Human-Robot Collaboration in Timber Construction
In recent years, timber has increasingly become an important building material in the construction industry. This is not only due to the fact that timber construction systems are most suitable for reaching future goals for resource and energy efficiency. In this context, timber construction is already characterized by a high degree of prefabrication. It allows for higher precision, as well as fast construction and low noise emission on site. However, many processes in prefabrication are still manual. While the production of single elements is already digitalized and automated (subtractive fabrication processes), the subsequent additive processes, when single parts are joined into building groups, is mostly done by hand.
The research project therefore aims at revealing new approaches to timber construction through human-robot collaboration. Ultimately, this will not only allow for a higher degree of automation, quality assurance and economical performance, but also innovative construction systems based on the synergies of human craft and robotic fabrication. New developments in the field of robotics now allow for direct collaboration and shared workspaces, and safe operations. In cooperation with industry partners these new potentials will be analysed, systemized, evaluated and prototyped.
PROJECT TEAM
ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction
Prof. A. Menges (PI)
Ondrej Kyjanek, Oliver David Krieg
ASSOCIATED PROJECT PARTNERS
Müllerblaustein Holzbau GmbH, Reinhold Müller
Kuka Roboter GmbH, Frank Zimmermann
PROJECT FUNDING
Forschungsinitiative Zukunft Bau, Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR)