Modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of modular building, in particular to a modular integrated building unit floor tile paving robot, which comprises a gantry type high-precision moving platform, a double execution mechanism, a feeding mechanism and a cooperative planning and control mechanism; the cooperative planning and control mechanism is configured to receive floor tile layout data and process parameters corresponding to a to-be-paved base plate; mode decision is made based on the floor tile layout data and the process parameters, and a sequential operation mode or a cooperative parallel operation mode is dynamically selected; according to the selected operation mode, a time and space coordinated operation path sequence is generated for the cloth laying robot arm and the paving robot arm respectively; and the gantry type high-precision moving platform and the double execution mechanism are controlled to operate according to the operation instruction sequence, so that the automatic paving of the floor tile on the moving base plate is completed. The application solves the technical problems that the paving precision and quality cannot be guaranteed and the efficiency is low in the prior art.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of modular building technology, and in particular to a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development and improvement of the national industrial technology level and the prefabricated building industry, the demand for heavy material transportation in heavy engineering fields such as prefabricated buildings is gradually increasing. Compared with the traditional construction industry's practice of pouring building walls on the construction site, prefabricated buildings disassemble the entire building into multiple room modules and prefabricate them in the factory. A single room module can be divided into multiple wall panels, roof panels, and other panel modules.

[0003] The building decoration industry, especially the installation of indoor and outdoor floor tiles (including ceramic tiles and stone), has long relied heavily on manual labor by skilled workers. This traditional method faces several serious challenges: The labor intensity is enormous: installation work involves frequent bending, squatting, and carrying heavy objects, which is extremely physically demanding for workers and can easily lead to occupational injuries with prolonged exposure. Simultaneously, it is highly dependent on skill; the quality of installation depends heavily on the worker's skill level and sense of responsibility. Highly skilled workers are scarce and have long training periods. The speed of manual installation is limited by physical strength, with limited room for efficiency improvement, making it difficult to meet the demands of rapid construction for large projects. While existing wheeled / tracked mobile robots offer some mobility, their installation efficiency and movement stability face significant challenges.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings and deficiencies of the prior art, this application provides a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot, which solves the technical problems of the prior art being unable to guarantee laying accuracy and quality and having low efficiency.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the main technical solutions adopted in this application include:

[0009] This application provides a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot, which is installed on a modular building production line and is used to automatically lay floor tiles on modular building units conveyed on the production line. The floor tile laying robot includes:

[0010] Gantry-type high-precision moving platform, dual actuators, feeding mechanism, and collaborative planning and control mechanism;

[0011] The gantry-type high-precision moving platform spans the production line; the dual actuators include a paving robot arm and a cloth-laying robot arm independently mounted on the gantry-type high-precision moving platform; the feeding mechanism is connected to the dual actuators and includes a slurry feeding unit for supplying adhesive material and a tile placement rack for storing floor tiles;

[0012] The collaborative planning and control mechanism is communicatively connected to the gantry-type high-precision moving platform, the dual actuators, and the feeding mechanism. The collaborative planning and control mechanism is configured as follows:

[0013] Receive the tile layout data and process parameters corresponding to the base plate to be laid; make mode decisions based on the tile layout data and process parameters, and dynamically select the sequential operation mode or the collaborative parallel operation mode;

[0014] Based on the selected operation mode, a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions containing timestamps is generated for the cloth-laying robot arm and the tiling robot arm; according to the sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions, the gantry high-precision moving platform and the dual actuators are controlled to perform operations to complete the automatic tiling of floor tiles on the moving base plate.

[0015] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the gantry-type high-precision moving platform includes an X-axis ground rail sliding module and a Y-axis sliding module arranged orthogonally to each other;

[0016] The X-axis ground rail sliding module is arranged along the conveyor direction of the production line, and the Y-axis sliding module is arranged perpendicular to the conveyor direction of the production line.

[0017] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the end of the tiling robot arm is provided with a gripping module;

[0018] The gripping module includes a vacuum suction cup and a vibration leveling mechanism; the vacuum suction cup is used to adsorb the floor tiles, and the vibration leveling mechanism includes a vibration motor and a laser sensor that are linked together. The laser sensor continuously monitors the height of the floor tiles during the laying process, and the vibration motor executes high frequency according to the data from the laser sensor to ensure that the floor tiles are flat and adhered to the base plate.

[0019] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the fabric robotic arm includes a fabric tube, a glue scraping mechanism, and a laser rangefinder sensor;

[0020] The fabric tube is connected to the slurry supply unit. The scraping mechanism is a toothed scraper located at the front end of the fabric tube and moves synchronously with the fabric tube to scrape the material flat after fabrication. The laser rangefinder is integrated on the fabrication robot arm and continuously scans the ground height during the fabrication process to monitor the fabric thickness in real time.

[0021] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the collaborative planning and control mechanism includes:

[0022] The mode decision unit has a built-in conflict risk assessment model, which is used to obtain the conflict risk results of sequential operation mode and collaborative operation mode based on the tile layout data and process parameters, and dynamically select the operation mode based on the conflict risk results.

[0023] The path planning unit is used to generate a material laying path for the material laying robot arm and a gripping-laying path for the laying robot arm according to the selected operation mode, and to generate a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions containing timestamps.

[0024] The execution coordination unit is used to decompose the dual-arm collaborative operation instruction sequence into synchronous instructions and send them to the gantry high-precision moving platform, the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm respectively, so as to control the gantry high-precision moving platform, the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm to perform operations.

[0025] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the pattern decision unit is specifically used for:

[0026] Divide the baseboard to be laid into several sub-areas;

[0027] For each sub-area of ​​operation, based on the tile layout data and process parameters within that sub-area, the conflict risk value of collaborative parallel operations is obtained;

[0028] If the conflict risk value of all sub-regions is lower than the preset threshold, the collaborative parallel operation mode is selected; if the conflict risk value of any sub-region is higher than the preset threshold, the sequential operation mode is used for that sub-region, and the collaborative parallel operation mode is used for the remaining sub-regions.

[0029] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, obtaining the conflict risk value of collaborative parallel operations based on the tile layout data and process parameters within the sub-region specifically includes:

[0030] Based on the tile layout data, obtain the material placement path of the material placement robot arm and the gripping-laying path of the tiling robot arm in the sequential operation mode;

[0031] The minimum distance between two paths in the three-dimensional workspace is obtained. When the minimum distance is less than a preset safety threshold, the corresponding path segment is determined to have an overlap risk. The path overlap probability is calculated based on the ratio of the total length of the path segment with overlap risk to the total length of the two paths.

[0032] The conflict risk value is obtained by combining the path overlap probability with a compensation factor that is negatively correlated with the initial setting time of the current bonding material in the process parameters and calculating it by weighting.

[0033] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the path planning unit includes:

[0034] The path knowledge base is used to store standard operation path templates that are pre-optimized based on process parameters;

[0035] An instruction sequence compiler is used to compile selected path templates into a sequence of instructions for two-arm cooperative operations that includes timestamps and synchronization instructions;

[0036] The path planning unit is configured as follows:

[0037] The current tile layout data of the base plate to be laid is matched with the standard templates in the path knowledge base to select the basic material laying path template and the basic paving path template. According to the selected operation mode, the two paths are decomposed into discrete step instructions with millisecond-level timestamps by the instruction sequence compiler, and synchronization instructions are inserted for the two paths at key operation nodes to generate the dual-arm collaborative operation instruction sequence.

[0038] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the collaborative planning and control mechanism is further configured as follows:

[0039] A dynamic working coordinate system is established with the Y-axis sliding module of the gantry high-precision moving platform as the moving base;

[0040] Under the dynamic operation coordinate system, motion compensation calculations are performed on the dual-arm collaborative operation command sequence of the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm according to the real-time conveying speed of the production line, so that the dual actuators remain stationary relative to the moving base plate.

[0041] Optionally, in some embodiments of this application, the tile-laying robot further includes:

[0042] Security monitoring module;

[0043] The safety monitoring module includes a lidar and a pressure sensor to detect abnormal motion trajectories or collision risks of the dual actuators in real time.

[0044] When a risk is detected, an emergency stop command is automatically triggered, and an event log is recorded for subsequent analysis.

[0045] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0046] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows: The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot of this application adopts a gantry-type high-precision moving platform that spans the production line and a collaborative operation architecture equipped with laying and material-laying dual execution mechanisms. It is also equipped with a collaborative planning and control mechanism that can dynamically select the sequence or collaborative parallel operation mode according to the floor tile layout data and process parameters. Compared with the prior art, it can realize flexible scheduling and precise synchronization of the material-laying and laying processes, which greatly improves the efficiency and continuity of the laying operation. At the same time, it ensures the positioning accuracy and process quality of the floor tile laying on the moving base plate, and achieves the technical effect of completing the floor tile laying operation efficiently, with high quality and adaptively in the modular building automated production line. Attached Figure Description

[0047] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 2 This is an internal structural block diagram of the collaborative planning and control mechanism of a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the end effector structure of a modular integrated building unit tile laying robot according to an embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 4 This is a detailed structural diagram of the cloth-laying robotic arm of a modular integrated building unit tile-laying robot according to an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0051] To better explain and facilitate understanding of this application, the following detailed description of the application is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0052] Currently, in the automated tiling operations of modular buildings, existing technical solutions mainly fall into the following categories: First, single-function robotic arms or tiling devices are used to sequentially apply adhesive materials (such as mortar and adhesive) and pick up and lay floor tiles. While this sequential operation mode ensures no interference between processes, the overall operation cycle is long, failing to fully utilize the production line's cycle time and limiting the overall production capacity. Second, a fixed-station operation mode is adopted, where the production line pauses at the tiling station until all tiles in that unit are laid before resuming transport. This method sacrifices the continuous operation advantage of the production line, resulting in low production efficiency. Third, attempts are made to use multi-robotic arm collaboration, but existing solutions mostly employ preset fixed collaborative paths, lacking the ability to adaptively adjust to dynamic layout, process parameters (such as material initial setting time), and moving bases (production line conveyors). This easily leads to conflicts in the robotic arm movement trajectories under complex layouts or high-speed operations, posing safety risks. Furthermore, the tiling quality (such as flatness and adhesion uniformity) is difficult to guarantee stably on the moving base.

[0053] Therefore, this application provides a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot. This robot is installed on a modular building production line, and its core consists of an integrated gantry-type high-precision moving platform spanning the production line, a dual-actuator mechanism consisting of a laying robot arm and a material-laying robot arm independently mounted on it, and a collaborative planning and control mechanism with intelligent decision-making capabilities. Based on received floor tile layout data and process parameters, the control mechanism can dynamically decide whether to adopt sequential or collaborative parallel operation modes, and generate a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions with precise timestamps. This allows the entire system to autonomously and coordinately complete the entire process from precise material placement to floor tile gripping, laying, and leveling on the building unit base plate moving with the production line.

[0054] This application, through the integrated design of a gantry moving platform and dual actuators, combined with intelligent dynamic mode decision-making and collaborative path planning, achieves optimal temporal and spatial matching and conflict-free parallel operation of the material laying and tiling processes, significantly improving tiling efficiency and production line continuity. Simultaneously, by establishing a dynamic operating coordinate system for motion compensation and integrating real-time monitoring and leveling mechanisms, the tiling accuracy and process quality are ensured when operating on the moving base. Furthermore, the built-in conflict risk assessment and safety monitoring mechanisms guarantee the safety and reliability of equipment operation in complex working environments.

[0055] To better understand the above technical solutions, exemplary embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of this application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this application can be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this application can be understood more clearly and thoroughly, and that the scope of this application can be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art.

[0056] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to an embodiment of this application.

[0057] Modular integrated building is a construction method that breaks down a building into a series of standardized, prefabricated three-dimensional spatial functional units or components, mass-produced in highly automated factories, and then transported to the construction site for rapid hoisting and assembly. Its core lies in transforming the large-scale, discrete construction processes in traditional building, which rely heavily on on-site manual wet work, into a centralized, efficient, and controllable industrial manufacturing process. Modules move along the factory assembly line, sequentially completing structural assembly, water and electricity pre-installation, interior decoration, and other processes.

[0058] It should be noted that the modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot of this application embodiment is set on the modular building production line and is used to automatically lay floor tiles on the modular building units conveyed on the production line. That is, in the production line, the base plate of the building unit whose main structural construction has been completed (such as a waterproof and leveled ground) is placed on the conveyor system and passes through each station at a uniform speed according to the set rhythm. When it enters the floor tile laying station, the floor tile laying robot of this application embodiment begins to work.

[0059] like Figure 1 As shown, the tile-laying robot includes:

[0060] Gantry-type high-precision moving platform, dual actuators, feeding mechanism, and collaborative planning and control mechanism;

[0061] The gantry-type high-precision moving platform spans the production line; the dual actuators include a paving robot arm and a cloth-laying robot arm independently mounted on the gantry-type high-precision moving platform; the feeding mechanism is connected to the dual actuators and includes a slurry feeding unit for supplying adhesive material and a tile placement rack for storing floor tiles;

[0062] The gantry-type high-precision moving platform includes an X-axis ground rail sliding module and a Y-axis sliding module that are orthogonally arranged to each other;

[0063] The X-axis ground rail sliding module is arranged along the conveyor direction of the production line, and the Y-axis sliding module is arranged perpendicular to the conveyor direction of the production line.

[0064] Specifically, the gantry-type high-precision mobile platform constitutes the macroscopic motion skeleton and spatial positioning foundation of the entire robot. This platform adopts a robust gantry frame structure, spanning the modular building production line. The X-axis ground rail sliding module serves as the main load-bearing track, directly fixed to the workshop floor, with its guiding direction perfectly parallel to the conveyor direction of the production line. This allows the entire gantry-type high-precision mobile platform to perform large-scale, smooth tracking or reverse movement along the length of the production line, ensuring that the robot's working range continuously covers the base plate of the moving module. The Y-axis sliding module, mounted on the gantry beam, is perpendicular to the production line direction and is responsible for precise positioning within the width of the module base plate. Through the coordinated control of the X-axis and Y-axis modules, the robot defines a precisely accessible two-dimensional working plane beneath it, aligned in real-time with the moving module base plate. This design fundamentally solves the core contradiction of performing static precision work on moving targets on a continuously flowing production line, and is a prerequisite for achieving online, dynamic tiling.

[0065] In addition, the dual actuators mounted on the gantry-type high-precision moving platform, with the laying robot arm and the fabric-making robot arm as independent functional units, are installed in parallel on the same Y-axis sliding module. Under the control of the collaborative planning and control mechanism, the two arms can quickly and independently position themselves in the Y-axis direction, flexibly adopting a "one in front and one behind" follow-up parallel assembly line operation or a "one on the left and one on the right" partitioned synchronous operation mode. This minimizes the waiting time between processes and improves the overall work cycle while avoiding physical interference.

[0066] Further, see Figure 3 The paving robot arm is equipped with a gripping module at its end;

[0067] The gripping module includes a vacuum suction cup and a vibration leveling mechanism; the vacuum suction cup is used to adsorb the floor tiles, and the vibration leveling mechanism includes a vibration motor and a laser sensor that are linked together. The laser sensor continuously monitors the height of the floor tiles during the laying process, and the vibration motor performs high-frequency micro-vibration based on the data from the laser sensor to ensure that the floor tiles are flat and adhered to the base plate.

[0068] In the specific implementation process, the collaborative planning and control mechanism can receive the height data collected by the laser sensor in real time, compare this height data with the preset flatness target value, calculate the action command required for leveling, and send the action command to the vibration motor. Upon receiving the command, the vibration motor drives the entire gripping module to perform high-frequency, low-amplitude vibration, so that the brick surface height reaches the perfect flatness range set by the process.

[0069] The aforementioned intelligent vibration can make the bonding material under the floor tiles flow more evenly and compact, while also assisting the floor tiles to "float" and adjust within a small range, thereby effectively eliminating hollow areas and ensuring that the floor tiles and the base plate achieve extremely high flatness requirements. This is a level of quality control that is difficult to achieve with traditional manual laying or simple pressing processes.

[0070] like Figure 4 As shown, the fabric robotic arm includes a fabric tube, a glue scraping mechanism, and a laser rangefinder sensor;

[0071] The fabric tube is connected to the slurry supply unit. The scraping mechanism is a toothed scraper located at the front end of the fabric tube and moves synchronously with the fabric tube to scrape the material flat after fabrication. The laser rangefinder is integrated on the fabrication robot arm and continuously scans the ground height during the fabrication process to monitor the fabric thickness in real time.

[0072] Specifically, as the fabric tube moves at a constant speed and ejects strip-shaped or sheet-like material, a toothed scraper follows closely behind, smoothing the material with constant pressure and angle. The shape and depth of the toothed blades determine the basic texture and thickness of the adhesive layer, which is beneficial for achieving better air release and adhesion during subsequent installation. Furthermore, a laser rangefinder continuously scans the surface height of the coated surface and sends it to the collaborative planning and control mechanism. After obtaining the surface height, the mechanism compares it with a preset thickness model to instantly determine whether the fabric thickness is uniform, whether there is insufficient material, or whether there is accumulation. Based on this, it issues relevant instructions to fine-tune the fabric speed or output, forming a real-time quality closed-loop control system. This ensures the flatness and consistency of the substrate from the source, laying a solid foundation for high-quality subsequent installation.

[0073] In addition, the slurry feeding unit in the feeding mechanism of this embodiment is a large-capacity storage tank with continuous stirring function, used to store pre-prepared slurry. The spiral agitator inside the tank operates continuously at low speed to prevent material sedimentation and segregation, ensuring its uniformity and working performance. The storage tank is connected to the distribution pipe through a precision pumping system to stably deliver the slurry to the distribution robot arm. This precision pumping system can adjust the output per unit time in real time and accurately according to the instructions issued by the collaborative planning and control mechanism to ensure that the thickness of the coated adhesive layer is uniform.

[0074] In summary, the tile laying robot in this embodiment uses a three-in-one architecture of "gantry-type high-precision mobile platform + dual actuators + material feeding mechanism" to jointly construct a physical execution platform that combines large-area spatial accessibility, high-precision positioning capability and stable material supply.

[0075] The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot in this embodiment also includes a collaborative planning and control mechanism.

[0076] The collaborative planning and control mechanism is communicatively connected to the gantry-type high-precision moving platform, the dual actuators, and the feeding mechanism. The collaborative planning and control mechanism is configured as follows:

[0077] Receive the tile layout data and process parameters corresponding to the base plate to be laid; make mode decisions based on the tile layout data and process parameters, and dynamically select the sequential operation mode or the collaborative parallel operation mode;

[0078] Based on the selected operation mode, a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions containing timestamps is generated for the cloth-laying robot arm and the tiling robot arm; according to the sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions, the gantry high-precision moving platform and the dual actuators are controlled to perform operations to complete the automatic tiling of floor tiles on the moving base plate.

[0079] In other words, see Figure 2 The collaborative planning and control mechanisms include:

[0080] The mode decision unit has a built-in conflict risk assessment model, which is used to obtain the conflict risk results of sequential operation mode and collaborative operation mode based on the tile layout data and process parameters, and dynamically select the operation mode based on the conflict risk results.

[0081] The mode decision unit is specifically used for:

[0082] Divide the information to be tiled into several sub-areas;

[0083] For each sub-area of ​​operation, based on the tile layout data and process parameters within that sub-area, the conflict risk value of collaborative parallel operations is obtained;

[0084] If the conflict risk value of all sub-regions is lower than the preset threshold, the collaborative parallel operation mode is selected; if the conflict risk value of any sub-region is higher than the preset threshold, the sequential operation mode is used for that sub-region, and the collaborative parallel operation mode is used for the remaining sub-regions.

[0085] Specifically, based on the tile layout data and process parameters within this sub-region, the conflict risk value for collaborative parallel operations is obtained, including:

[0086] Based on the tile layout data, obtain the material placement path of the material placement robot arm and the gripping-laying path of the tiling robot arm in the sequential operation mode;

[0087] The minimum distance between two paths in the three-dimensional workspace is obtained. When the minimum distance is less than a preset safety threshold, the corresponding path segment is determined to have an overlap risk. The path overlap probability is calculated based on the ratio of the total length of the path segment with overlap risk to the total length of the two paths.

[0088] The conflict risk value is obtained by combining the path overlap probability with a compensation factor that is negatively correlated with the initial setting time of the current bonding material in the process parameters and calculating it by weighting.

[0089] The conflict risk assessment model built into the mode decision unit can be illustrated through a specific work scenario. Assume a defined rectangular work sub-area B is being processed, where six standard floor tiles need to be laid according to a 2x3 grid. The model first simulates and generates, in virtual 3D space, a continuous "bow"-shaped material-laying path for the robotic arm and a gripping-laying path for the laying robotic arm from picking up tiles to laying them at the six positions. Then, the model performs high-precision spatiotemporal collision detection on these two paths, calculating the minimum spatial interval between them at all time points. When the minimum interval between a segment of the path (e.g., the aerial trajectory of the laying arm as it travels to its first target point) and a segment of the material-laying arm's work path is detected to be only 0.3 meters, lower than the system's preset safety threshold of 0.5 meters, it is determined that there is a risk of spatial overlap in that path segment.

[0090] The model then quantifies this risk. It calculates the proportion of the total length of the path segment with overlapping risk (e.g., 1.2 meters) to the total length of the two paths (e.g., 15 meters), arriving at an 8% probability of path overlap. This probability is then combined with a time compensation factor reflecting the urgency of the process. This compensation factor is negatively correlated with the current initial setting time of the binder material (e.g., 20 minutes); the shorter the initial setting time, the smaller the workable window for the material, and the greater the time pressure of parallel operation of the two arms, resulting in a larger factor value (e.g., calculated as 0.5). Finally, the model performs a comprehensive calculation using a pre-set weighted formula (e.g., assigning 70% weight to the spatial overlap factor and 30% weight to the time pressure factor) to arrive at a quantified conflict risk value (0.206 in this example). By comparing this value with a preset safety threshold (e.g., 0.2), the model can make an accurate decision: since 0.206 > 0.2, the risk of using collaborative parallel operation in sub-region B is deemed too high. Therefore, the decision is made to adopt a sequential operation mode for this region (i.e., the laying arm enters only after the laying arm has completely withdrawn). For other sub-regions with risk values ​​below the threshold, the efficient collaborative parallel mode is still used. This process achieves a closed loop from physical data to risk values, and then to intelligent decision-making, ensuring a dynamic optimal balance between operational safety and efficiency.

[0091] The collaborative planning and control mechanism in this embodiment also includes:

[0092] The path planning unit is used to generate a material laying path for the material laying robot arm and a gripping-laying path for the laying robot arm according to the selected operation mode, and to generate a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions containing timestamps.

[0093] The path planning unit includes:

[0094] The path knowledge base is used to store standard operation path templates that are pre-optimized based on process parameters;

[0095] An instruction sequence compiler is used to compile selected path templates into a sequence of instructions for two-arm cooperative operations that includes timestamps and synchronization instructions;

[0096] The path planning unit is configured as follows:

[0097] The current tile layout data of the base plate to be laid is matched with the standard templates in the path knowledge base to select the basic material laying path template and the basic paving path template. According to the selected operation mode, the two paths are decomposed into discrete step instructions with millisecond-level timestamps by the instruction sequence compiler, and synchronization instructions are inserted for the two paths at key operation nodes to generate the dual-arm collaborative operation instruction sequence.

[0098] The path planning unit in this embodiment is the core intelligent hub in the collaborative planning and control mechanism that transforms "task plans" into "executable actions".

[0099] Specifically, the path planning unit's path knowledge base stores standard operating path templates optimized through extensive process testing and simulation. These templates are sets of optimal motion trajectory data pre-calculated and verified for different typical tiling scenarios (such as full-coverage straight lines, herringbone patterns, diamond patterns, etc.), different brick types, and different process parameters (such as the rheology of the adhesive material and the thickness of the trowel). Each template defines an efficient, smooth, and process-compliant ideal path. For example, the material placement template specifies the optimal moving speed, trowel flow rate, and trowel angle matching during trowel application; the tiling template defines the standard action sequence for picking up, moving, pressing, and vibrating the brick. This is equivalent to providing the robot with a verified "standard operating procedure."

[0100] When a new tiling task is received, the path planning unit first initiates an intelligent matching process. It compares and matches the current tile layout data (including grout lines, starting points, and other features) with a vast database of templates in the path knowledge base. For example, if the current layout is identified as an I-shape, it automatically calls the corresponding I-shape full-lay standard template as the basic tile placement path template and the basic tiling path template. These basic templates provide an optimized macro-path framework for this task.

[0101] However, the base templates are static, while the actual tasks are dynamic and require coordination. At this point, the instruction sequence compiler begins its work, compiling the two base templates based on the task mode selected by the mode decision unit. Its core operation involves two steps:

[0102] Timestamp injection and instruction discretization: The compiler decomposes the continuous path curve into a series of discrete, high-frequency (millisecond-level) path points and assigns a precise absolute timestamp to each point and each action (such as the start of glue dispensing, suction cup activation, and vibration initiation). This unifies all actions onto a precise timeline.

[0103] Synchronization Instruction Insertion: In collaborative parallel operation mode, to ensure perfect temporal and spatial coordination between the two arms and avoid interference, the compiler automatically inserts hard synchronization instructions at critical operation nodes. For example, at the millisecond moment when the laying arm is about to place the tile in a certain position, the compiler will insert a synchronization lock in the instruction sequence of the laying arm to wait for the laying arm to complete its positioning; or, when the laying arm is about to enter a shared workspace, the compiler will insert a synchronization instruction for the laying arm to pause its movement and avoid a collision.

[0104] Ultimately, the path planning unit outputs a complete sequence of instructions for collaborative dual-arm operation, complete with millisecond-level timestamps and synchronization points. This sequence not only includes the motion details of each joint of each robotic arm but also defines the strict collaborative timing relationships between them. It is directly sent to the underlying controllers of the gantry-type high-precision mobile platform and the dual actuators for execution, thereby transforming efficient templates and intelligent mode decisions into precise, smooth, and safe collaborative operation actions on site.

[0105] Furthermore, the collaborative planning and control mechanism in this embodiment also includes an execution coordination unit, which is used to decompose the dual-arm collaborative operation instruction sequence into synchronous instructions and send them to the gantry high-precision moving platform, the paving robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm respectively, so as to control the gantry high-precision moving platform, the paving robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm to perform operations.

[0106] Specifically, the execution coordination unit internally includes an instruction decoder, a timing synchronizer, and a multi-channel motion controller. Its workflow is as follows:

[0107] First, the instruction decoder receives and parses a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions with millisecond-level timestamps from the path planning unit. This sequence is a comprehensive dataset integrating events, actions, positions, and absolute times. The decoder decouples these instructions, identifying which instructions belong to the gantry high-precision moving platform, which to the laying robot arm, and which to the fabric-laying robot arm, as well as the synchronization logic relationships between the instructions (such as "wait," "trigger," and "parallel start").

[0108] Next, the timing synchronizer assigns a unified and strict time reference to all decomposed sub-instructions. For example, for a coordinated instruction that requires "at T=12500ms, the tiling arm to place the floor tile and the cloth-laying arm to start scraping the next area at the same time", the timing synchronizer will accurately calculate and send the action instructions triggered at absolute time T=12500ms to the controllers of the two robotic arms respectively, ensuring that the two actions are perfectly aligned in physical time.

[0109] Finally, the multi-channel motion controller sends the time-synchronized discrete stepping commands to the gantry high-precision moving platform, the laying robot arm, and the fabric-laying robot arm in real time and synchronously via a high-speed fieldbus (such as EtherCAT), enabling the gantry high-precision moving platform, the laying robot arm, and the fabric-laying robot arm to perform their operations.

[0110] The collaborative planning and control mechanism in this embodiment integrates intelligent decision-making, path planning, and real-time coordination to achieve global optimization and precise control of the tiling operation, thus building a solid defense for the safe and stable operation of the robot. As a result, it realizes high-efficiency, high-quality, high-flexibility, and high-reliability automated tiling operation in the modular building production line.

[0111] Furthermore, the collaborative planning and control mechanism is also configured as follows:

[0112] A dynamic working coordinate system is established with the Y-axis sliding module of the gantry high-precision moving platform as the moving base;

[0113] Under the dynamic operation coordinate system, motion compensation calculations are performed on the dual-arm collaborative operation command sequence of the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm according to the real-time conveying speed of the production line, so that the dual actuators remain stationary relative to the moving base plate.

[0114] In the specific implementation process, the tile laying robot in this embodiment also includes:

[0115] Security monitoring module;

[0116] The safety monitoring module includes a lidar and a pressure sensor to detect abnormal motion trajectories or collision risks of the dual actuators in real time.

[0117] When a risk is detected, an emergency stop command is automatically triggered, and an event log is recorded for subsequent analysis.

[0118] In the specific implementation process, the tile laying robot of this embodiment also includes a post-detection module, which is installed at the rear end of the gantry-type high-precision moving platform (i.e., downstream of the laying operation area). The post-detection module includes a line laser profilometer or an ultrasonic probe. After the tiles have been vibrated and laid and moved a preset distance with the assembly line, the post-detection module immediately performs a flatness retest and a hollow rate scan on the newly laid tile surface. The detection data is uploaded to the collaborative planning and control mechanism in real time. If slight unevenness or hollowness is found at the corners of the module tiles, and the adhesive material has not yet initially set, the coordinates of the tile are immediately recorded, and the laying robot arm is instructed to quickly return for secondary fixed-point pressure replenishment or local micro-vibration repair, realizing "detection and repair" and preventing unqualified products from flowing into the next process.

[0119] For example, on a modular building production line, the post-inspection module of a tile-laying robot successfully implemented a typical "detect and repair" closed-loop quality control. Assume the production line is running at a constant speed of 0.5 meters per minute, laying a 2.4m x 1.2m monolithic base plate. After the laying robot arm completes the vibration laying of tile number B3C5 at 10:00:00 AM, the tile moves downstream with the production line. Approximately 90 seconds later, when the tile reaches the scanning area of ​​the post-inspection module located 0.8 meters downstream of the work area, the collaborative planning and control mechanism triggers a laser profilometer based on feedback from the production line encoder. The laser profilometer collects cross-sectional data of the tile surface at a frequency of 5000 times per second, generating a high-precision profile. Real-time comparison by the collaborative planning and control mechanism reveals a tiny 0.8mm protrusion in the lower right corner of the tile, and the laser reflection signal attenuation characteristics highly match the hollow feature library, assessing the hollow risk probability at 85%, exceeding the 0.5mm flatness tolerance standard. The system immediately recorded the defect coordinates and checked the time window—only 1 minute and 30 seconds had passed since the tiling was completed, far less than the 15-minute initial setting time of the adhesive material, indicating that repair was possible. The collaborative planning and control mechanism immediately interrupted the normal operation sequence of the tiling arm and inserted a high-priority repair task. The tiling arm re-grabbed a spare brick of the same model (or used a dedicated pressure head), calculated the precise position of the current B3C5 brick during movement based on the dynamic coordinate system transformation, and planned a collision-free path. After the laying robotic arm actively avoided the collision, the end of the tiling robotic arm precisely positioned itself to the defect area, applied 300N pressure, and initiated local high-frequency micro-vibration for 2 seconds, causing the brick surface to sink 0.8 mm to the design elevation. After repair, the post-inspection module scanned again to confirm that the flatness deviation had decreased to within 0.1 mm and the hollow features had disappeared. The system recorded the repair event in the quality traceability log. The entire repair process took only 20 seconds, without causing production line downtime, effectively preventing defective products from flowing into the next process, and fully demonstrating the intelligent quality assurance capabilities brought about by the deep integration of the post-inspection module and the collaborative planning and control mechanism.

[0120] This embodiment presents a modular integrated building unit tile laying robot. By integrating a gantry-type high-precision moving platform, dual actuators, a feeding mechanism, and a collaborative planning and control mechanism, it constructs a complete intelligent tile laying solution. Its core advantage lies in its innovative realization of high-precision, fully automated tile laying operations on a continuously moving production line, upgrading the traditional discrete, manual-dependent model to an efficient and flexible intelligent manufacturing process. The robot intelligently allocates tasks and coordinates the spatiotemporal movements of the dual actuators through the collaborative planning and control mechanism. Combined with a dynamic work coordinate system and motion compensation algorithms, it effectively overcomes production line motion interference, thereby significantly improving production efficiency and equipment utilization while ensuring millimeter-level precision in tile laying quality. Furthermore, its intelligent decision-making and adaptive capabilities based on real-time data and preset processes significantly enhance the system's adaptability to different layouts and production rhythms. While improving operational safety and reliability, it provides key equipment support for the industrialization, standardization, and high-quality production of modular buildings, powerfully promoting the intelligent transformation and upgrading of the construction industry.

[0121] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0122] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0123] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that they are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0124] In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0125] Although embodiments of this application have been shown and described above, it is understood that the above embodiments are exemplary and should not be construed as limiting this application. Those skilled in the art can make modifications, alterations, substitutions and variations to the above embodiments within the scope of this application.

Claims

1. A modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot, characterized in that, The tile-laying robot, installed on a modular building production line, is used to automatically lay floor tiles on modular building units conveyed on the line. The tile-laying robot includes: Gantry-type high-precision moving platform, dual actuators, feeding mechanism, and collaborative planning and control mechanism; The gantry-type high-precision moving platform spans the production line; the dual actuators include a paving robot arm and a cloth-laying robot arm independently mounted on the gantry-type high-precision moving platform; the feeding mechanism is connected to the dual actuators and includes a slurry feeding unit for supplying adhesive material and a tile placement rack for storing floor tiles; The collaborative planning and control mechanism is communicatively connected to the gantry-type high-precision moving platform, the dual actuators, and the feeding mechanism. The collaborative planning and control mechanism is configured as follows: Receive the tile layout data and process parameters corresponding to the base plate to be laid; make mode decisions based on the tile layout data and process parameters, and dynamically select the sequential operation mode or the collaborative parallel operation mode; Based on the selected operation mode, a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions containing timestamps is generated for the cloth-laying robot arm and the tiling robot arm; according to the sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions, the gantry high-precision moving platform and the dual actuators are controlled to perform operations to complete the automatic tiling of floor tiles on the moving base plate.

2. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gantry-type high-precision moving platform includes an X-axis ground rail sliding module and a Y-axis sliding module that are orthogonally arranged to each other; The X-axis ground rail sliding module is arranged along the conveyor direction of the production line, and the Y-axis sliding module is arranged perpendicular to the conveyor direction of the production line.

3. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the paving robot arm is equipped with a gripping module; The gripping module includes a vacuum suction cup and a vibration leveling mechanism; the vacuum suction cup is used to adsorb the floor tiles, and the vibration leveling mechanism includes a vibration motor and a laser sensor that are linked together. The laser sensor continuously monitors the height of the floor tiles during the laying process, and the vibration motor performs high-frequency micro-vibration based on the data from the laser sensor to ensure that the floor tiles are flat and adhered to the base plate.

4. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fabric robotic arm includes a fabric tube, a glue scraping mechanism, and a laser rangefinder sensor; The fabric tube is connected to the slurry supply unit. The scraping mechanism is a toothed scraper located at the front end of the fabric tube and moves synchronously with the fabric tube to scrape the material flat after fabrication. The laser rangefinder is integrated on the fabrication robot arm and continuously scans the ground height during the fabrication process to monitor the fabric thickness in real time.

5. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collaborative planning and control mechanism includes: The mode decision unit has a built-in conflict risk assessment model, which is used to obtain the conflict risk results of sequential operation mode and collaborative operation mode based on the tile layout data and process parameters, and dynamically select the operation mode based on the conflict risk results. The path planning unit is used to generate a material laying path for the material laying robot arm and a gripping-laying path for the laying robot arm according to the selected operation mode, and to generate a sequence of dual-arm collaborative operation instructions containing timestamps. The execution coordination unit is used to decompose the dual-arm collaborative operation instruction sequence into synchronous instructions and send them to the gantry high-precision moving platform, the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm respectively, so as to control the gantry high-precision moving platform, the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm to perform operations.

6. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The mode decision unit is specifically used for: Divide the baseboard to be laid into several sub-areas; For each sub-area of ​​operation, based on the tile layout data and process parameters within that sub-area, the conflict risk value of collaborative parallel operations is obtained; If the conflict risk value of all sub-regions is lower than the preset threshold, the collaborative parallel operation mode is selected; if the conflict risk value of any sub-region is higher than the preset threshold, the sequential operation mode is used for that sub-region, and the collaborative parallel operation mode is used for the remaining sub-regions.

7. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The specific steps for obtaining the conflict risk value of collaborative parallel operations based on the tile layout data and process parameters within the sub-region include: Based on the tile layout data, obtain the material placement path of the material placement robot arm and the gripping-laying path of the tiling robot arm in the sequential operation mode; The minimum distance between two paths in the three-dimensional workspace is obtained. When the minimum distance is less than a preset safety threshold, the corresponding path segment is determined to have an overlap risk. The path overlap probability is calculated based on the ratio of the total length of the path segment with overlap risk to the total length of the two paths. The conflict risk value is obtained by combining the path overlap probability with a compensation factor that is negatively correlated with the initial setting time of the current bonding material in the process parameters and calculating it by weighting.

8. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 5, characterized in that, The path planning unit includes: The path knowledge base is used to store standard operation path templates that are pre-optimized based on process parameters; An instruction sequence compiler is used to compile selected path templates into a sequence of instructions for two-arm cooperative operations that includes timestamps and synchronization instructions; The path planning unit is configured as follows: The current tile layout data of the base plate to be laid is matched with the standard templates in the path knowledge base to select the basic material laying path template and the basic paving path template. According to the selected operation mode, the two paths are decomposed into discrete step instructions with millisecond-level timestamps by the instruction sequence compiler, and synchronization instructions are inserted for the two paths at key operation nodes to generate the dual-arm collaborative operation instruction sequence.

9. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The collaborative planning and control mechanism is also configured as follows: A dynamic working coordinate system is established with the Y-axis sliding module of the gantry high-precision moving platform as the moving base; Under the dynamic operation coordinate system, motion compensation calculations are performed on the dual-arm collaborative operation command sequence of the laying robot arm and the fabric-laying robot arm according to the real-time conveying speed of the production line, so that the dual actuators remain stationary relative to the moving base plate.

10. The modular integrated building unit floor tile laying robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tile-laying robot also includes: Security monitoring module; The safety monitoring module includes a lidar and a pressure sensor to detect abnormal motion trajectories or collision risks of the dual actuators in real time. When a risk is detected, an emergency stop command is automatically triggered, and an event log is recorded for subsequent analysis.

Images