Construction Without Human Supervision

There have long been science fiction novels and movies made about robotic construction crews that do the work of human builders and supervisors in the future. Now the scientists  at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University are hoping to make that robotic crew a fact.

The researchers have been working on an autonomous robotic construction crew which needs no supervisor, no eye in the sky, and no constant communication. Harvard’s TERMES system shows robotic crews building complex, three-dimensional structures without the need for any intervention. Each robot builds independently of the others. If it takes a break it does not affect the rest of the construction crew. A robot is fitted with four simple types of sensors and three actuators to help it do its tasks.

Inspired by termites in nature, TERMES robots can build towers, castles, and pyramids out of foam bricks. They can build staircases to reach the higher levels and add bricks wherever they are needed. In the future, similar robots could lay sandbags in advance of a flood, or perform simple construction tasks on Mars. The TERMES science project is definitely one to watch out for.