FW-HTF-R: US-Ireland R&D Partnership: ARISE: Assembly and Robotics Innovation in Steel Building Erection

人类技术前沿研究(FW-HTF-R)基金的这项未来工作将促进科学和国家健康、繁荣和福利，将网状钢连接(ISC)视为新的快速、快速连接，以利用现有劳动力和可能的现场机器人建造建筑。这项研究将微观经济学家、机器人专家和计算机科学家与美国、北爱尔兰和爱尔兰共和国的结构工程师和工地安全负责人团结在一起。这个三方团队将考虑引入一种新的结构钢连接，从设计、制造、配送、安装和性能的多个方面考虑成本、安全、进度和可持续性指标。该项目批判性地考虑了两个开创性的问题：“在现场实现结构钢装配自动化的技术和人力先决条件以及最佳条件是什么？”以及“这种颠覆性联系的最佳市场切入点是什么？”--鉴于大多数大型建设项目的决策者、受款人和受益者之间的根本不匹配。最后，这项活动提供了一个创新的外展计划，通过网络研讨会和研讨会进行广泛的技术传播，并通过国家级的学生比赛为K-12学生提供教育外展。这项资助旨在从先进制造、机器人组装和人工智能(AI)中获益于现场钢结构建筑的安装。自动化机器人场地安装需要重新思考教育和培训系统、技术依赖以及由于人与机器之间更接近和互动而产生的安全问题。这种新的连接和架设方法背后的微观经济也需要从规模经济和所需技能方面进行重新思考。为此，将开发技术采用和推广的量化模型；确定结构钢部门的教育、经济和技术需求；创建准确、有效的数值模型，描述ISC柱与柱连接在各种荷载组合下的非线性行为；开发ISC连接设计和性能的知识库，包括柱与柱连接的物理数据；使用全尺寸建筑试验台评估性能；记录通过多个全尺寸框架的组装和拆卸观察到的安全、人体工程学和生产率因素；确定现场施工自动化的可行路线，包括高安装公差的影响和使用配备摄像头和基于人工智能的感知的自主机器人；以及使用虚拟现实和增强现实来开发计算机视觉和人工智能培训，以控制机器人机械手。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Future of Work at the Human-Technology Frontier Research (FW-HTF-R) grant will promote science and national health, prosperity and welfare by considering the Intermeshed Steel Connection (ISC) as new quick, snap together connection to construct buildings with the existing work force and possibly on-site robotics. The research unites micro-economists, robotics experts, and computer scientists with structural engineers and site-safety leaders in the United States, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. This tri-partite team will consider the introduction of a new structural steel connection through the multiple lenses of design, manufacturing, distribution, erection, and performance with respect to cost, safety, schedule, and sustainability metrics. The project critically considers two seminal questions: “What are the technical and human prerequisites and optimal conditions for automation of structural steel assembly in the field?” and “What is the best market entry point for such a disruptive connection?”, in light of the fundamental mismatch between the decision makers, the payees, and the beneficiaries in most large construction projects. Finally, this activity offers an innovative outreach program with broad-based technical dissemination through webinars and workshops, and educational outreach for K-12 students by means of national-level, student competitions.This grant seeks to reap the benefits from advanced manufacturing, robotic assembly, and artificial intelligence (AI) for on-site steel building erection. Automating robotic site erection requires a rethinking of educational and training systems, technology dependence, and safety due to the closer proximity and interactions between humans and machines. The micro-economics behind this new connection and erection approach will also need to be rethought with respect to economies of scale and needed skills. This will be done by developing a quantitative model of technology adoption and diffusion; identifying educational, economic, and technical needs in the structural steel sector; creating accurate, validated numerical models that characterize the non-linear behavior of ISC column-to-column connections under various load combinations; developing a knowledge base on ISC connection design and performance, including physical data for column-to-column connections; evaluating performance using a full-size building testbed; documenting safety, ergonomics, and productivity factors observed through multiple assembly and disassembly of full-size frames; identifying viable routes to on-site construction automation including the influence of high erection tolerances and use of autonomous robots equipped with cameras and AI-based perception; and using virtual reality and augmented reality to develop Computer Vision and AI training to control a Robotic Manipulator.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.