Modular Bricklaying Control Using Reference Markers
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Solution Overview
Problem
The construction industry faces challenges with negative productivity growth, increased labor costs, and limited skilled masons, particularly in masonry work, due to the inefficiency and high cost of existing bricklaying robots that are often inflexible and require specific conditions, limiting their ability to operate effectively outdoors or alongside human workers.
Innovation Solution
A modular bricklaying system with a control system and work units that use digital representations of the building site and work units to accurately position and pose bricks, allowing for flexible movement without fixed guiding systems, enabling multiple work units to operate freely and efficiently, and integrating with existing workflows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a bricklaying robot is designed to operate autonomously in unstructured outdoor environments, then versatility and adaptability improve, but device complexity and cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into independent modular components: mobile robotic platforms, aerial drones for positioning, portable reference markers, and wireless communication modules. Each module can be independently deployed and configured based on specific construction needs, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic platforms are designed with universal capabilities to perform multiple masonry tasks including brick laying, mortar application, and material transport. The same platform can be reconfigured for different wall types and construction scenarios, eliminating the need for specialized equipment for each task.
2Measurement precision
If fixed guiding systems like rails are installed for bricklaying robots, then positioning precision improves, but setup time and loss of time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Reference markers are pre-deployed at strategic locations in the construction area before robot arrival. These markers establish the coordinate system in advance, enabling immediate positioning without requiring time-consuming installation of physical guides when the robot arrives.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical guiding systems (rails and physical guides) with an optical/digital positioning system using aerial drones and visual reference markers. This substitution eliminates the need for heavy mechanical installation while achieving comparable or superior positioning precision through wireless coordinate transmission.
3Ease of operation
If a bricklaying robot is designed to work alongside human masons, then ease of operation and collaboration improve, but safety hazards and object-generated harmful factors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic systems are designed with dynamic adaptability to adjust their behavior based on the presence and actions of human workers. The robots can pause, reposition, or modify their operation mode in response to human activity, enabling safe collaboration while maintaining operational efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Wireless communication modules and centralized control systems act as intermediaries between human operators and robotic units. This intermediary layer enables coordinated operation and real-time monitoring, allowing humans and robots to work together safely by mediating their interactions and preventing hazardous situations.
Data Source
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AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for automated bricklaying, in particular a method for controlling a modular bricklaying system. The modular bricklaying system comprises a control system and one or more work units selected from a collection of work units. The method comprises receiving or determining a digital representation of a building site and determining, in the digital representation of the building site, one or more reference markers in a coordinate system associated with the building site. The reference markers keep the same position relative to the building site during the building process. The method further comprises receiving or determining digital representations of each of the one or more work units, a building plan defining a target position for each of a plurality of bricks and a laying order for laying the plurality of bricks, and an initial position for at least part of the plurality of bricks. The method further comprises receiving position and pose information from one of the one or more work units, relative to the reference markers or to the building site, and updating the digital representation of the respective work unit and the building site based on the received position and pose information. The method further comprises transmitting, by the control system, commands to the one or more work units, the commands configuring the one or more work units to apply mortar and pick and lay bricks, wherein the commands are based on the digital representation of the building site, the digital representations of the respective work units, the initial position of the at least part of the plurality of bricks, and the building plan.