Lab-Scale Cable-Driven Parallel Robot Prototype for Automated Prefabricated Component Manipulation

Abstract

This paper presents the design and evaluation of a lab-scale cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) developed as a flexible platform for the automated installation of facade components. While we present this study with focusing on transporting and positioning prefabricated facade panels, the system is adaptable to a range of other facade-related tasks, including window installation, air barrier membranes spraying, and surface treatment of building exteriors. Traditional manual methods for these tasks, relying on scaffolding, cranes, cherry pickers, and verbal coordination, are labor-intensive, error-prone, and often limited by site access constraints, particularly in dense urban environments. To address these challenges, we developed a lab-scale CDPR platform that integrates custom hardware with torque control and real-time state estimation using a construction-grade total station and an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). This paper focused on the system's mechanical design, actuation architecture, control strategy, and evaluate the system in a laboratory environment. Results demonstrated successful integration of the sensing and control subsystems and precise torque trajectory tracking. The paper concludes with key control insights and discusses future directions for advancing CDPRs in real-world facade construction applications.