Design and development of commercial construction robotic system for waterproofing & insulation composite panel construction scenarios

Abstract

Construction robots have been researched and explored or commercially tried in numerous construction processes such as facade painting, but few have achieved widespread commercial application. Waterproofing and insulation composite panel construction, related to building structural safety and energy consumption, is also plagued by rising labor costs, uncontrollable construction quality, and low efficiency, while research into construction robotics related to this issue is minimal. Thus, this paper explores and investigates the feasibility of developing a commercial robotic construction system for the waterproofing and insulation composite panel construction scenario. By analyzing the factors influencing construction robot procurement, existing construction processes, stakeholders, market demand, and feedback from interviews with contractor companies, the author developed two generations of prototypes for construction site testing. The test results and market feedback of the commercial grade prototypes confirm the feasibility of the commercial robotic construction system for waterproofing and insulation composite panel construction scenarios and provide a research case study of a commercial construction robot in the examined field that includes both theoretical analysis and commercial purchasing decision reference.

Date of Award	2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Supervisor	Zexiang LI (Supervisor) & Jishan HU (Supervisor)