Rapid Local Area Modeling for Construction Automation

Construction equipment is rapidly being retrofitted with robotic capabilities for improved control and safety. To operate this equipment effectively, an operator must constantly relocate the equipment and position objects within the work environment. Current commercially available equipment technology does not provide real-time information to the operator and requires costly and computationally intensive computer hardware and software. A man-machine balanced rapid local area modeling technique is developed in this research and implemented on a large scale hydraulic manipulator. Through experimentation, this study showed that the man-machine balanced technique can significantly reduce modeling time and accuracy and therefore improve the control and operation of automated equipment.