Additive Manufacturing using mobile robots: Opportunities and challenges for building construction

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Authors

  • Kathrin Dörfler
  • Gido Dielemans
  • Lukas Lachmayer
  • Tobias Recker
  • Annika Raatz
  • Dirk Lowke
  • Markus Gerke

External Research Organisations

  • Technical University of Munich (TUM)
  • Technische Universität Braunschweig
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Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number106772
Number of pages13
JournalCement and concrete research
Volume158
Early online date10 Jun 2022
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2022

Abstract

In situ Additive Manufacturing (AM) has developed into an active research and industry-transfer area, mainly due to the increasing need for productive and sustainable methods in the concrete construction industry in combination with novel technological enablers. While current systems for in situ AM are often single large-scale stationary facilities, Mobile Additive Manufacturing (MAM) systems are an emerging technology that could provide scalability for AM processes on construction sites. This scalability is achievable through cooperability of multiple mobile robots on individual 3D printing tasks, while their mobility and autonomy enable deployment in both new and existing contexts, and coordination of operations for the direct and indirect interaction with humans. To ensure applicability and scalability, MAM closely integrates architectural, mechanical, and materials design, the manufacturing process, sensing, and control. With this paper, we give a comprehensive review of research trends, open questions and key performance indicators. We support the discussion with potential architectural application scenarios. Overall, we aim to indicate why addressing MAM is an inherently multidisciplinary challenge.

Keywords

    Additive Manufacturing, Architecture and digital fabrication, Computational design, Mobile robotics, Robotic fabrication

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Cite this

Additive Manufacturing using mobile robots: Opportunities and challenges for building construction. / Dörfler, Kathrin; Dielemans, Gido; Lachmayer, Lukas et al.
In: Cement and concrete research, Vol. 158, 106772, 08.2022.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleResearchpeer review

Dörfler K, Dielemans G, Lachmayer L, Recker T, Raatz A, Lowke D et al. Additive Manufacturing using mobile robots: Opportunities and challenges for building construction. Cement and concrete research. 2022 Aug;158:106772. Epub 2022 Jun 10. doi: 10.1016/j.cemconres.2022.106772
Dörfler, Kathrin ; Dielemans, Gido ; Lachmayer, Lukas et al. / Additive Manufacturing using mobile robots : Opportunities and challenges for building construction. In: Cement and concrete research. 2022 ; Vol. 158.
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