Efficient building design aided by robots for climate consideration
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Munich-Ebersberg Construction Guild are pioneering a new era in sustainable construction with a human-machine cooperative construction process. This innovative approach sees a robot working side by side with skilled apprentice bricklayers, precisely positioning bricks for climate-optimized walls[1][2].
This partnership is shaping the future of sustainable construction by:
- Enhancing precision and efficiency: The robot places bricks at varying angles and positions, following a climate-driven digital plan, which improves the thermal performance of the wall and allows for thicker, insulated walls purely made of bricks, facilitating reuse and recyclability[2].
- Supporting rather than replacing skilled labor: The robot complements human skills, providing exactness beyond human limitations, promoting acceptance among apprentices and foremen who adapt to working alongside robotic assistance[1][2].
- Contributing to material and energy sustainability: The climate-optimized bricklaying reduces material waste and improves energy efficiency in building envelopes. Using only bricks simplifies demolition and recycling compared to mixed-material constructions[2].
- Integrating digital design and fabrication: The digital twin stored by the robot integrates design and assembly processes, exemplifying advanced digital fabrication techniques in construction[1].
The robot's interactive design configurator calculates the ideal angle for each brick based on sun and shade exposure. This approach leverages a digital planning tool that calculates brick placement based on solar exposure and shading, enabling a wall structure optimized for climate performance that is not achievable by human hands alone[1][2].
The project is funded by the Bavarian transformation and research foundation "Climate Active Envelopes." TUM, a leading university with approximately 700 professorships, 53,000 students, and 12,000 staff, is an entrepreneurial university, open to society, and plays a key role in Munich's high-tech ecosystem[3].
Prof. Kathrin Dörfler, Professor of Digital Fabrication at TUM, states that collaborative robotics expands craftsmanship, not replaces it. She views the next generation of construction as teamwork between humans and machines, with greater creative freedom, precision, and potential for sustainable, climate-friendly building[4]. The construction site of the future is seen as a place of cooperation, not competition, between digital tools and human knowledge and skills[4].
The wall being built is climate-optimized, with each brick positioned precisely for climate optimization. The construction process with human-machine collaboration opens up prospects for trainees in a future-proof craft[5]. The project aims for simpler construction using only bricks, with trainees laying bricks in several layers one behind the other[5].
TUM is represented worldwide by its TUM Asia campus in Singapore and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Mumbai, San Francisco, and São Paulo[3]. Each year, more than 70 start-ups are founded at TUM[3]. This human-robot collaboration at TUM sets a precedent for sustainable, precise, and efficient construction methods that combine automation with craftsmanship, aiming to revolutionize construction processes to be more climate-responsive and resource-conserving[1][2].
[1] https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/detail/article/33727/ [2] https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/detail/article/33728/ [3] https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/ [4] https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/detail/article/33727/ [5] https://www.tum.de/en/about-tum/news/press-releases/detail/article/33728/
- The innovative collaboration between TUM and the Munich-Ebersberg Construction Guild utilizes artificial intelligence in the form of a robot that works alongside skilled apprentice bricklayers, helping advance environmental-science by optimizing walls for climate-change resistance[1][2].
- This novel method integrates technology and arts by designing a robot with an interactive design configurator that calculates the ideal angle for each brick based on sun and shade exposure, fostering a sustainable, climate-friendly building process[1][2].
- The partnership's commitment to digital fabrication and material sustainability demonstrates how science and technology can contribute to a greener future, where construction processes prioritize the protection of the environment and conservation of resources[1][2].
