A new approach to contact assembly at a building scale
The IRIM Fall 2026 seminar, which will be held on October 7, 2026, in Klaus 1116 E&W at the Georgia Institute of Technology, focuses on solutions for one of the biggest challenges in construction robotics: contact assembly. High accuracy requirements and difficulties related to uncertainties in element geometry, variability in material properties, or limited observation of large components mean that even small deviations can prevent assembly or cause damage.
The presentation will discuss three key approaches: adaptive control, which compensates for discrepancies between the model and reality; learned sensorimotor policies, which allow dealing with complex interactions with small tolerances; and a hybrid approach combining both. This approach aims to enable the transfer of skills between tasks without the need for real demonstrations, which is crucial for the scalability of solutions in real construction conditions.
Applications and limitations in practice
Research conducted on a construction scale shows that new methods can significantly improve the precision of assembly, even with large uncertainties. However, the presentation emphasizes that there are still significant limitations. In particular, it is difficult to generalize solutions between different materials or geometries. Transferring skills between tasks without additional data from the real environment remains a challenge, and extending methods to longer assembly sequences requires further research.
The results indicate that although the technology is already capable of handling individual assembly stages, its full integration into construction processes requires the development of new tools for modeling uncertainty and real-time adaptation. This means that although development is dynamic, practical implementations will only be possible after further experiments and tests.
The future of robotics in construction: from prototypes to real projects
The lecture concludes with a discussion of the open challenges that will determine the future of this field. In particular, it emphasized the need for generalizing solutions between different material systems and geometries, which is crucial for scalability. Also, transferring skills between tasks without the need for real demonstrations - so-called zero-shot sim-to-real transfer - is one of the most important research goals.
In the long term, the development of such systems can contribute to the creation of more resilient, durable and low-emission infrastructure. Research conducted by Dr. Arash Adel in his research group at Princeton University shows that robotics not only supports efficiency but can also influence construction culture - the participation of people and robots in design processes can lead to more inclusive and equitable solutions.
In the long term, the development of such systems can contribute to the creation of more resilient, durable and low-emission infrastructure. Research conducted by a scientist from Princeton University in the field of Robotics in additive manufacturing show that automation technologies not only support process efficiency, but can also influence the culture of design and construction - the collaboration between humans and machines can lead to more inclusive and equitable solutions.
Why is this important for the future of construction?
The growing need to build infrastructure while simultaneously limiting the availability of labor makes robotics not only a tool, but a necessity. Robotic assembly can reduce the physical burden on workers, increase precision, and open up new architectural possibilities. However, its effectiveness depends on the ability of systems to cope with the uncertainties of the real-world environment.
The IRIM 2026 presentation shows that development is no longer just about building more precise robots, but about creating intelligent systems that learn and adapt. This changes the approach to design - from static procedures to dynamic, autonomous processes. For technology integrators such as NexaRob, this means the need to build flexible solutions that can operate in conditions of uncertainty and changing requirements.
