US-12624544-B2 - Autonomous robotic construction system and method

Abstract

Thus, there is disclosed an autonomous robotic construction system comprising at least one frame comprising at least one substantially horizontal track and at least one set of substantially vertical track; at least one nozzle; at least one movable device coupled to the frame and configured to move said nozzle around said frame; at least one pump configured to pump building materials through said at least one nozzle; and at least one computer system comprising at least one microprocessor configured to control said at least one nozzle, said at least one movable device and said at least one pump to control deposition of any building materials on a site.

Inventors

• Sal Ferrari
• Robert Smith
• Mario Szczepanski

Assignees

• SQ4D PATENT LLC

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20190412

Claims (20)

1. 1 . An autonomous robotic construction system configured to distribute building materials, the system comprising: at least one frame comprising at least one substantially horizontal track and at least one set of substantially vertical tracks; at least one rotatable nozzle having a non-circular aperture; at least one movable device coupled to the frame and configured to move said rotatable nozzle around said frame; at least one pump configured to pump building materials comprising at least one of cementitious material or concrete through said at least one rotatable nozzle; at least one feed tube configured to distribute the building materials, wherein said at least one feed tube comprises a chamber and at least one rotatable sleeve, the chamber being fluidly connected to the at least one rotatable nozzle through the at least one rotatable sleeve; at least one rotatable auger extending from the chamber, wherein the at least one rotatable sleeve and the at least one rotatable auger are rotatable independent of one another at a direction of rotation and a rate of rotation effective to control deposition amount and deposition rate of the building materials; and at least one computer system comprising at least one microprocessor configured to control said at least one rotatable nozzle, said at least one rotatable auger, said at least one movable device, and said at least one pump to control deposition of the building materials.
2. 2 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one movable device is configured to move along at least one of said substantially horizontal track or at least one track of said set of substantially vertical tracks.
3. 3 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one substantially horizontal track of said frame comprises at least two substantially parallel horizontal tracks.
4. 4 . The system as in claim 3 , wherein said at least one set of substantially vertical tracks of said frame comprises at least two substantially vertical parallel tracks.
5. 5 . The system as in claim 4 , further comprising at least one cross-beam configured to extend between said at least two substantially parallel horizontal tracks.
6. 6 . The system as in claim 5 , wherein said at least one rotatable nozzle is coupled to said at least one cross-beam.
7. 7 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one substantially horizontal track comprises at least one substantially I-beam shaped track.
8. 8 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one movable device comprises at least one cart.
9. 9 . The system as in claim 8 , wherein said at least one set of substantially vertical tracks is positioned on said at least one cart wherein said at least one set of substantially vertical tracks is movable along said at least one horizontal track via said at least one cart.
10. 10 . The system as in claim 5 , wherein said at least one cross-beam is vertically movable along each of said at least two substantially parallel vertical tracks.
11. 11 . The system as in claim 10 , further comprising at least one nozzle platform, wherein said at least one rotatable nozzle is coupled to said at least one nozzle platform, wherein said at least one nozzle platform is movable along said at least one cross-beam.
12. 12 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein said at least one rotatable nozzle non-circular aperture is rectangular in shape.
13. 13 . The system as in claim 12 , further comprising at least one stepper motor, wherein said at least one stepper motor is coupled to said at least one rotatable auger and configured to drive said at least one rotatable auger.
14. 14 . The system as in claim 13 , wherein said at least one stepper motor is configured to rotate said at least one rotatable sleeve.
15. 15 . The system as in claim 14 , wherein said at least one computer system is configured to control said at least one stepper motor.
16. 16 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein said rotatable nozzle is replaceable.
17. 17 . The system as in claim 16 , further comprising a replaceable tip coupling configured to allow said at least one rotatable nozzle to be removed and replaced.
18. 18 . The system as in claim 1 , further comprising at least one additional feed tube for delivering additional material separate from said nozzle.
19. 19 . The system as in claim 18 , further comprising at least one tank coupled to said additional feed tube.
20. 20 . The system as in claim 19 , further comprising at least one additional head coupled to said additional feed tube.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a non-provisional application that hereby claims priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 62/657,769 filed on Apr. 14, 2018 the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION At least one embodiment of the invention relates to an autonomous robotic construction system and method that can be used to manufacture or print buildings or building components. The system comprises a frame, a nozzle, and at least one computer-controlled system for autonomous robotic construction of a building structure. Traditional building procedures involve framing a wall with extensive labor involved. Much of the work is customized and subject to human error. Therefore, there is a need for an automated robotic construction system and method. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Thus, there is disclosed an autonomous robotic construction system and method comprising at least one frame comprising at least one substantially horizontal track and at least one set of substantially vertical track; at least one nozzle; at least one movable device coupled to the frame and configured to move said nozzle around said frame; at least one pump configured to pump building materials through said at least one nozzle; and at least one computer system comprising at least one microprocessor configured to control said at least one nozzle, said at least one movable device and said at least one pump to control deposition of any building materials on a site. In at least one embodiment the at least one movable device is configured to move along at least one of said substantially horizontal track or said substantially vertical track. In at least one embodiment, the at least one substantially horizontal track which comprises at least two substantially parallel tracks. In at least one embodiment, the at least one substantially vertical track comprises at least two substantially parallel tracks. In at least one embodiment there is at least one cross-beam configured to extend between two substantially parallel horizontal tracks. In at least one embodiment, the nozzle is coupled to the cross beam. In at least one embodiment the substantially horizontal track comprises at least one substantially I beam shaped track. In at least one embodiment the movable device comprises at least one cart. In at least one embodiment the substantially vertical track is positioned on at least one cart wherein the substantially vertical track is movable along the horizontal track via the cart. In at least one embodiment the cross-beam is vertically movable along each of the two substantially parallel vertical tracks. In at least one embodiment there is a nozzle platform, wherein the nozzle is coupled to the nozzle platform, wherein said the nozzle platform is movable along the one cross-beam. In at least one embodiment, the nozzle or head can be a rotating head for precise application of building materials. These building materials can be in the form of a cement, concrete, and/or fiber reinforced cement or fiber reinforced concrete or any other suitable poured or injected building materials. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings which disclose at least one embodiment of the present invention. It should be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention. In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views: FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of the frame; FIG. 2 is a side view of the frame; FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of the computer portion of the system for controlling the system; FIG. 4 is a side view of the frame, the nozzle and the feeding system; FIG. 5 is a top-side perspective view of a portion of the frame in the form of a bottom rail. FIG. 6A is a top view of the rail; FIG. 6B is a side view of the rail; FIG. 6C is an end view of the rail; FIG. 7A is a top view of a horizontal rail system; FIG. 7B is a close-up view of a section of the rail shown in FIG. 7A; FIG. 7C is a side view of the rail shown in FIG. 7A; FIG. 7D is a close-up view of an end of the rail shown in FIG. 7C; FIG. 7E is a top-side perspective view of the rail shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C; FIG. 8 is a view of a cart, trolley or tractor; FIG. 9A is a bottom view of the vertical rail system; FIG. 9B is a side view of the vertical rail system; FIG. 9C is a side view of the vertical rail system rotated 90 degrees with respect to FIG. 9B; FIG. 9D is a top view of the vertical rail system; FIG. 10A is another side view of the vertical rail system; FIG. 10B is another side view of the vertical rail system; FIG. 11 is a top-side perspective view of the cart; FIG. 12 is