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Robotics

HP targets construction sites with autonomous floorplan-printing robots

By Loz Blain
September 16, 2022
HP targets construction sites with autonomous floorplan-printing robots
HP says its autonomous SitePrint robot can radically cut the time spent in construction site layout
HP says its autonomous SitePrint robot can radically cut the time spent in construction site layout
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HP says its autonomous SitePrint robot can radically cut the time spent in construction site layout
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HP says its autonomous SitePrint robot can radically cut the time spent in construction site layout
HP claims the SitePrint robot replicated seven hours of manual layout work in 45 minutes in testing, with extreme accuracy
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HP claims the SitePrint robot replicated seven hours of manual layout work in 45 minutes in testing, with extreme accuracy
A variety of different inks for different surfaces and requirements
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A variety of different inks for different surfaces and requirements
The little fella can print text and complex shapes, as well as lines and curves
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The little fella can print text and complex shapes, as well as lines and curves
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HP has put forward a small robot it says can dramatically speed up construction work, by autonomously printing guidelines straight from the blueprints onto the floor. Rugged, roadworthy and extremely accurate, Siteprint is a super-quick layout tool.

The robot replaces the time-consuming manual process of site layout, using a variety of different inks to place precise lines, exact curves and faithful reproductions of complex shapes on all kinds of floors, from porous surfaces like concrete and plywood to terrazzo, vinyl or epoxy.

It doesn't require a perfectly smooth or clean floor – indeed, it can handle a certain degree of surface irregularity and obstacles up to 2 cm (0.8 in) high. It runs built-in obstacle and cliff drop sensors for fully autonomous operation, and will work around barriers even if they're not in the plans.

As well as layout lines, it's capable of printing more or less whatever else you need on the floor too, including text notes. Operators set it up using cloud-based tools for job preparation, fleet management and tracking, and can run it on site with a touch-screen tablet and a tripod-mounted "totalstation."

HP claims the SitePrint robot replicated seven hours of manual layout work in 45 minutes in testing, with extreme accuracy
HP claims the SitePrint robot replicated seven hours of manual layout work in 45 minutes in testing, with extreme accuracy

“The existing manual layout process can be slow and labor intensive,” said Albert Zulps, Director of Emerging Technology at Skanska - a global construction and development company currently using the SitePrint system for two of its US projects. "Despite being done by specialists, there is always the risk of human error, which can result in costly reworks. Layout experts are a scarce resource who add a lot of value in terms of planning and strategy, but often end up dedicating most of their time to manual execution. HP SitePrint lets us do more with less, helping reduce schedules thanks to a much faster layout process, and allowing senior operators to focus on other critical activities like quality control.”

While HP hasn't announced pricing, we assume the printer robot itself will be surprisingly cheap, but the ink's gonna be a killer. Yuk yuk.

Check out Siteprint in the video below.

HP SitePrint Skanska testimonial | HP

Source: HP

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5 comments
Loz Blain
Loz Blain
Loz has been one of our most versatile contributors since 2007, and has since proven himself as a photographer, videographer, presenter, producer and podcast engineer, as well as a senior features writer. Joining the team as a motorcycle specialist, he's covered just about everything for New Atlas, concentrating lately on clean energy, AI, humanoid robotics, next-gen aircraft, and the odd bit of music and automotive. In February 2024, he stepped up to lead New Atlas as Editorial Director, and he's as curious as anyone to see how that pans out.

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5 comments
Ron
Nice gadget, but have been a commercial layout specialist for many years I can see one small problem, architects rarely see the building they are designing space for and therefore they make a lot of errors which have to be corrected in the field or referred back to the architect. I don't think this robot will have that capability and so a small error in blueprint will become a major cost down the line, resulting in needless cost and ending up with the robot being pitched out the window.
Smokey_Bear
I'm a electrician, not an architect, but I agree with Ron.
ljaques
Great idea, but does it actually work as advertised? Question: Does it go around spraying the 1.5" wide graffiti lines first, then come back and burn the precise line afterward? Or were those dark center lines all drawn by the crew after the HP spray paint session? ;)
Brian Smith
There are already a few other layout robots already on the market and they print much finer lines and text. Lookup Dusty Robotics for one example.
kwalispecial
Combine this tech with a more mobile vehicle and you could have it out on the road or at larger construction sites painting Dig Safe lines.