Towards a new BIM 'Dimension' - Translating BIM Data into Actual Construction using Robotics

摘要

There is a heavy reliance on the skill set of human workers on a building construction site. Most building structures are compromised by human error due to the following partial list of factors such as inadequate training, non-availability of the proper toolset, inaccurate measurement systems, incomplete data, incorrect interpretation of input based on 2D data and/or written documentation, improper construction scheduling, the vagaries of climate, and worker fatigue. The manufacturing industry has overcome many of the limitations due to the above factors by increasingly investing in some form of automated processing of information, including the employment of robotics, to directly output a part, or a sum of parts. This concept paper investigates some of the directions that the construction industry can take in emulating the manufacturing industry [1][2]. Some real world examples of attempts at automating construction tasks are examined. One promising vision of the future is to translate BIM (Building Information Modelling) data into actual construction by the further use of technology, i.e., by programming construction robots to interpret metadata associated with a BIM file (with or without human assistance or oversight) and carry out the necessary construction tasks at acceptable precisions and adherence to specifications as recorded in the BIM file.