潜力，旨在彻底改变砖石建筑行业。 该系统将大大提高砖砌体生产的吞吐量。 我们的核心技术结合了专有的传感和控制系统，通过砂浆的分配实现信息驱动的自动化砌砖。 基于砖的建筑代表了全球和美国经济的重要组成部分，在美国，所有砌体工程花费超过200亿美元，商业砖砌体花费超过50亿美元。 近几十年来，建筑业的这一部分几乎没有创新。SAM系统将在提高石工人员生产力的基础上，为每项工作节省30%以上的成本。 泥瓦匠效率的显著提高将使砖砌体更实惠。通过在砌体行业使用更多的技术，将更容易招募年轻的人才到一个劳动力老龄化的行业。 在建筑中使用砖的增加，特别是在易受极端天气条件影响的地区，将提供许多环境和客户利益，例如增加耐久性，绝缘性，耐火性和降低维护。 这反过来又会导致能源和资源的节约。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is aimed at developing an automated mortar dispensing system, a major component of a semi-automated masonry (SAM) robotic system. The current technology challenge is the development of a mortar dispensing system that can accurately replicate the art of manual mortar preparation and application. This means a system that can account for the variability of mortar batch production as well as maintaining the chemical and material requirements to relevant standards. This technical effort will focus on key variables involved, such as reaction heat, pH, viscosity, moisture retention, time variables and temperature/humidity conditions. One of the major challenges of an automated mortar dispensing system is the variability created by onsite weather conditions. This Phase I project will allow us to investigate the feasibility of developing a measurement and control system that can accurately determine the quality of the mortar and adjust as necessary to produce consistent mortar that meets the requirements of the SAM system. Masonry jobs are dynamic work environments that need to be adjusted and corrected in real time, presenting numerous challenges for automation, but if successful, the potential benefits are enormous. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project, the SAM robotic system, is intended to revolutionize the masonry construction industry. The system will significantly increase the throughput of brick masonry production. Our core technology incorporates proprietary sensing and control systems, with the dispensing of mortar to achieve information-driven automated bricklaying. Brick-based construction represents a significant portion of the global and US economies with over $20 billion spent on all masonry work in the US, and over $5 billion spent on commercial brick masonry. This segment of the construction industry has seen little innovation over the recent decades. The SAM system will provide a per-job cost savings of over 30% based on increased productivity of the masonry crew. This significant increase in the efficiency of masons will make brick masonry more affordable. By using more technology in the masonry industry, it will be easier to recruit younger talent to an industry with an aging work force. The increase in the use of bricks in construction, especially in regions that are susceptible to extreme weather conditions, will provide many environmental and customer benefits such as increased durability, insulation, fire resistance, and lower maintenance. These in turn will lead to energy and resource conservation.