Real-time data exchange (RTDE) robot control integration for Fabrication Information Modeling

In response to its stagnating productivity and growing demand for sustainability, the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is increasingly pushing ahead regarding digitization and automation. Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Additive Manufacturing (AM) are two technologies that contribute significantly to this development. Although these technologies have similar basic principles — both are based on computer-aided methodologies and used for automation purposes — they have long been developed independently in the construction industry. However, recently, studies on integrating AM into BIM methodology have gained momentum. One approach is the Fabrication Information Modeling (FIM) methodology which aims at interfacing digital design with automated manufacturing by providing a fabrication-aware intermediate layer, a digital model that contains all the information necessary for automated fabrication. This study focuses on extending FIM by providing a new robot control methodology that can directly utilize FIM data to control an AM system and is better suited to extrusion-based concrete 3D printing needs. The proposed robot control method aims to be more flexible regarding the recalibration of printing parameters and prepares the basis for developing systems for automated quality control.