A framework for robotic excavation and dry stone construction using on-site materials.

Area of Science:

• Robotics and Automation
• Construction Engineering
• Sustainable Materials

Background:

• Traditional construction relies on resource-intensive processes and transportation.
• In situ resource utilization (ISRU) offers a sustainable alternative for construction.
• Robotic systems can enhance efficiency and precision in building processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a robotic construction pipeline for building with heterogeneous local stone materials.
• To enable autonomous planning and execution of freeform stone wall and landscape construction.
• To showcase the potential of robotic excavators for in situ resource utilization in construction.

Main Methods:

• A robotic excavator equipped with a shovel and gripper was utilized.
• The system employs machine learning for stone detection, segmentation, and 3D scanning.
• A geometric planning algorithm with constrained registration and signed-distance-field classification was developed for stone placement.
• Autonomous terrain-shaping capabilities were integrated.

Main Results:

• Successful construction of a freestanding stone wall (10m x 1.7m x 4m).
• Demonstrated a permanent retaining wall (65.5m x 1.8m x 6m) integrated with robotically contoured terraces (665 sqm).
• Validated the system's ability to handle highly irregular and heterogeneous local materials.

Conclusions:

• Robotic systems can effectively perform complex manipulation tasks for dry stone construction.
• Autonomous heavy construction vehicles offer adaptive building potential with sustainable, locally sourced materials.
• The developed pipeline significantly reduces the need for material transportation and preprocessing, contributing to carbon reduction.