NSF Award
2326159
Industrialized construction (IC) can address the pressing productivity and safety issues facing the construction industry by transferring many tasks to offsite manufacturing facilities that leverage the power of advanced robotic technologies. However, highly customizable building designs, the inherent variability in construction materials, and labor-intensive construction tasks complicate the integration of traditional craftwork and robotic automation. This research aims to address these challenges by introducing a revolutionary approach to human-robot collaboration, named Human-in-the-Lead Construction Robotics (HiLCR). The proposed HiLCR empowers craft workers to take the “lead” in industrialized tasks that require design-making or fine motor control, while leveraging the fundamental physical capacities of industrial robotic arms in a support role. HiLCR will ensure that advanced technologies and machines serve as tools that nourish the ingenuity of craft workers instead of suppressing it. This balanced approach of HiLCR will help future workers overcome the looming crisis of job loss to machines, one of the greatest workforce fears caused by the current trends in automating human-centric tasks. Furthermore, HiLCR can reduce potential physical barriers to entry into the construction industry by delegating manual work that requires certain physical abilities, such as hand dexterity and lifting of materials, to the robotic system.<br/><br/>The overarching goal of this research is to establish the technical and social foundations that promote efficient and well-balanced integration of HiLCR in IC. To achieve this goal, we have organized our efforts into two primary research streams: (1) the transformation of robotics-based automation in industrialized construction; and (2) the evaluation of craft worker need satisfaction and engagement in HiLCR. In the first research stream, we will analyze the product and production processes of panelized construction and develop an intuitive control system for HiLCR. The product analysis will utilize design-based parametric analysis of building designs and tolerance analysis of construction systems to develop an assembly-based database for panelized construction. The production analysis will then develop knowledge-based systems to front-load HiLCR with standardized manufacturing procedures. The technological development of the control system will incorporate force-based teleoperation, haptic feedback systems, and active command centers. The proposed ergonomic analysis will then identify areas where standardized manufacturing procedures can be revised to safely improve task completion time and team performance. In the second research stream, we will employ mixed-method research that combines qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis to re-evaluate the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other factors required for successful performance on craft work in HiLCR applications; identify task assignments associated with greater need satisfaction and engagement of craft workers; and develop curriculum to prepare new craft workers for working with and alongside robotic automation.<br/><br/>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
