Following on from my recent talk at UDIA Brisbane I want to share with you some of my findings from the research that I have recently carried out.
American based engineering company Trimble has been using robotics for a few years now to help contractors layout tasks on site using lasers driven by modeling information. This technology has unparalleled accuracy is designed specifically for concrete, MEP and general construction contractors. The Trimble RTS Series Robotic Total Stations ensure maximum flexibility and cost savings by performing all site layout and measurement tasks through single person operation. This is bringing the need for robust data within the model map to the forefront of the design process so that we can all benefit from the efficiencies that it brings.
ETH Zurich & ROB Technologies are also bringing robotics on site with pinpoint accuracy. Check out this robot brick layer in the short video below which is driven by parametric information to introduce different levels of quality to our design and build processes. This robot lays each individual brick at a different angle to the others – it’s not that this robot can do tasks efficiently, it’s that it can perform these tasks to a level of accuracy that we’ve never seen before. When we apply this technology it allows us to introduce elements of design that we never thought were possible – superior levels of quality.
Video Here: https://vimeo.com/52955424
A really good example of technology improving construction design is on a recent project I worked on with Arkhefield and their Principle, Andrew Gutteridge. When you consider the structural steel on this project, specifically the 18 meter cantilever seen below, it would have never been achieved without the technology that was used.
You can see that there is a clear relation between the model and actual build.
Similarly, Behrokh Khoshnevis of Contour Crafting is combining two technologies; 3D printing and robotics, to achieve design and construction projects that were previously thought of as impossible. In the past 3D printing for construction has mainly been done for components, now Behrokh is asking the question “why can’t I print a whole building?”. View his presentation below
(Tip: skip to 4 minutes 30 seconds to see it in action).
Video Here: http://youtu.be/JdbJP8Gxqog?t=4m30s&w=512&h=308
The key point is that all of these technologies need the input of 3D information for them to work. There are dozens of examples like these and each one relies on the input of a model in the first instance. When you stay in a 2D space you’re limiting your opportunities for the future.