An implementation of a teleoperation system for robotic beam assembly in construction

Abstract

Recently, a robot-based construction automation (RCA) project was finished in Korea, whose purpose was to employ a robotic system instead of human labor in steel beam assembly tasks. In that research, a robotic beam assembly (RBA) system was developed to execute a beam assembly task. A field application using the RBA system at an actual construction site was completed. Because a human operator had to board the cabin and manipulate the system in the air, causing possible safety problems, a teleoperation system was developed and is the subject of this paper. To evaluate the performance of the teleoperation system, a pointing task experiment based on Fitts' law was conducted to determine whether it obeyed speed-accuracy tradeoff rules. Results are discussed and an overview of the actual bolting test using the teleoperation system is presented here. Finally, conclusions are drawn about the feasibility of implementing an RBA system with teleoperation in actual building construction applications.