Baubot mobile robot systems for construction site tasks

Fully mobile robotic systems Baubot are designed to perform a variety of tasks at construction sites and production facilities. The company calls them a "new standard in construction robotics". 

Australian startup Printstones GmbH claims that it currently offers the only truly mobile construction robotic systems, in which everything is "on board" and no cables or stationary components are required. 

Baubot solutions are compact and can pass through doors, climb stairs and use elevators. This means easy transport to and from the construction site, as well as short setup times. The company has developed several applications for the Baubot ecosystem, including concrete 3D printing, formwork milling, micro-trenching, plasma cutting, grinding and much more.

Baubot systems have a modular design. An open platform allows third parties to develop and monetize their own hardware tools and applications. The company's modular robotic system types are:

• BAUBOT MRS10-100 (compact and flexible robot). Being fully mobile, compact and lightweight, the MRS10-100 is a versatile solution for performing precise tasks at construction sites where space and floor load are limited. The MRS10-100 has a vehicle payload of 500 kg and a robot payload of 10 kg. The robotic arm reach is 1000 mm.
• BAUBOT MRS70-210 (high-performance robot). The MRS 70-210, with a large payload for both the vehicle and the robotic manipulator, is ideal for many tasks requiring stability and torque. The MRS70-210 has a vehicle payload of 900 kg and a robot payload of 70 kg. The robotic arm reach is 2100 mm.

The intelligent combination of hardware and software enables the use of various functional applications for Printstones GmbH's mobile robotic systems. Several applications were developed in-house and tested on site.

In the near future, external developers will be able to use the startup's SDK (software development kit) and software package to add applications to the ecosystem. Hardware tools and applications will be distributed through the open platform.

Types of applications for robotic systems:

1. Concrete 3D printing. Four years of development produced an ideal printing set for 2k concrete.
2. Collaborative reinforcement integration. Robot teams can enable automatic reinforcement integration, which is already supported in the intuitive programming and modeling set.
3. Material handling. Various materials can be handled by gripping or suction. Baubot places parts in position with an accuracy of 1 mm.
4. Welding. Robotic welding is an automated process that can perform welding and process parts. The advantages of robotic welding are improved accuracy, repeatability and productivity.
5. Milling and drilling. The M&D kit can be used to mill holes or cutouts in existing panels and other structures, enabling precise on-site installation. The kit also allows automatic drilling of holes at predetermined positions, which can save significant time.
6. Screw driving. A versatile and flexible application with quick replacement of screws across a wide range of sizes and lengths. Precise torque control and intelligent error detection ensure quality and consistency throughout the process.
7. Grinding. For grinding and polishing various parts and materials. A fast, simple and flexible power tool improves efficiency and controllability. In addition, an automatic grit-change device further reduces downtime and labor costs.
8. Laser marking. Small and versatile robot lasers can produce very fine dots, lines or crosses at any working distance. Combined with a Baubot ball-head bracket, projection angles and positions can be changed instantly.
9. Plasma cutting. The plasma cutting kit melts the material, which is then removed with compressed air. Baubot can easily cut all electrically conductive metals, such as standard steel, stainless steel, copper, aluminum, titanium and many others. Cutting force depends on the material, and separation cuts up to 10 mm are possible.
10. Formwork milling. Creating flexible molds in minutes: you can easily make molds that can be filled with any material of your choice, including concrete, ceramics, plastic and others.
11. Painting. Baubot precisely controls the environment, air pressure and distance from the work surface to deliver predictable results consistently, without stencils or screens. Painting can range from narrow lines to wide areas.
12. Bricklaying. Baubot can use blocks to build walls and other masonry. The robot lays rows of bricks on top of each other to build structures. Various load-bearing bonds can be used. An alternative use of this application is automatic laying of paving stones or ceramic tiles.

The tracked platform can move independently around the construction site, while climbing slopes and stairs. The company has already taken part in more than 100 pilot projects and does not plan to stop there.