Flying robots as construction machines of the future
The construction industry is opening up new dimensions with autonomous flying robots. In future, drones could process building materials in hard-to-reach areas with precision, flexibility and scalability. An innovation with great potential for disaster prevention, repairs and the urban development of tomorrow.
While heavy, ground-based robotic systems have long since found their way onto construction sites, they quickly reach their limits in rough terrain or at great heights. An international research team led by Empa and EPFL is now investigating how flying robots can close these gaps. Their vision is of mobile, flexible and autonomous construction drones that transport materials, erect structures and supplement conventional machines in a targeted manner. For example, for repairs to high-rise facades or in the aftermath of natural disasters.
Flexibility and precision from the air
Current research is focusing on the development of so-called “aerial additive manufacturing” technologies. Three concepts are being pursued: construction with modular components, the tensioning of tensile structures and the layer-by-layer application of building materials. Initial tests at Empa’s “DroneHub” show how swarms of drones could take on construction tasks together. There are a number of advantages, such as no fixed construction site, shorter transportation routes, reduced material losses and increased safety on the construction site.
Interplay between robotics, materials and design
Several disciplines need to work together for the use of construction drones to become a reality. Robust and lightweight construction materials are just as crucial as intelligent construction designs that are adapted to the limited precision of drones. At the same time, the technology requires advances in flight autonomy. The spectrum of future capabilities ranges from programmed route flight to autonomous analysis and adaptation during the construction process.
Supplementing rather than replacing
Despite all the advances, drones remain a supplement to existing robotic systems. Their limited flight time and payload currently still restrict their use. The researchers therefore see hybrid concepts as the key. Conventional systems erect the lower areas of a structure, while drones take over from certain heights. This could allow structures to be built flexibly and efficiently in the future. Even in places where conventional construction is not possible today.