Flying Robot Technology (Drone) Trends: A Review in the Building and Construction Industry

Takva, Çağatay; İlerisoy, Zeynep Yeşim

doi:10.2478/acee-2023-0004

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Industry 4.0 sub-headings and application areas [15]

Machines used in robotic architecture (by the authors, based on [19-22])

Categorization of different types of drones [37]

Possible solutions of multicopter drone frame constructions (by the authors, based on [46])

Classification of drones (by the authors, based on [14], [53-55])

Components that make up the drone (by the authors, based on [59-62])

Timeline of military and civilian applications of drones in chronological order [58]

UAV mission areas according to NASA (by the authors)

Categorization of potential application areas of drones (by the authors)

Parameters and properties associated with robotic vehicles in building and construction production (by the authors, based on [94])

Display of flying robots in a chronological timeline in the context of studies used in architecture (by the authors)

(a) Quadrotors used in experiments [99], (b) order of placement of magnetic rectangular parts [98], and (c) assembly and stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

(a) Quadrotor used in experiments [101], (b) transportation and placement of polyurethane foam modules [100], and (c) shaping architectural design [100] stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

(a) Quadrotor used in experiments [104], (b) the direction and trajectory of the ropes [91], and (c) obtaining a flat surface with ropes [104] shaping architectural design [100] stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

(a) Quadrotors used in experiments [35], (b) creation of space frame structure system [35], and (c) scheme of simultaneous construction of different quadrotors [35] with ropes [104] shaping architectural design [100] stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

(a) Quadrotors and ropes used in the experiments [35], (b) carrying out the process of knitting with ropes between two constructions [105], and (c) testing the bridge as a result of digital fabrication [35] ous construction of different quadrotors [35] with ropes [104] shaping architectural design [100] stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

(a) Quadrotor used in experiments [108], (b) Digital fabrication with drone between two robotic arms [107], and (c) exhibiting the structure as a result of digital fabrication [108] structions [105], and (c) testing the bridge as a result of digital fabrication [35] ous construction of different quadrotors [35] with ropes [104] shaping architectural design [100] stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

(a) Quadrotor used in experiments [109], (b) bottom view of canopy element [109], and (c) obtaining the canopy as a result of digital fabrication [109]ing the structure as a result of digital fabrication [108] structions [105], and (c) testing the bridge as a result of digital fabrication [35] ous construction of different quadrotors [35] with ropes [104] shaping architectural design [100] stacking of structures such as towers and castles [98]

The evolution of the AEC industry in flying robots from past to present (by the authors, based on [35-36])

Helicopters took part in the construction by providing ease of use with their maneuverability and load capacity. These flying robots are mostly used on construction sites where other construction machinery cannot be installed, and access is difficult. Helicopters acted as aerial cranes to transport construction and insulation materials. Buildings such as the Futuro House or the Kugelhaus are specifically designed for air delivery. Fabrication was carried out off-site and made ready for use, small and light designs could be made with this method.

Another task of helicopters in the construction industry is transportation. It is engaged in the transportation of raw building materials (such as concrete or wood) or pre-assembled building components. Another application for helicopters is cable assembly. In this application, which has a wider scope apart from the crane feature, helicopters are used to connect the cables between the bridge poles. Environmental conditions have been taken into account for this application because it is a difficult technique that can cause fatal accidents.

Materials can be transported with the high lifting capacities of lighter-than-air machines. As an example, CycloCrane is a hybrid airship developed for heavy lift operations. It features aerostatic lift, aerodynamic lift, and propulsion, holding multiple objects in the air for hours at a time. Another concept is the CargoLifter project. This project has used stretched, unmanned helium balloons to lift payloads. The position of the load, depending on the position of the balloon, was controlled by adjusting the length of the three tension members.

Rockets have been used as a construction technique to connect the rope links of the Puli suspension bridge in China, which spans a 500 meter-deep valley. An assembling method with rockets has been developed for the 1300 meter-long ropes between the two ends. Drones were deployed in the area of 1000 meters at the Yansigang bridge in China, where helicopters could not be used.

Categorization of the studies by looking at the building production characteristics (by the authors)

Application	Gripper	Software	References
Project 1Constructing cubic structures such as pyramids, walls, towers, and castles with rod elements	A single degree of freedom gripper made of acrylic actuated by a servo motor with a layer of foam to facilitate grasping	Special Cubic Structures construction algorithm and Wavefront Raster (WFR) Algorithm, VICON motion tracking system, and Robot Operating System (ROS)-MATLAB bridge	[94], [98], [99], [110], [111]
Project 2Prototype of a high-rise building based on the principles of balance and stabilization of 1500 polystyrene brick elements	Ingressive grippers. The gripper consists of three metal pins, each actuated by a single servo. The servos and pins are mounted to a three-dimensional, printed rigid gripper base, arranged in a circle with 120° of separation	A network of intercommunicating computer programs using Python, Rhino, a real-time camera system, and a motion capture system	[94], [100], [103], [112]
Project 3Creation of tensile structures in the architectural construction production process with the help of durable ropes	A passive roller to deploy the Dyneema rope	Force control system, an algorithm (specified by heading, position, velocity, and acceleration), and motion capture system	[91], [104], [113], [114]
Project 4Realization of structure production based on the basic principles of space frame structures with rod elements	Styrofoam balls (granular filling material contained in a balloon membrane)	Force control system and ROS	[35], [103]
Project 5Making a bridge design with polyethylene ropes according to the knots and connection points of the ropes	Custom 3–4 mm Dyneema rope dispensers mounted in the centre	Rhinoceros 3D - Grasshopper, computational simulation techniques (physics engines), Autodesk Maya, Parallel Tracking and Mapping (PTAM), and ROS	[35], [105], [115], [116]
Project 6Creation of cantilever structure with fiber composite fabric material between two robotic arms with drone	Hydraulic gripper for gripping the winding effector of carbon fibre-reinforced composite material	ROS and a custom-developed web interface	[107], [108], [117], [118]
Project 7Obtaining a roof canopy by combining modular carbon fiber framed units with a polyhedron shape	The gripper, the locomotion body, and the localization system are attached to each other via dampening springs. The gripper uses hooks to attach to each unit	PID control (proportional-integral-derivative control) system, ROS, and a set of Web Applications over WebSocket protocol	[109], [119], [120]

Flying Robot Technology (Drone) Trends: A Review in the Building and Construction Industry

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The evolution of the AEC industry in flying robots from past to present (by the authors, based on [35-36])

Categorization of the studies by looking at the building production characteristics (by the authors)

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