Automated construction

=Basics-

• This page explores various methods of automating construction tasks

Buildings + Walls

CEB 3D Printer

• See CEB Placing Machine

Universal Jamming Gripper

Basically, you put coffee grounds in a bag/balloon and then suck out all the air. It holds on to damned near anything.

"Universal contact grippers with granular vacuum jamming pads provide very high possibilities of grasping irregular shapes, but currently these systems still have speeds and grasp reliability which are too low for normal P&P operations."

overview from Cornell University

video 1 video 2 video 3

Skycam

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Skycam's major components:

• The Reel: motors that spin spools that control cables

image of reel

• The cables are kevlar ropes. Steel would be too heavy and dangerous.
• The winches are driven by 20hp or 4.5hp (depending on the system) motors that can spin up to 3,000rpm
• The Spar: the camera and support assembly

The spar weighs about 15kg. 

• Central Control: the main computer

"The camera's position is updated 200 times each second by the Overdrive motion control software, which runs on RTLinux..."

• Takes 9 people 4 days to setup
• The system uses two ropes. One controls x-axis movement and the other y-axis movement. Z-axis movement is controlled by moving both ropes together. Each rope can support the weight of the camera in the event that the other rope breaks.

Quick Aluminum Truss

• These are the things used to quickly erect stages and platforms and whatnot.
• Here are some specifications.

Tiger Stone

• The Tiger Stone is sort of a manual 3D printer for cobblestone paths/roads.

See Also

• 1/4 inch low stretch synthetic rope is $1.50 per foot
• comparison of synthetic fiber ropes to steel