Programming construction robots using virtual reality techniques

The paper describes a new approach to programming construction robots, using virtual reality (VR) techniques. The new approach is needed because both traditional and new methods of programming industrial robots, described in the paper, have specific drawbacks, which become crucial in the construction arena. This is because of the ever-changing environment of construction and its nature, a prototype or one-of-a-kind, industry. As a result, construction robots need much more programming than their industrial counterparts, which is labor intensive using known methods and is not compensated by mass production. The VR approach is demonstrated with the Multi-Purpose Interior Finishing Robot (MPIR) for a masonry task, accompanied by a detailed description of the VR-based programming model and approach.