New Products LAB has set itself the ambitious goal of giving the customer a fundamentally new construction control tool to help them achieve cost reductions.
We are creating a hardware and software complex that will enable permanent control of all processes on the construction site, forming a unified digital environment for construction participants, and providing accurate forecasting of all processes.
Technologies
Robotech. Integration of different types of robots and UAVs into a common system. Autonomous robot navigation in open and enclosed spaces. Group driving of robots.
Laser scanning. Navigation and object modeling. Search for optimal placement for laser scanners to achieve high-quality scanning without "dead" zones. Approximation and interpolation of data obtained from navigation laser scanners to improve scanning accuracy (expanding the field of view and increasing resolution through robot movement) and the ability to use this data for plan-fact analysis in construction.
Artificial intelligence. Data analysis, detection, navigation, forecasting.
Video analytics. Recognition of people, machinery, dangerous situations.
BIM. Scan data processing, plan/fact analysis. Digital twin.
AR/VR. Data visualization.
«On-site productivity can be increased by as much as 50 percent by implementing a cloud-based control tower that rapidly assembles accurate data in near real time.»
REINVENTING CONSTRUCTION: A ROUTE TO HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY, McKinsey & Company.
The basis of the project is high frequency scanning of the site and permanent automatic monitoring of the construction site's compliance with the design, schedule, cost estimates and safety standards. The scanning is carried out using robots, drones and fixed cameras. All the information is processed in real time.
Functionality
— formation of customer input data on a single digital portal;
— creation of a complete knowledge base of the construction project: level "2D" (design/operational documentation), level "3D" (BIM), level "4D" (construction schedules with real-time reference), level "5D" (estimate documentation), PDM, AR/VR visualization (if necessary);
— deployment of IT infrastructure at the construction site (computers, servers, video cameras with video analytics system) with geo-referencing equipment (RTK, GNSS);
— continuous robotic collection of data on construction, infrastructure, the number of people, equipment, safety on the site, using "robotic dogs"/platforms, UAV, fixed video cameras, 3D scanners. The precision is determined depending on the customer's needs;
— processing of the scanning data (photo-video stream, a digital model of the site scan, a 3D point cloud), formation of the executive materials in a common digital space;
— plan/fact analysis: video analytics report, detecting of excavation and embankment volumes in digital model, mismatch of design 2D, 3D-execution model, (including using AR augmented reality), backlog analysis in 4D, comparison with estimates in 5D, formation of "Digital twin" (6D), (including VR virtual reality);
— data integration with customer's ERP-systems;
— generation of reports in BI-systems and forecasts;
— integration of design, construction, and operations participants into a common digital environment.
«9 out of 10 construction companies expect a skills crisis by 2030, and 81 percent say they will introduce robots in the next 10 years.»
ABB Robotics. Construction Survey.
Application Areas
Construction. High-frequency monitoring of construction works, continuous plan/fact analysis.
Operation. Monitoring of technological processes, verification of data in the digital twin.
Occupational health and safety. Integration into industrial safety systems.
Express site audit. Mobile system with quick deployment and autonomous operation.
Implementation
New Products LAB makes pre-project works on construction of the Baltic Chemical Complex — the world's largest enterprise on polyethylene production.
A prototype of a robotic monitoring system for construction sites has been created, which includes:
— ground and aerial scanning hardware and software complexes that provide millimeter-level accuracy in objects;
— software for processing scanning results, performing plan/fact analysis and detecting collisions;
— video analysis system allowing to count the number of people and equipment involved in the work, to identify dangerous situations (smoke, fire) and violations of safety rules;
Methods and protocols for using robotics have been developed. Tests are being conducted in the conditions of a real construction site.