Experimental Validation of a Cable Driven Parallel Robot for 3D Printing Building Construction (2025-09)¶

This paper presents and experimentally validates a novel cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) for 3D printing building construction (3DPBC). The system uses five cables with four lower cables moving vertically in synchronization with the building height to prevent structural interference. A fifth vertical cable supports the end-effector payload. Key innovations include a real-time minimum tension distribution algorithm and a sensor fusion position estimation method combining laser tracker measurements with cable encoder data. An integrated system was developed incorporating the CDPR, clay extrusion nozzle, and laser tracker. Laboratory experiments involving a scaled two-story building (0.6 m × 0.3 m × 0.6 m) demonstrated precise trajectory tracking with RMS position errors below 1 mm and stable tension control, validating the proposed approach for precise 3DPBC applications.