Mobile 3D Printing Techniques for Construction Engineering: Outdoor Navigation and Printing Quality Control

As an emerging intelligent construction technique, three-dimensional (3D) printing technology can improve the utilization rate of building materials, reduce labor costs and shorten the construction period. However, in traditional 3D printing, large-size 3D print machines, restricted print sizes of structural components and unstable printing quality limit its application in construction engineering. This paper proposes a mobile 3D printing technique for construction engineering. In this technique, a mobile 3D printing construction robot (M3DPC-Rob) is developed that takes advantage of a movable platform and flexible mechanical arm to cover the printing range of ordinary residential buildings. In order to locate the robot accurately in outdoor environments, an outdoor positioning and navigation method based on reflective columns is proposed. Furthermore, a quality control process is developed and modified to improve the quality of the printed line width. The results of a case study reveal that the outdoor navigation and printing quality control techniques of M3DPC-Rob show sufficient and steady accuracy that meet the requirements of construction engineering.