Towards Construction 4.0 Spraying Technologies: Development of an Automated Modular Spraying System (AMSS) for Varying-Viscosity Coating Applications

Research output: Contribution to conferences › Paper › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

Abstract

As the construction industry transitions toward Construction 4.0, there is an increasing demand for automated technologies to replace labour-intensive manual coating processes at construction sites. Traditional spraying systems are often limited to single-mode operation and manual control, making them insufficient for the automated application of diverse material properties found on modern jobsites. This work addresses three linked research challenges: integrating multiple spray principles within one carrier-agnostic spray head, maintaining control of critical process parameters across material-dependent behaviour, and establishing a pathway toward rheology-aware adaptation. The implemented AMSS addresses these challenges at a first stage through software-selectable multi-mode spraying and perception-guided pose control, with results showing stable sprayability across a wide apparent-viscosity range and mode-dependent modulation of plume width without hardware replacement. AMSS combines a modular spray head for Airless, AirCoat, and Airmix modes with ROS 2-based control, embedded real-time actuation, and ToF-based stand-off and surface-orientation sensing. Experimental validation across multiple materials used high-speed imaging and pixel-based deposited-surface metrics to assess sprayability, plume stability, control over the deposited spray footprint, and edge overspray. The results indicate stable multi-material spraying and mode-dependent control of both plume behaviour and deposited-surface behaviour, supporting scalable automated coating applications.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages454-461
Publication statusPublished - 25 Jun 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

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

Scopus 105046006804