Constructing Structures with Automated Machines
The Technical University of Munich (TUM) and the Munich-Ebersberg Building Guild have teamed up to revolutionise the construction industry by using a robot to precisely position bricks in a climate-optimized manner. This innovative approach, funded by the Bavarian Transformation and Research Foundation "Climate Active Envelopes," promises a future-proof craft that is not displaced but strengthened by new technologies.
The heart of this project lies in a digital design configurator that calculates the ideal angle for each brick based on solar exposure and shading at the wall’s construction site. This ensures the wall is not simply straight but climate-optimized, adjusting brick placement to maximize energy efficiency.
The robot, developed at TUM, is equipped with a gripper and mounted on a mobile base that can move left and right as needed, allowing it to reach any point on the wall. It stores a digital twin of the wall, integrating robotic assembly logic directly into the design process.
The robot complements human labor by performing tasks requiring high precision where humans reach their limits. Apprentices from the Munich-Ebersberg Guild operate alongside the robot and learn this human-machine teamwork approach during construction workshops.
The wall construction uses only bricks — insulating perforated bricks inside and weather-resistant clinker or impregnated bricks outside — to enhance sustainability and facilitate reuse or disposal. The wall built in the workshop was four heads deep, which is 20 to 25 centimeters more than usual, and was constructed using only bricks in several layers.
Prof. Kathrin Dörfler, Chair of Digital Fabrication at TUM, stated that the construction site of the future is a place of teamwork between humans and machines, with more design freedom, higher precision, and the potential for sustainable, climate-adapted building. This collaboration exemplifies how robotic assistance, driven by digital design and climate data, can enhance sustainable building practices through precise, climate-adapted construction techniques.
A video demonstrates the use of the robot in building a wall, showcasing how collaborative robotics can strategically expand craftsmanship rather than replace it. The project focuses on building more simply, using materials like bricks, with easy deconstruction and recyclability in mind. This initiative offers a promising glimpse into the future of the construction industry, where technology and tradition work hand-in-hand to create a more sustainable world.
[1] TUM News [2] TUM News [3] TUM News [4] TUM News
- This collaboration between TUM and the Munich-Ebersberg Building Guild, focusing on the construction industry, seeks to leverage science and technology to revolutionize the way bricks are positioned for climate-optimized walls.
- The digital design configurator developed for this project, which calculates ideal brick angles based on solar exposure and shading, encapsulates the integration of science and technology to optimize energy efficiency in wall construction.
