Boola Katitjin and the QUENDA-BOT
Industry partner
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Aurecon
Research Centre
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UTS Robotics Institute
Funding Resource
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Murdoch University funded the project through its innovation partnership with Aurecon
Project dates
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2021 - 2022
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Partnership ongoing
- Posted on 16 Jan 2025
- 3-minute read
Introducing robotics to construction – improving cost, efficiency and safety.
Aurecon partnered with UTS’s Robotics Institute in a world-first trial of using an autonomous robot in the construction of the Boola Katitjin building.
Key takeaways
- UTS designed and built QUENDA-BOT, an autonomous robot tasked with installing timber screw fixings.
- In collaboration with Aurecon and Murdoch University, QUENDA-BOT was trialled in the construction of Murdoch University’s iconic Boola Katitjin building.
- Achieving an accuracy of +/-5mm, QUENDA-BOT exceeds the quality output of manual screw fixing installation.
- These results highlight the potential for robotics to improve quality and efficiency of construction processes, reducing costs and the risk of injury to workers.
Opened in 2023, Murdoch University’s Boola Katitjin is Western Australia’s first – and largest – mass-engineered timber (MET) building.
“MET is a completely renewable resource and a more sustainable construction material than conventional steel or concrete,” says Murdoch University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Deeks.
Reflecting the university’s sustainability values in built form, Boola Katitjin presented the opportunity to challenge other aspects of construction.
“Working with our design, engineering and advisory partner Aurecon, we set out to determine where technology would add value to the construction process,” says Professor Deeks.
The concept was developed to trial robots installing screw fixings – an important but labour-intensive task that’s essential on MET construction sites.
Screw fixings are key to the structural stability of MET buildings, but come with a risk of worker fatigue and back injury due to the awkward poses required to install them and the repetitive nature of the work.
A world-first technology trial
Working with Aurecon and Murdoch University, UTS researchers designed and built QUENDA-BOT, an autonomous construction robot.
Named after the southern brown bandicoot found on the Perth campus, the QUENDA-BOT was trialled over a two-week period, installing timber screw fixings in the building.
Using a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) navigation system, the robot was able to move autonomously around the worksite and install screws to an accuracy of +/-5mm.
These results are a significant improvement on the accuracy and efficiency of manual drilling.
Distinguished Professor Dikai Liu, Strategic Director Research of the UTS Robotics Institute, says the site trial results are very promising.
“Construction sites are varied, complex and changing – and that can be a real challenge for a robot. What we have been able to design is an intelligent robot that can focus on an important task even amidst this disruptive environment.”
Proof of concept to longer-term impact
The ability for QUENDA-BOT to be tested on a live construction site has implications not just for the project partners, but for the broader industry.
Tim Spies, Aurecon’s Managing Director, Built Environment Australia, says the trial shows how innovative approaches could improve project outcomes across the construction industry.
The project’s immediate objective is focused on proof of concept, to demonstrate the robot’s capability of installing screw fixings in an accurate manner.
The longer-term objective is to prove that automation can effectively support on-site construction of timber structures, increasing productivity and accuracy, reducing costs, and improving worker safety.
Over the course of the trial, the prototype installed about 100 timber screw fixings. With as many as 300,000 screw fixings in the final building, the potential for robotics technology to deliver benefits on a project such as this is clear.
“This work is ideal for a robot,” said Professor Shoudong Huang, Deputy Director of the UTS Robotics Institute. “Robots can insert the screws more accurately and apply more consistent force and control to the drill than a human. This type of innovation in construction technology has the potential to revolutionise the construction of timber structures.”
Aurecon was named AFR Boss 2023 Most Innovative Professional Services Company for its work on Boola Katitjin.
An ongoing partnership
While the robotics trial wrapped up in 2022, and construction of the building was completed in 2023, the relationship between Aurecon and UTS is ongoing.
Both organisations are partners of the ARC Research Hub to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment (ARC Advance Timber Hub), working together to advance timber innovation.
We are also undertaking further research around the QUENDA-BOT, building on the existing prototype and exploring its potential in a range of scenarios.
Aurecon estimates that robotics technology such as QUENDA-BOT could reduce timber construction schedules by 15-20%, with promising applications in other construction scenarios as well.