Construction Robot Fleet Management System Prototype

Abstract

The application of robotic equipment to the execution of construction tasks is gaining attention by researchers and practitioners around the world. A number of working prototype systems have been developed by construction companies or system manufacturers, and implemented on construction job sites. Several Japanese construction firms have already developed their own fleet of construction robots. This paper describes a HyperCard™ prototype of the construction robotic equipment management system (CREMS), developed as a response to the need to effectively manage diverse robots on future construction sites. Modules comprising the system and their initial implementation within the CREMS prototype are presented. An example consultation with the system is provided. Ongoing system developments and embellishments are also outlined. The utility of this system lies in optimizing the robot performance of work tasks on as many construction projects in a contractor's portfolio as feasible. Thus, economic benefits of robot use can be achieved more easily. Thus, robot development costs can be recovered faster, and robot use can be distributed over more applications and types of construction tasks.