Dual-Arm Construction Robot for Automatic Fixation of Structural Parts to Concrete Surfaces in Narrow Environments

TL;DR

This paper tackles the challenge of automatically fixing structural parts to concrete in narrow, unstructured construction environments, addressing labor shortages and safety concerns. It introduces a dual-arm robotic system with independent tool stands and modular transport, paired with three purpose-built tools that compensate reaction forces to allow small robots to perform drilling, anchor insertion, and nut tightening. A 10-step fixation procedure combines wall orientation estimation, hole detection, and sequential tool changes to achieve complete fixation, supported by experiments using two compact industrial arms. Results show the constant-load spring drilling tool effectively mitigates moment overload, anchor hammering can reach substantial depths within torque limits, and nut tightening completes without excessive robot load, demonstrating the system’s feasibility and potential practical impact. The work lays a foundation for scalable, automated heavy-duty fixation tasks in constrained construction sites, with room for dynamic failure recovery and field adaptation in future work.

Abstract

Fixation of structural parts to concrete is a repetitive, heavy-duty, and time-consuming task that requires automation due to the lack of skilled construction workers. Previously developed automation techniques have not achieved the complete fixation of structural parts and are difficult to implement in narrow construction environments. In this study, we propose a construction robot system that enables the complete installation of structural parts to concrete and can be easily introduced to unstructured and narrow construction environments. The system includes two arms that simultaneously position and fix the structural parts, and custom tools that reduce the reaction force applied to the robots so that smaller robots can be used with lower payloads. Due to the modular design of the proposed system, it can be transported in parts for easy introduction to the construction environment. We also propose a procedure for fixing structural parts. Experimental results demonstrate that the custom tools make it possible to use smaller robots without moment overload in the robot joints. Moreover, the results show that the proposed robot system and fixation procedure enable automatic fixation of a structural part to concrete.

Figures (13)

• Figure 1: Conceptual design of structural part fixing system for concrete surfaces.
• Figure 2: Hole drilling tool designs considered.
• Figure 3: Hole drilling tool designs considered.
• Figure 4: Procedure for fixing structural parts to concrete walls.
• Figure 5: Experimental setup (top right view).