I-Corps: Translation potential of all-terrain, self-assembling robotic conveyor system to automate material movement

Award ID: 2637924

This I-Corps project is based on the development of a robotic conveyor tile system to automate material and debris transport. Across the construction industry, persistent labor shortages and unsafe manual material handling lead to decreased workforce availability and significant rates of injury. To address these challenges, this technology uses self-reconfigurable robotic tiles that dynamically join together to form high-bandwidth, on-demand, automated transport corridors that move material and debris through congested places. In addition to the construction industry, the technology also has potential application in automated material handling in disaster response and recovery operations. Use of this technology may lower overall construction costs and prevent jobsite injuries, which may enhance industry productivity. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of a modular automation platform designed to improve material movement and debris transport on active construction jobsites. This technology is a self-assembling robotic conveyor platform that consists of hexagonal robotic tiles equipped with motorized transport surfaces and docking interfaces that establish mechanical and electrical connections. These self-assembling tiles adapt dynamically to unstructured and dynamic environments without fixed infrastructure or site preparation and are supported by decentralized routing algorithms and a virtual reality interface for intuitive human-robot interaction. The platform is designed to be used to move materials to point-of-use areas and to carry waste out for removal, helping reduce repetitive manual handling and site inefficiencies. Construction workers may benefit from reduced setup time, elimination of labor allocation bottlenecks, and safer, automated horizontal debris handling that may be operated by non-expert crews. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ruth Shuman