• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2009.05a
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• pp.250-256
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• 2009

This paper presents a robotic tower-crane system using encoder and gyroscope sensors as path tracking devices. Tower crane work is often associated with falling accidents and industrial disasters. Such problems often incur a loss of time and money for the contractor. For this reason, many studies have been done on an automatic tower crane. As a part of 5-year 23-million-dollar research project in Korea, we are developing a robotic tower crane which aims to improve the safety level and productivity. We selected a luffing tower crane, which is commonly used in urban construction projects today, as a platform for the robotic tower crane system. This system comprises two modules: the automated path planning module and the path tracking module. The automated path planning system uses the 3D Cartesian coordinates. When the robotic tower crane lifts construction material, the algorithm creates a line, which represents a lifting path, in virtual space. This algorithm seeks and generates the best route to lift construction material while avoiding known obstacles from real construction site. The path tracking system detects the location of a lifted material in terms of the 3D coordinate values using various types of sensors including adopts encoder and gyroscope sensors. We are testing various sensors as a candidate for the path tracking device. This specific study focuses on how to employ encoder and gyroscope sensors in the robotic crane These sensors measure a movement and rotary motion of the robotic tower crane. Finally, the movement of the robotic tower crane is displayed in a virtual space that synthesizes the data from two modules: the automatically planned path and the tracked paths. We are currently field-testing the feasibility of the proposed system using an actual tower crane. In the next step, the robotic tower crane will be applied to actual construction sites with a following analysis of the crane's productivity in order to ascertain its economic efficiency.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.1133-1134
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• 2011

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.355-356
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• 2009

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Building Construction
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.65-70
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• 2010

Steel frame construction in high places entails many risk factors. In order to improve the safety and productivity of steel frame construction, a project to develop a robotic tower-crane has been undertaken. As the first step, a real-time lifting-path tracking system is being developed. In a previous study, a laser-based tracking system was proposed. While a laser-based tracking system requires at least three laser sensors to detect the x, y, z coordinates of a lifted steel member, a GPS-based system has an advantage over the laser-based system, in that the x, y, z coordinates of a lifted steel member can be detected by a single GPS sensor. To improve the accuracy, arelative positioning method using two GPS sensors was proposed in a previous study. This paper reports an improved GPS-based lifting-path tracking system of a tower crane based on an integrated RF modem and GPS system. The results showedthat the RF modem could successfully send the identifier information to a server a maximum distance of 1 km away from the lifted steel beam, and the lifting path information of each beam captured by the GPS-based tracking system was successfully saved together. Also, byusing an improved algorithm for the GPS relative positioning method, the deviation was reduced to 0.61 m on average.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.33-36
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• 2010

The attention in construction Automation is getting higher since it could be the answer to the lack of skilled labor by decrease in construction population and aging which adversely affects productivity and quality in the construction site. We are on the way to develop a construction automation system adequate for domestic circumstances in Korea; it is called RCA(Robotic-crane based Construction Automation)system. Climbing hydraulic robots system is a part of RCA system and makes Construction factory(CF) climb through the guide rail on the core wall. The safety of climbing hydraulic robots system is at issue due to the overloaded weight of CF. Preventing this issue, present study did the design verification through the structural analysis and the simulation. Mock-up test also was done to analyze the drive performance of climbing hydraulic robots system.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2011.11a
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• pp.15-16
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• 2011

Construction automation and robotics are being taken notice as an alternative to improve productivity and quality. Reflecting on these purpose, automation system, called RCA(Robotic-crane based Construction Automation) system, is developed and have been verified through a pilot project recently in Korea. To apply the RCA system in high-rise building effectively, each management factors of element technologies in the system is derived and assessed critical factor. The purpose of this study, management factors of element techniques, consisted of RCA system, is classified through questionnaires/interviews targeting system developers and construction managers in pilot project site, and critical factors is selected using AHP.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2008.05a
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• pp.111-115
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• 2008

The productivity is the one of the primary elements to evaluate the new systems performance for building construction along with the economic efficiency, the safety, and the quality improvement. At present the on-site construction automation systems(we will call it as Construction Factory or CF hereafter) is under the development by research group for construction automation of high-rise building. The system includes many sub-systems such as a robotic crane, a construction factory, bolting robots, a building material management system using RFID and so on. In this study we discuss and propose the method to evaluate for these hybrid on-site automation system fundamentally. In future we devise a framework of evaluation modules for the on-site building automation system on the basis of this discuss.

• 제어로봇시스템학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2004.08a
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• pp.1116-1120
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• 2004

In the nuclear power plant, there are several cylindrical vessels such as reactor vessel, pressuriser and so on. The vessels are usually constructed by welding large rolled plates, forged sections or nozzle pipes together. In order to assure the integrity of the vessel, these welds should be periodically inspected using sensors such as ultrasonic transducer or visual cameras. This inspection is usually conducted under water to minimize exposure to the radioactively contaminated vessel walls. The inspections have been performed by using a conventional inspection machine with a big structural sturdy column, however, it is so huge and heavy that maintenance and handling of the machine are extremely difficult. It requires much effort to transport the system to the site and also requires continuous use of the utility's polar crane to move the manipulator into the building and then onto the vessel. Setup beside the vessel requires a large volume of work preparation area and several shifts to complete. In order to resolve these problems, we have developed an underwater mobile robot guided by the laser pointer, and performed a series of experiments both in the mockup and in the real reactor vessel. This paper introduces our robotic inspection system and the laser guidance of the mobile robot as well as the results of the functional test.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2009.05b
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• pp.1-4
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• 2009

Construction automation and robotics are being introduced as an efficient alternative to overcome troubles caused by lack of skilled labors. To accomplish effective automated construction system, design for automation(DFA) should be performed in parallel with the development of core technologies such as control and sensing of robots. In Korea, the development of robotic crane-based construction automation(RCA) system is progressing, and the research group has recently developed newly designed steel joint to improve the efficiency of the system. However, performance of the new system should be examined prior to its application on construction sites. Therefore, This study analyzed performance of the new steel frame focused on its constructibility by carrying out mock-up test. As a result, the steel frame satisfied the standards of allowable stress and deflection. It also enables to reduce the time for installation.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.167-169
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• 2011

Construction Automation as a way to solve the problems of lack of skilled labor by decrease in construction population productivity and quality decrease. We are on the way to develop a construction automation system adequate for domestic circumstances in Korea; it is called RCA(Robotic-crane based Construction Automation) system. Climbing hydraulic robot system is a part of RCA system and makes Construction Factory(CF) climb next floor. The controller can control movement needs to be developed for CF safety. Synchronous control the actual field was applied to the controller logic and synchronous control of the process through which the safety has been verified. The purpose of this study that control of climbing hydraulic robot system behavior on real-time, and to improve safety for overall construction automation system through synchronous motion controller.