WO2020225486A1

WO2020225486A1 - Construction site robot

Info

Publication number: WO2020225486A1
Application number: PCT/FI2020/050310
Authority: WO
Inventors: Markku KÄLKÄINEN
Original assignee: Pitomaalaus Oy
Priority date: 2019-05-09
Filing date: 2020-05-08
Publication date: 2020-11-12
Also published as: FI20195385A1

Abstract

A construction site robot comprises a movable frame (10) having wheels (12) for moving along a surface and at least one drive motor (14) for rotating the wheels, a robot (16) comprising a robotic arm (18) and a programmable control unit (20), and an electrical system including batteries (22) for storing electrical energy used by the drive motor and the robot. A first part of said batteries is arranged primarily as a drive battery pack (26) for storing the electrical energy used by the drive motor(s), and a second part of said batteries is formed primarily as a removable operating battery pack (24) for storing the electrical energy used by the robot.

Description

Construction site robot

The invention relates to a construction site robot comprising a movable frame, the frame having wheels for moving along a surface and at least one drive motor for rotating the wheels, a robot, the robot comprising a robotic arm and a programmable control unit, and an electrical system including batteries for storing electrical energy used by the drive motor and the robot.

The construction of houses involves several stages of work carried out by professionals in different fields. Work on site can be reduced by using prefabricated elements manufactured under factory conditions. Despite the increase in the use of elements, a large number of different work steps remain to be performed on site, such as leveling and painting the interior surfaces of walls and ceilings in the buildings. Leveling and painting work is heavy and often has to be carried out in awkward working positions. For this reason, it is hard to find skilled labor for these tasks, which increases construction costs and makes it difficult to stay on schedule.

In industrial plants, human tasks have long been automated by various programmable industrial robots. However, industrial robots are designed to be permanently installed on the factory floor, where they perform the work phase programmed for them in a well-defined, predetermined operating area. It is not possible to use industrial robots designed for large industrial facilities for the finishing of the interior surfaces of buildings, because it is practically impossible to move heavy and large robots inside the apartments of apartment buildings under construction, for example due to elevator weight restrictions and size of door openings. US 2018/0104829 A1 describes a robot with a robotic arm arranged on a wheeled moving chassis. The chassis has an electric drive motor and a replaceable battery pack. When the charge of the battery pack drops too low, the robot is driven to a docking station, where the discharged battery pack is recharged or replaced with a fully charged battery pack. In addition to the replaceable battery pack, the chassis has a fixed back-up battery, the function of which is to ensure that the robot’s computer software remains running during the replacement of the battery pack. The back-up battery cannot be used as a power source for the drive motor and, due to its low charge capacity, it would not be suitable for the task, which means the robot cannot move by the power of its own drive motor when the battery pack is removed. The object of the invention is to provide a construction site robot which can eliminate the disadvantages associated with known solutions.

The objects of the invention are achieved by a construction site robot which is characterized by what is set out in the independent claim. Some preferred embodiments of the invention are set out in the dependent claims.

The invention relates to a construction site robot comprising a movable frame, the frame having wheels for moving along a surface and at least one drive motor for rotating the wheels, a robot, the robot comprising a robotic arm and a programmable control unit, and an electrical system including batteries for storing electrical energy used by the drive motor and the robot. A first part of said batteries is formed primarily as a drive battery pack for storing the electrical energy used by the drive motor(s), and a second part of said batteries is formed primarily as a removable operating battery pack for storing the electrical energy used by the robot.

In a preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention, the operating battery pack can be installed in the frame and removed from it as a single entity. Disconnecting, moving, and reconnecting the operating battery pack as a single entity speeds up the handling of the construction site robot during transfer phases.

In another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention, the operating battery pack comprises at least one quick connector with which the batteries of the operating battery pack are connected to the electrical system of the construction site robot. All batteries in the operating battery pack can be connected with wires into a single power supply so that the operating battery pack can be connected to the electrical system with one quick connector. Alternatively, the operating battery pack may comprise a plurality of quick connectors, each of which is connected by wires to one or more batteries in the operating battery pack. In this case, the operating battery pack is connected to the electrical system with more than one quick connector.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention is movable by means of the drive motor(s) when the operating battery pack is removed. When the operating battery pack is removed from the construction site robot, the weight of the construction site robot is significantly reduced. However, the drive battery pack still enables the site construction robot to move by driving on a surface. The reduced weight facilitates the movement of the construction site robot and, for example, allows the construction site robot to be lifted to the upper floors of the building by personnel elevators installed in the building.

In another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention, the frame has a substantially flat bottom and the drive battery pack is arranged in the frame close to the bottom. The drive battery pack forms a significant part of the total weight of the construction site robot. Placing the drive battery pack close to the bottom of the frame places the center of gravity of the construction site robot as low as possible, which reduces the susceptibility of the construction site robot to tipping over, especially when the construction site robot is moved.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention, the frame has a first side and a second side, the first and second sides being substantially parallel flat surfaces. The wheels of the construction site robot remain within the space defined by the first and second sides. The flat sides of the construction site robot make it easier to move the construction site robot in tight spaces, preventing it from becoming caught by any movable or fixed obstacles along the robot’s path, such as piles of building materials, tools, corners, railings, or open doors.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention, at least some of said wheels have an axis of rotation rotatable 360 degrees about an axis parallel to the normal of the base. At least some of said wheels may be so-called Mecanum wheels. Such wheels allow the construction site robot to move in all directions, also allowing sudden, sharp changes in the direction of movement of the construction site robot.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention has gripping members for attachment to a substantially flat surface. Preferably, said gripping members comprise a vacuum gripper with at least one suction box and a suction device. With the help of the gripping members, the construction site robot can firmly grip the surface to become immobilized during the work steps performed by the robot.

Yet another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention comprises two elongate suction boxes parallel to the first and second sides, the first suction box being in a section of the base adjoining the first side and the second suction box being in a section of the base adjoining the second side.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the construction site robot according to the invention, the robot is a computer-controlled industrial robot with a rotationally articulated robotic arm.

The invention has the advantage that it enables the automation of work procedures on the construction site, which increases the efficiency of construction work, reduces labor costs, shortens construction time and improves the quality of construction work.

Another advantage of the invention is that it reduces the heavy and awkward work steps on the construction site, which reduces the number of accidents at work and the occurrence of occupational diseases.

A further advantage of the invention is that it reduces the number of skilled workers required on site, resulting in savings in labor costs.

The invention is described in detail below. In the description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which

Fig. 1 a shows, by way of example, a construction site robot according to the invention in a diagonal rear view,

Fig. 1 b shows, by way of example, a diagonal front view of a construction site robot shown in Fig. 1 a,

Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the construction site robot shown in Figs. 1a and 1 b, and

Fig. 3 shows the construction site robot shown in Figs. 1 a, 1 b and 2, seen from below.

Fig. 1 a shows, by way of example, a construction site robot according to the invention in a diagonal rear view, and Fig. 1 b shows a diagonal front view of the same construction site robot. In the following, both images are described simultaneously. A construction site robot according to the invention has a box-shaped frame 10 with a first side 30a and a second side 30b, a front end 32 and a rear end 34. The first side and the second side are substantially parallel flat surfaces. Four wheels 12 are arranged in the frame so that the wheels are placed as close as possible to the corners of the frame. The wheels are so-called Mecanum wheels, known from the prior art, which allow the frame to move on a surface in all directions while the position of the frame remains unchanged relative to the surface. Each wheel is rotated by its own electric, independently controlled drive motor 14. The drive motors and the batteries 22 which act as stores of electrical energy used by the drive motors are located within the frame. The batteries intended for the storage of electrical energy used by the drive motors form a drive battery pack 26. The batteries in the drive battery pack are placed inside the frame as close as possible to the base 28 of the frame in order to bring the center of gravity of the frame as low as possible.

The upper surface of the frame, near the front end 32 of the frame, has a box shaped stand 36. The stand has a flat cover 48 and side walls 50 formed at a substantially right angle to the cover. Attached to the cover 48 is a computer- controlled industrial robot 16 known per se, which has a robotic arm 18 with a rotating joint of six degrees of freedom. The length of the robotic arm can be 2 to 4 meters. At the end of the robotic arm is a tool holder for a replaceable tool. Figs. 1 a and 1 b show, by way of example, a leveling compound sprayer 46 attached to the end of the robotic arm, but the tool can be any tool used in construction work. Industrial robots are well-known devices in common use that are available from several different manufacturers.

The stand cover 48 and the side walls 50 define a space in which is located a detachable operating battery pack 24 of the industrial robot. The operating battery pack comprises a plurality of individual batteries 22 connected to each other and formed as a whole that can be installed in the construction site robot and removed from it as a single package. The operating battery pack is equipped with at least one quick connector (not shown) for connecting it to the electrical system of the construction site robot. In Figs. 1a and 1 b, the operating battery pack is shown detached from the construction site robot on a carriage 52. The construction site robot preferably comprises at least two replaceable operating battery packs, so that a fully charged operating battery pack can be quickly installed to replace an emptied operating battery pack. The total weight of the construction site robot can be, for example, 1000 kg, of which the share of the operating battery pack can be 300 kg. When the operating battery pack is removed from the construction site robot, the weight of the construction site robot is significantly reduced, allowing the construction site robot to be lifted to the floors of the building by a standard personnel elevator. Removal of the operating battery pack does not adversely affect the mobility of the construction site robot, as the drive motors 14, the control equipment for the wheels 12, and the control unit 20 are powered by the drive battery pack 26.

On the upper surface of the frame, next to the stand 36, there is a programmable control unit 20 for the construction site robot. The control unit comprises a memory for storing program code, a processor and a means for reading and inputting the program code of the construction site robot and the information about the work item. Control commands are programmed into the control unit, on the basis of which the industrial robot, and in particular its robotic arm, carries out the prescribed actions. The same control unit also controls the movement of the industrial robot, i.e. the turning of the wheels 12 and the operation of the drive motors rotating the wheels.

On the upper surface of the frame 10, near the rear end 34 of the frame, there is a suction device 40 belonging to the gripping members of the industrial robot and, above the suction device, a plurality of inverters 38 for converting the DC power generated by the operating battery pack 24 and drive battery pack 26 to AC power used by the industrial robot and drive motors 14. On the upper surface of the frame, between the inverters and the stand, there is an equipment space for tools used by the industrial robot and/or equipment serving or supporting the operation of the industrial robot. The construction site robot shown in Figs. 1a and 1 b is programmed to apply a leveling compound to wall and ceiling surfaces, with a leveling compound silo 42 and a leveling compound pump 44 located in the equipment space to pump the leveling compound into a leveling compound sprayer 46 attached to the end of the robotic arm. The leveling compound silo, leveling compound pump, and leveling compound sprayer belong to prior-art technology that will not be described in more detail herein. Similarly, equipment or tools required for spray painting or surface grinding, for example, can be placed in the equipment space.

Fig. 2 shows a rear view of the construction site robot shown in Figs. 1 a and 1 b. Parts on the upper surface of the frame 10, such as the control unit 20, the stand, the inverters 38, the suction device 40 and the leveling compound silo 42, are positioned so as to be defined between the first side 30a and the second side 30b of the frame. Likewise, the wheels 12 are mounted on the frame so that they do not extend beyond the space defined by the first and second sides. The distance between the first and second sides thus determines the width of the construction site robot. The frame of the industrial robot is preferably dimensioned so that its width is at most 900 mm, preferably at most 800 mm. An industrial robot thus dimensioned can pass through the door openings of conventionally dimensioned rooms and elevators. The first and second sides of the frame are flat surfaces with no recesses or protrusions that could be caught by objects along the construction site robot’s path.

Fig. 3 shows the construction site robot shown in Figs. 1 a, 1 b and 2, seen from below. The base 28 of the frame has two rectangular elongate suction boxes 30 connected by suction pipes (not shown) to the suction device 40 shown in Figures 1 a, 1 b and 2. The suction boxes and the suction device form a vacuum gripper, which allows the construction site robot to become immovably fixed in place at the desired location on the surface. The construction and operation of the vacuum gripper is known in the art, so it will not be described in more detail in this context.

The vacuum gripper is used when the construction site robot has moved to the desired working position and the industrial robot of the construction site robot begins to perform the work phases programmed for it. The purpose of the vacuum gripper is to hold the construction site robot in place while the industrial robot is working. Once the industrial robot has completed the planned work phases at a particular position, the vacuum gripper suction boxes are detached from the surface and the construction site robot is moved to the next working position.

The construction site robot is designed especially for carrying out finishing work on the interior surfaces of buildings, so a typical work site surface is the floor of an apartment. The vacuum gripper attaches reliably and firmly to the flat floor surface. Thus, in the invention, the retention of the construction site robot during the working phase is not based on the large mass of the construction site robot, but on the adhesion between the construction site robot and the surface provided by effective gripping members, such as vacuum grippers. The construction site robot can thus be dimensioned and built as light as possible, which facilitates the transfer of the construction site robot by personnel elevators between floors.

Some preferred embodiments of the construction site robot according to the invention have been described above. The invention is not limited to the solutions described above, but the inventive idea can be applied in various ways within the scope defined by the claims.

List of reference numbers: frame 10

wheel 12

drive motor 14

robot 16

robotic arm 18

control unit 20

battery 22

operating battery pack 24 drive battery pack 26 base 28

suction box 30

first side 30a

second side 30b

front end 32

rear end 34

stand 36

inverter 38

suction device 40

leveling compound silo 42 leveling compound pump 44 leveling compound sprayer 46 cover 48

side wall 50

carriage 52

Claims

1. A construction site robot comprising a movable frame (10), the frame having wheels (12) for moving along a surface and at least one drive motor (14) for rotating the wheels (12), a robot (16), the robot (16) comprising a robotic arm (18) and a programmable control unit (20), and an electrical system including batteries (22) for storing electrical energy used by the drive motor (14) and the robot (16), characterized in that a first part of said batteries (22) is formed primarily as a drive battery pack (26) for storing the electrical energy used by the drive motor(s) (14), and a second part of said batteries (22) is formed primarily as a removable operating battery pack (24) for storing the electrical energy used by the robot (16).

2. A construction site robot according to claim 1 , characterized in that the operating battery pack (24) can be installed in the frame (10) and removed from the frame (10) as a single entity.

3. A construction site robot according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the operating battery pack (24) comprises at least one quick connector with which the batteries (22) of the operating battery pack are connected to the electrical system of the construction site robot.

4. A construction site robot according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the frame (10) has a substantially flat base (28) and the drive battery pack (26) is arranged in the frame (10) close to the base (28).

5. A construction site robot according to any of claims 1-4, characterized in that it can be moved by the drive motor(s) (14) when the operating battery pack (24) is removed.

6. A construction site robot according to any of claims 1-5, characterized in that the frame (10) has a first side (30a) and a second side (30b), the first and second sides (30a, 30b) being substantially parallel flat surfaces and the wheels (12) being within the space between the first and second side.

7. A construction site robot according to any of claims 4-6, characterized in that at least some of said wheels (12) have an axis of rotation rotatable 360 degrees about an axis parallel to the normal of the base (28).

8. A construction site robot according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that at least some of said wheels (12) are so-called Mecanum wheels.

9. A construction site robot according to any of claims 1-7, characterized in that it has gripping members for attachment to a substantially flat surface.

10. A construction site robot according to claim 9, characterized in that said gripping members comprise a vacuum gripper with at least one suction box (30) and a suction device (40).

11. A construction site robot according to claim 10, characterized in that it comprises two elongate suction boxes (30) parallel to the first and second sides (30a, 30b), the first suction box being in a section of the base (28) adjoining the first side (30a) and the second suction box being in a section of the base (28) adjoining the second side (30b).

12. A construction site robot according to any of claims 1-11 , characterized in that the robot is a computer-controlled industrial robot with a rotationally articulated robotic arm (18).