The Use of Simulation Results in the Economic Analysis of Robotized Construction Tasks

Adequate economic justification is a key requirement for the implementation of robotic systems in the construction industry. In the present work the concept of off-line simulation is used to provide the user with a rational approach for economic decision making with regard to the use of robotics. The proposed off-line simulation process helps the user in planning, scheduling and costing the whole job. With the aid of a graphical simulation package, the user can estimate the whole job time that reflects the cost of the individual tasks. A simple criterion is developed to estimate the task cost based on the task simulation time. The criterion takes into account the individual costs of the robotic system components, labour, transportation, site preparation and office work. This work is applied to Starlifter, a heavy tool deployment manipulator.