{"id":598739,"date":"2023-11-23T18:25:37","date_gmt":"2023-11-23T15:25:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/this-robotic-digger-could-construct-the-buildings-of-the-future\/"},"modified":"2023-11-23T18:25:37","modified_gmt":"2023-11-23T15:25:37","slug":"this-robotic-digger-could-construct-the-buildings-of-the-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/this-robotic-digger-could-construct-the-buildings-of-the-future\/","title":{"rendered":"#This robotic digger could construct the buildings of the future"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n Construction is a tough job, and in Europe there is a chronic shortage of workers to build the homes, schools, and roads we use every single day. So why not get a robot to do the hard work so we don\u2019t have to?<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what researchers at ETH Zurich\u2019s Robotic Systems Lab in Switzerland are working on. They\u2019ve trained an autonomous excavator to construct stone walls using boulders weighing several tonnes \u2014 without any human interference. In the machine\u2019s first assignment, it built a six metre-\u200bhigh and 65 metre-long loading bearing wall. If scaled, the solution could to pave the way for faster, more sustainable construction.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Using <\/span>LiDAR <\/span>sensors, the excavator autonomously draws a 3D map of the construction site and identifies existing building blocks and stones for the wall. Specifically designed tools and machine vision (the ability of a computer to see) enable the excavator to scan and grab large stones in its immedia<\/a>te environment. It can also register their app<\/a>roximate weight as well as their centre of gravity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An algorithm then determines the best position for each stone, and the excavator places each piece in the desired location to within a centimetre of accuracy. The autonomous machine can place 20 to 30 stones in a single consignment \u2013 about as many as one delivery could supply.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"researcher
<\/a>The researchers designed digital blueprints for the robotic digger to follow. Credit: ETH Zurich<\/figcaption>