- Author
- Stone, W. C. | Reed, K. A. | Chang, P. | Pfeffer, L. E. | Jacoff, A.
- Title
- NIST Research Toward Construction Site Integration and Automation.
- Coporate
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD Maryland Univ., College Park
- Journal
- Journal of Aerospace Engineering, Vol. 12, No. 2, 50-64, April 1999
- Keywords
- construction | construction automation | virtual reality | augmented simulation | equipment tracking | resource tracking | information utilization | remote-controlled construction | metrology
- Abstract
- Current uses of computers in construction include design, planning, scheduling, and cost estimating. Much more could be achieved on a fully computer-integrated construction site. This paper describes initial work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology toward construction site integration and automation, beginning with a simple steel-erection procedure using an instrumented crane. CAD-generated geometry sets are transformed into a library of 3D construction site objects. These objects are then loaded into an augmented simulation system that tracks both equipment and resources based on real-time data from the construction site. With some future enhancements, the end result will be a world model of the site, in which as-built conditions can be assessed, current construction processes can be viewed as they occur, planned sequences of processes can be tested, and object information can be retrieved on demand. A project can be viewed and managed remotely using this tool. Remotely controlled construction in hazardous environments is a natural extension of this environment. The National Construction Automation Testbed (NCAT) is currently being used in various research projects with the intentions of making sudti possibilities a reality. A major effort in the NCAT is the development and testing of the metrology, communication, and simulation protocols required.