A group of
\npeople had gathered at a construction site in Vantaa, Finland, on February 25,
\n2019. On the floor of a large room, a robot was blinking lights, apparently
\nwaiting for instructions on what to do next. This was the first test of an industry-grade
\ncleaning robot for construction sites.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n The test Present at the Kimmo K\u00e4rkk\u00e4inen<\/strong>, NCC\u2019s project manager, had seen in his When NCC \u201cPulurobotics started out as a solution to a very tangible problem,\u201d says Miika Oja<\/strong>, a cofounder. \u201cWe have a warehouse in Tampere that needed a telepresence robot. In 2016, none existed that could survive the uneven floors and obstacles in the space. Arno Munukka<\/strong> and I developed the first prototype. It was not perfect until we ran into Antti Alhonen, a programmer who could help it become autonomous.\u201d<\/p>\n The As the The Building a \u201cThe The robot\u2019s Cleaning is The project The robot \u201cA robot The Fabian Fagerholm<\/strong> is a researcher at the University of Helsinki Fagerholm\u2019s Palmia Luuppala \u201cFinland is For more information about the project, contact
\nwas the culmination of an experimental project that NCC started in May 2018. Its
\ngoal was to develop an automated solution for keeping a construction site clear
\nof dust, which is a big problem and potential hazard for workers and equipment.<\/p>\n
\nMurata Electronics\u2019 factory extension site were representatives of four
\norganizations: NCC, Pulurobotics, Palmia, and the Department of Computer
\nScience at the University of Helsinki. Each one of them had a specific role in
\nthe project.<\/p>\n
\nearlier projects how inefficient cleaning could be. \u201cIt has been frustrating to
\nsee how a person cleans a half-hectare hall manually with a big broom,\u201d he
\nsays. \u201cThere are small vacuum robots and ride-on sweepers, but I\u2019ve not seen a
\nrobot of this size and with such capabilities before being used for cleaning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nlearned about what Pulurobotics had already done in robotics, they decided to
\nstart a KIRA-digi experiment with them. KIRA-digi is a national project that advances
\ndigitization of the built environment by funding fast trials. Palmia joined in
\nas a provider of cleaning services and the University of Helsinki as a user
\ninterface development partner.<\/p>\nThe Robot That Can
\nManeuver Autonomously<\/h2>\n
\nprototype that was under scrutiny at the Murata site is the 12th version. It is
\nthe size of a 600 x400 DIN box, lying flat on four wheels. It has ten sensors
\non its sides, indicator lights in each, and a vacuum cleaner on top of the
\nbody. In front, there\u2019s a wide nozzle for the vacuum.<\/p>\n
\nrobot moves around the room, it cleans the dust from the floor very well. You
\ncan clearly distinguish where it has been by the spotless streaks in the
\notherwise dusty areas. If the robot detects a person or an object in its path,
\nit will stop immediately and try to go around the barrier. The sensors can
\n\u201csee\u201d in three dimensions, covering 360 degrees horizontally and 110 degrees
\nvertically.<\/p>\n
\nprototype\u2019s vacuum cleaner is a \u20ac65 appliance that is not optimized
\nfor battery use. That\u2019s why it exhausts the 1.3-kWh battery in under two hours.
\nWithout the power-hungry tool, the robot could drive for days, carrying a
\n110-kilogram load.<\/p>\n![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/robot-team.jpg\")
Mechatronics and Software
\nMake a Robot<\/h2>\n
\nrobot is a cross-disciplinary endeavor. Pulurobotics got help from the airplane
\nindustry to rivet the aluminum body. They developed a motherboard that has all
\nthe electronics in one unit. They developed unique ToF (time of flight) sensors
\nthat use visible and infrared light to map out the environment. Even
\npsychologists gave tips on how to make the robot interact with humans.<\/p>\n
\nbiggest challenge in the project was the mapping software. The device can scan
\nthe space accurately but combining the scans into a coherent model is still
\ndifficult,\u201d Antti Alhonen<\/strong> admits. As
\na result, the floorplan of the scan is slightly skewed on Alhonen\u2019s laptop
\nscreen. Using BIM as a reference could solve the problem.<\/p>\n
\nsoftware has around 40,000 lines of code. In addition, the team of the
\nUniversity of Helsinki developed an interface for setting up the cleaning
\nareas. Their software tells the robot how to cover an area efficiently. The
\nrobot receives instructions and sends back data via Wi-Fi. It could as well be
\na 3G\/4G connection that makes remote operation possible.<\/p>\n![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/robot-control.jpg\")
A Robot as a Platform<\/h2>\n
\njust one of the many uses for the robot. Harri
\nLuuppala<\/strong>, chairman of the Pulurobotics board, explains, \u201cInstead of
\ndeveloping a robot for a specific use, we decided to build a robotic platform
\non top of which you can add any application or functionality.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nteam has already come up with many ideas. The robot could have an arm that can
\nlift things up and move them around. For example, it could stack furniture
\nbefore cleaning and place it back afterwards. It could also rearrange items in
\na room to change the layout.<\/p>\n
\ncould be a personal helper on a construction site, following a craftsperson and
\ncarrying the tools. With cameras attached, the robot can photogrammetrically
\nscan spaces and create as-built documentation of the site. At nighttime, it
\ncould serve as a security guard.<\/p>\nThe Robotic Future<\/h2>\n
\nlike this will improve safety, quality, and efficiency on the site. When the
\nfloors are clean, nobody dares to be messy on the premises,\u201d K\u00e4rkk\u00e4inen says. \u201cWe\u2019re
\ndefinitely looking forward to a finished product from Pulurobotics.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nprovider is ready to take on the challenge. Luuppala mentions that they have
\nalready ordered parts for 50 robots. Industrial cleaning robots could be among
\nthe first commercial applications of the platform. The price of a robot could end
\nup around \u20ac5,000. Robots with similar features
\ntypically cost between \u20ac30,000 and \u20ac50,000.<\/p>\n
\nand speaks enthusiastically about use-inspired research. He thinks that one of
\nthe most significant gains of this project has been the network of
\nprofessionals it has created.<\/p>\n
\nteam is building a software architecture that serves robotic development. \u201cAt a
\nconstruction site, you\u2019ll need a swarm of robots. They could convene at a command
\ncenter, download their instructions, and move to their respective locations to
\ndo the jobs autonomously,\u201d Fagerholm envisions.<\/p>\n![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/cleaning-robot.jpg\")
\nprovides, among others, cleaning services in southern Finland. For them,
\nrobotics is a strategic question. \u201cRobots are one of the few ways left to
\nimprove a cleaner\u2019s productivity,\u201d says Riku Moisio<\/strong>, the CIO of the company. He believes that today\u2019s consumer
\ngrade robots can soon evolve into useful industrial tools. Moisio points out
\nthat robots will be very efficient for certain clearly defined functions, but
\nnot a panacea that will make humans redundant.<\/p>\n
\nsays that Pulurobotics has not patented their technology. Their software is
\nopen source and can be used at places such as schools that want to develop
\nrobots on their platform. Pulurobotics and the KIRA-digi project have shown
\nthat you can develop world-class technology without the $100 million funding
\nthat competing firms typically have at their disposal.<\/p>\n
\nalready the land of Linux. We want to make Finland the land of open-source robotics,\u201d
\nLuuppala declares.<\/p>\n
\nKimmo K\u00e4rkk\u00e4inen at kimmo.karkkainen(at)ncc.fi.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n