Digitizing construction sites sustainably: This is the goal behind the “KUKA NOX” concept study, which KUKA Corporate Research developed together with a Swiss design student. The mobile construction robot helps with measuring and drawing in on construction sites, making all important information accessible exactly where it is needed. The concept study has now been awarded the Red Dot Design Concept Award 2021 in the “Best-of-the-Best” category. Since 2005, the Red Dot Award: Design Concept has recognized the need to discover and award new design concepts and innovations – paving the way for current design challenges and for the significant products of the future.
The concept was developed from an extensive analysis of the construction industry including expert interviews, site visits, activity analysis, stakeholder mapping and other research. It is the result of close collaboration with Lukas Hilfiker, design student from Switzerland. The sustainable digitization of the construction industry and the support of construction workers on site were the focus of concept development.
Working at night? Just the right thing for “KUKA NOX”
The “KUKA NOX” construction robot works at night, more or less as a mobile 2D printer. It automatically transfers all important data from the digital model to the construction site by printing markings and information, e.g. instructions in the form of a QR code, at all corresponding points. In this way, the craftsmen have all the latest information directly on-site every morning. Conversely, the robot also scans the construction site at night and transfers the current status to the digital model – the digital twin of the construction site – to the computer. This also allows customers and architects to view the construction site virtually at any time from anywhere in the world. The cumbersome and error-prone work with plans, spirit levels, tape measures, or pencils would thus become a thing of the past. However, there are currently no plans for “KUKA NOX” to become a series product in the near future.