HP INNOVATION FALL / WINTER 2022 13
HP SITEPRINT , THE CONSTRUCTION ROBOT
the newest device in construction isn ’ t a gargantuan piece of heavy machinery . Instead , it ’ s a neat yellow robot just 21 inches high — the size of a carry-on — that could be your Roomba ’ s more robust cousin . This three-wheeled portable robot prints complex construction site layouts in a fraction of the time it would take a team of humans .
Traditionally , construction layouts require the use of survey equipment and measurement tools to physically transfer a blueprint ’ s specifications onto the construction site . This critical step can take a team of two or three people several weeks , regardless of their experience level . There ’ s little room for error , since tearing down a partial build because of a measuring mistake is expensive and time-consuming . HP SitePrint incorporates HP ’ s printing expertise with digital mapping and robotics .
“ HP SitePrint prints complex construction site layouts with pinpoint accuracy , in a fraction of the time it would take manually ,” says Daniel Martinez , Vice President and General Manager of HP ’ s Large Format Printing business .
The autonomous device requires a set of cloudbased software tools and just one human operator , who controls it via a touchscreen tablet . It can print solid or dotted lines , arcs , and points and can add text labels for clarity . Specialized inks are tailored to different surfaces ( porous and nonporous ) and environmental conditions , including long-term and short-term inks that can last days or weeks depending on the construction time frame . Importantly , the robot is equipped with obstacle avoidance and cliff sensors to autonomously avoid unknown elements — not uncommon at a construction site . It can even print perfectly when tilting or running over uneven concrete .
The big news : Weeks of layout can now be done in days . HP estimates that the SitePrint can increase productivity by up to 10 times , without sacrificing precision or accuracy . During a pilot program , construction and development firm Skanska discovered the many ways HP SitePrint could improve workflow and create efficiencies . The company used the device while transforming the landmark 1911 James A . Farley Building , once New York City ’ s main post office , into the mixed-use , 225,000-square-foot Moynihan Train Hall , an extension of Penn Station , one of the city ’ s major transit hubs . The renovation included 1.4 million square feet of retail and office space as well as transit .
“ HP ’ s goal is to automate the transition between the digital and the physical worlds , to boost productivity and unlock new possibilities ,” Martinez says .
— Hillary Richard
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