Large-Scale 3D Printing by a Team of Mobile Robots (2018-08)¶

10.1016/j.autcon.2018.08.004

Zhang Xu, Li Mingyang, Lim Jian, Weng Yiwei, Tay Yi, Pham Hung, Pham Quang-Cuong
Journal Article - Automation in Construction, Vol. 95, pp. 98-106

Abstract

Scalability is a problem common to most existing 3D printing processes, where the size of the design is strictly constrained by the chamber volume of the 3D printer. This issue is more pronounced in the building and construction industry, where it is impractical to have printers that are larger than actual buildings. One workaround consists in printing smaller pieces, which can then be assembled on-site. This workaround generates however additional design and process complexities, as well as creates potential weaknesses at the assembly interfaces. In this paper, we propose a 3D printing system that employs multiple mobile robots printing concurrently a large, single-piece, structure. We present our system in detail, and report simulation and experimental results. To our knowledge, this is the first physical demonstration of large-scale, concurrent, 3D printing of a concrete structure by multiple mobile robots

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25 References

144 Citations

BibTeX

@article{zhan_li_lim_weng.2018.LS3PbaToMR,
  author            = "Xu Zhang and Mingyang Li and Jian Hui Lim and Yiwei Weng and Yi Wei Daniel Tay and Hung Pham and Quang-Cuong Pham",
  title             = "Large-Scale 3D Printing by a Team of Mobile Robots",
  doi               = "10.1016/j.autcon.2018.08.004",
  year              = "2018",
  journal           = "Automation in Construction",
  volume            = "95",
  pages             = "98--106",
}

Formatted Citation

IEEE

X. Zhang, “Large-Scale 3D Printing by a Team of Mobile Robots”, Automation in Construction, vol. 95, pp. 98–106, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.autcon.2018.08.004.

CMOS

Zhang, Xu, Mingyang Li, Jian Hui Lim, Yiwei Weng, Yi Wei Daniel Tay, Hung Pham, and Quang-Cuong Pham. “Large-Scale 3D Printing by a Team of Mobile Robots”. Automation in Construction 95 (2018): 98–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2018.08.004.