BIM-Integrated Generation of Safety-Aware, Georeferenced Occupancy Grid Maps for Autonomous Masonry Robots

Research output: Contribution to book/Conference proceedings/Anthology/Report › Conference contribution › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Bricklaying faces significant labor shortages, for which Mobile Construction Robots (MCRs) offer a promising solution. However, the absence of many building elements and hazards in brickwork environments, such as floor and exterior wall openings, which may be undetectable to robot sensors, poses safety challenges to the navigation system. This paper presents an automated workflow to integrate IFC-based Building Information Modeling (BIM) information into the Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) navigation stack (Nav2) by generating compatible 2D Occupancy Grid Maps (OGMs) and safety-zone masks. To do so, navigation-relevant geometric, semantic, and georeferencing information is extracted from the IFC model and stored in dedicated data structures. Then, detectable and undetectable obstacles are classified based on the robot's mechanical structure and sensor configuration, including the traversability threshold and the 2D LiDAR scan plane height. This results in the generation of (1) a static main map containing detectable obstacles and (2) a keep-out mask encoding undetectable hazards, both of which are rasterized automatically and integrated into Nav2, where keep-out regions are enforced as costmap filters for global path planning and local path tracking. Simulation results demonstrate that this approach enhances operational safety in brickwork construction environments by increasing the safety success rate and eliminating intrusions into the safety zones.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 43rd International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, ISARC 2026
EditorsQian Chen, Gaang Lee, Ci-Jyun Liang, Jiansong Zhang, Vineet R. Kamat
Pages602-609
Number of pages8
ISBN (electronic)978-0-6458322-3-5
Publication statusPublished - 25 Jun 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

Publication series

SeriesThe International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction

Conference

Title43rd International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction
SubtitleConstructing the Future: Sustainable, Smart, and Lean
Abbreviated titleISARC 2026
Conference number43
Descriptionco-located with the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group of Lean Construction (IGLC34)
Duration22 - 26 June 2026
Website
Degree of recognitionInternational event
LocationNational University of Singapore
CitySingapore
CountrySingapore

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-9168-0835/work/219973641
ORCID /0000-0001-9650-3849/work/219975485
ORCID /0000-0002-7922-3041/work/219975908
ORCID /0009-0008-0505-7686/work/219977266
Scopus 105046012800

Keywords

Research priority areas of TU Dresden

DFG Classification of Subject Areas according to Review Boards

Keywords

  • Occupancy Grid Map, Safety Zone, Mobile Construction Robot, Navigation, BIM, IFC