The construction sector is increasingly adopting technology to enhance safety, efficiency, and precision. As part of this evolution, we at HumanTech are exploring how robotics can address specific challenges in construction. From 7 to 11 October 2024, colleagues from various partner organisations gathered at ACCIONA Construction’s R&D centre in Madrid for a hands-on demonstration session. It focused on testing and conducting user evaluations of one of our cutting-edge pilot projects: a robotic system designed to apply mastic in concrete expansion joints. This demo allowed us to assess the pilot’s performance in real-world conditions and gather valuable feedback from users, which is critical for refining our technology and tailoring it to actual needs.
Read below to hear from the HumanTech team experts involved in developing this innovative solution.
The working environment we chose for this demo session
Anurag Bansal, Head of Strategic Innovations at ACCIONA
We selected our test site, specifically designed to mimic real-world conditions, to perform this demo. We had ten workers present, representing various skill levels, which allowed us to gather real-time feedback on the performance of our robotic application. We organised the site for safety and efficiency, ensuring clear access for both workers and the robotic system.
During the session, we followed all the necessary safety protocols, including the use of personal protective equipment. The noisy and busy setting gave us insights into how the robotic system operates under typical construction conditions. We conducted the demo in favourable weather and under a covered area, emphasising the technology’s potential adaptability to different environments.
Open communication channels facilitated us with immediate feedback, enhancing our understanding of the robotic application’s usability and effectiveness. Overall, the session successfully demonstrated how automation can improve productivity and worker safety while addressing ergonomic concerns in construction.
“This demo session successfully demonstrated how automation can improve productivity and worker safety while addressing ergonomic concerns in construction.”
Our robotic system
Irati Rasines, Researcher at TECNALIA Research & Innovation
This robotic system has two main features. On the one hand, the learning-from-demonstration approach, through which an expert operator can demonstrate how to fill an expansion joint by moving the robot by teleoperation and activating the mastic gun when necessary. On the other hand, there is the automatic execution module. This module allows the use of the robot control parameters learned from the demonstration to execute the filling task autonomously, ensuring a uniform filling of the expansion joint.
This method is intended to ensure uniform filling quality and better occupational health for the operators since, with a small demonstration (10-15 cm), the robot can fill without moving its entire working range.
Our robotic mastic gun
Gabor Sziebig, Research Manager in Robotics and Automation at SINTEF Manufacturing
Our robot-enabled mastic gun represents the first step towards automating a construction task. It is meant for manual use, but we have adapted it for automatic use, and it can be controlled by electrical signals from a robot.
A mechanism is pushing the enabling switch, which is considered the safest solution because it can be achieved without manipulating the electronics of the manual adhesive gun. A similar solution can be applied to any handhold or manual construction equipment.
Our user evaluation provided highly relevant feedback to refine the robotic tool further.
Objective assessment of the robot
Erlantz Loizaga, Researcher, and Sara Sillaurren, Project Manager, at TECNALIA
At Tecnalia, we measured physiological parameters (including galvanic skin response, pulse/heart rate, and electroencephalography) to objectively infer whether users accept the teleoperation system as an alternative to the traditional one, feel comfortable using its devices, and trust its functioning.
Subjective user evaluations
Patricia Helen Rosen, Human Factors and Ergonomics Scientist at BAUA
Our focus was on conducting subjective evaluations of the technology, collecting participant feedback through questionnaires after interacting with the system. These evaluations provide valuable insights into personal user experiences and opinions, which are essential for developing user-centred technologies.
To understand the participants’ general affinity for technology and their views on the system’s usability and ease of use, we used established tools such as the System Usability Scale (SUS), a widely validated measure of overall usability perception. We also used a questionnaire based on DIN EN ISO 9241-110 principles to assess specific aspects of interaction quality and included open-ended questions to let participants share what they liked about the system and suggest improvements.
Subjective evaluations such as these are crucial because they reveal how users actually experience technology and help ensure that developments are closely aligned with real-world needs and preferences.
“Subjective evaluations such as these are crucial because they reveal how users actually experience technology and help ensure that developments are closely aligned with real-world needs and preferences.”
This pilot demonstrates the potential of robotics to improve traditional construction methods by enabling precise, safe, and efficient mastic application in concrete joints. With the valuable insights we gained from this session, we are better equipped to refine our technology and ensure it meets the construction industry and its workers’ needs.
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