Leg-Arm Coordinated Operation for Curtain Wall Installation

2025-09-16

AI Summary

To address challenges in high-rise building curtain wall installation—including heterogeneous terrain, heavy reliance on manual labor, low efficiency, and high safety risks—this paper proposes a leg-arm coordinated whole-body control method for a hexapod robot. The approach introduces an innovative hierarchical optimization framework that integrates highly adaptive hexapod gait control with synergistic operation of a foldable arm and a serial-parallel redundant manipulator. This enables autonomous motion planning and stable installation across three complex scenarios: vertical walls, ceilings, and horizontal ground surfaces. Experimental validation in real construction sites demonstrates successful automated installation of diverse curtain wall panels. The system significantly enhances operational safety and environmental adaptability. Results substantiate the efficacy and engineering applicability of the leg-arm whole-body control paradigm for intelligent construction equipment.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Manipulation
• Multiagent Systems: Coordination and Collaboration
• Computer Vision: Vision for Robotics & Autonomous Driving

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy
• Semantics and Knowledge: Methods to enhance, augment, integrate or synergize semantic models such as knowledge graphs and LLMs

Abstract

With the acceleration of urbanization, the number of high-rise buildings and large public facilities is increasing, making curtain walls an essential component of modern architecture with widespread applications. Traditional curtain wall installation methods face challenges such as variable on-site terrain, high labor intensity, low construction efficiency, and significant safety risks. Large panels often require multiple workers to complete installation. To address these issues, based on a hexapod curtain wall installation robot, we design a hierarchical optimization-based whole-body control framework for coordinated arm-leg planning tailored to three key tasks: wall installation, ceiling installation, and floor laying. This framework integrates the motion of the hexapod legs with the operation of the folding arm and the serial-parallel manipulator. We conduct experiments on the hexapod curtain wall installation robot to validate the proposed control method, demonstrating its capability in performing curtain wall installation tasks. Our results confirm the effectiveness of the hierarchical optimization-based arm-leg coordination framework for the hexapod robot, laying the foundation for its further application in complex construction site environments.

Problem

• Developing leg-arm coordinated control for curtain wall installation robot
• Addressing labor intensity and safety risks in traditional installation methods
• Enabling hexapod robot to perform wall, ceiling, and floor tasks

Innovation

• Hierarchical optimization-based whole-body control framework
• Coordinated arm-leg planning for hexapod robot
• Integration of hexapod legs with folding arm manipulator