Modular expert system (PoGuide) for automation of construction processes

Project

Geometrical guidance of construction machinery

This project deals with a modular system (POGuide) for automation of construction processes. Besides geometric guiding of construction machines PoGuide enables automatic procedures for setting out, alignment and positioning of structural components and machines. Due to the individuality of construction sites a toolbox with individual modules is developed, that enables to dispose individual automation system in a simple way by using its ”contained expert knowledge“.

Environment and Procedure:

It’s not imaginable anymore to plan a big construction project without assistance by CAD (Computer Aided Design). The same is valid for the industrial production. In the last years the industrial production processes have been enhanced to that effect, that the planning with CAD is followed by CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing). This means, that the construction process proceeds computer-aided and therefore as far as possible automated. Thereby it is possible to reach a high quality by decreasing costs.

In the last years the construction industry also worked on an increase of efficiency by automation. But the implementation of CIC (Computer Integrated Construction) progresses slowly. The reason is surely the individuality of every construction site and the dynamic changes during the progress of construction work. The closed-loop system of an automatic construction process in picture 1 shows the several fields of work.

Cascade control loop for imaging an automated construction process (© iigs)

 The individuality of the different applications on a construction site needs a very comprehensive analysis of the requirements on a modular system. The necessary functions, which have to contain in a toolbox, will be defined and realised. For this task LabView® will be used as application development system.

First results:

Based on the different applications over 60 single procedures e.g. out of the group of close loop control, state estimation, data management and quality assurance have been extracted. The PoGuide-toolbox makes it possible, for example, to realise an automatic construction machine guidance (see figure 2).

 Design of a PoGuide-system for construction machine guidance (© iigs)

Publications:

  • Gläser, A. (2005): A Modular System for Guidance and Control Applications for Construction Machines. In: Grün, Kahmen (Eds.): 7th Conference on Optical 3-D Measurement Techniques, Volume I, pp. 307-316, Vienna. (Kurzfassung)
  • Möhlenbrink, W. (1999): Zielverfolgende Tachymeter im Bauprozeß. In: Mitteilungen 2/1999, Deutscher Verein für Vermessungswesen, Landesverein Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart.

Contact:

This image shows Volker  Schwieger

Volker Schwieger

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Dr. h.c.

Director of the Institute

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