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Article
Publication date: 19 January 2024

Mohamed Marzouk and Mohamed Zaher

Facility management gained profound importance due to the increasing complexity of different systems and the cost of operation and maintenance. However, due to the increasing…

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Abstract

Purpose

Facility management gained profound importance due to the increasing complexity of different systems and the cost of operation and maintenance. However, due to the increasing complexity of different systems, facility managers may suffer from a lack of information. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new facility management approach that links segmented assets to the vital data required for managing facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Automatic point cloud segmentation is one of the most crucial processes required for modelling building facilities. In this research, laser scanning is used for point cloud acquisition. The research utilises region growing algorithm, colour-based region-growing algorithm and Euclidean cluster algorithm.

Findings

A case study is worked out to test the accuracy of the considered point cloud segmentation algorithms utilising metrics precision, recall and F-score. The results indicate that Euclidean cluster extraction and region growing algorithm revealed high accuracy for segmentation.

Originality/value

The research presents a comparative approach for selecting the most appropriate segmentation approach required for accurate modelling. As such, the segmented assets can be linked easily with the data required for facility management.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 July 2023

Ruochen Zeng, Jonathan J.S. Shi, Chao Wang and Tao Lu

As laser scanning technology becomes readily available and affordable, there is an increasing demand of using point cloud data collected from a laser scanner to create as-built…

Abstract

Purpose

As laser scanning technology becomes readily available and affordable, there is an increasing demand of using point cloud data collected from a laser scanner to create as-built building information modeling (BIM) models for quality assessment, schedule control and energy performance within construction projects. To enhance the as-built modeling efficiency, this study explores an integrated system, called Auto-Scan-To-BIM (ASTB), with an aim to automatically generate a complete Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) model consisted of the 3D building elements for the given building based on its point cloud without requiring additional modeling tools.

Design/methodology/approach

ASTB has been developed with three function modules. Taking the scanned point data as input, Module 1 is built on the basis of the widely used region segmentation methodology and expanded with enhanced plane boundary line detection methods and corner recalibration algorithms. Then, Module 2 is developed with a domain knowledge-based heuristic method to analyze the features of the recognized planes, to associate them with corresponding building elements and to create BIM models. Based on the spatial relationships between these building elements, Module 3 generates a complete IFC model for the entire project compatible with any BIM software.

Findings

A case study validated the ASTB with an application with five common types of building elements (e.g. wall, floor, ceiling, window and door).

Originality/value

First, an integrated system, ASTB, is developed to generate a BIM model from scanned point cloud data without using additional modeling tools. Second, an enhanced plane boundary line detection method and a corner recalibration algorithm are developed in ASTB with high accuracy in obtaining the true surface planes. At last, the research contributes to develop a module, which can automatically convert the identified building elements into an IFC format based on the geometry and spatial relationships of each plan.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 January 2024

Kenneth Lawani, Farhad Sadeghineko, Michael Tong and Mehmethan Bayraktar

The purpose of this study is to explore the suggestions that construction processes could be considerably improved by integrating building information modelling (BIM) with 3D…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the suggestions that construction processes could be considerably improved by integrating building information modelling (BIM) with 3D laser scanning technologies. This case study integrated 3D laser point cloud scans with BIM to explore the effects of BIM adoption on ongoing construction project, whilst evaluating the utility of 3D laser scanning technology for producing structural 3D models by converting point cloud data (PCD) into BIM.

Design/methodology/approach

The primary data acquisition adopted the use of Trimble X7 laser scanning process, which is a set of data points in the scanned space that represent the scanned structure. The implementation of BIM with the 3D PCD to explore the precision and effectiveness of the construction processes as well as the as-built condition of a structure was precisely captured using the 3D laser scanning technology to recreate accurate and exact 3D models capable of being used to find and fix problems during construction.

Findings

The findings indicate that the integration of BIM and 3D laser scanning technology has the tendency to mitigate issues such as building rework, improved project completion times, reduced project cost, enhanced interdisciplinary communication, cooperation and collaboration amongst the project duty holders, which ultimately enhances the overall efficiency of the construction project.

Research limitations/implications

The acquisition of data using 3D laser scanner is usually conducted from the ground. Therefore, certain aspects of the building could potentially disturb data acquisition; for example, the gable and sections of eaves (fascia and soffit) could be left in a blind spot. Data acquisition using 3D laser scanner technology takes time, and the processing of the vast amount of data acquired is laborious, and if not carefully analysed, could result in errors in generated models. Furthermore, because this was an ongoing construction project, material stockpiling and planned construction works obstructed and delayed the seamless capture of scanned data points.

Originality/value

These findings highlight the significance of integrating BIM and 3D laser scanning technology in the construction process and emphasise the value of advanced data collection methods for effectively managing construction projects and streamlined workflows.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2024

Ruoxing Wang, Shoukun Wang, Junfeng Xue, Zhihua Chen and Jinge Si

This paper aims to investigate an autonomous obstacle-surmounting method based on a hybrid gait for the problem of crossing low-height obstacles autonomously by a six wheel-legged…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate an autonomous obstacle-surmounting method based on a hybrid gait for the problem of crossing low-height obstacles autonomously by a six wheel-legged robot. The autonomy of obstacle-surmounting is reflected in obstacle recognition based on multi-frame point cloud fusion.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, first, for the problem that the lidar on the robot cannot scan the point cloud of low-height obstacles, the lidar is driven to rotate by a 2D turntable to obtain the point cloud of low-height obstacles under the robot. Tightly-coupled Lidar Inertial Odometry via Smoothing and Mapping algorithm, fast ground segmentation algorithm and Euclidean clustering algorithm are used to recognize the point cloud of low-height obstacles and obtain low-height obstacle in-formation. Then, combined with the structural characteristics of the robot, the obstacle-surmounting action planning is carried out for two types of obstacle scenes. A segmented approach is used for action planning. Gait units are designed to describe each segment of the action. A gait matrix is used to describe the overall action. The paper also analyzes the stability and surmounting capability of the robot’s key pose and determines the robot’s surmounting capability and the value scheme of the surmounting control variables.

Findings

The experimental verification is carried out on the robot laboratory platform (BIT-6NAZA). The obstacle recognition method can accurately detect low-height obstacles. The robot can maintain a smooth posture to cross low-height obstacles, which verifies the feasibility of the adaptive obstacle-surmounting method.

Originality/value

The study can provide the theory and engineering foundation for the environmental perception of the unmanned platform. It provides environmental information to support follow-up work, for example, on the planning of obstacles and obstacles.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2023

Chuyu Tang, Genliang Chen, Hao Wang and Yangfan Yu

Hull block assembly is a vital task in ship construction. It is necessary to obtain the actual poses of the assembly features to guide further block alignment. Traditional methods…

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Abstract

Purpose

Hull block assembly is a vital task in ship construction. It is necessary to obtain the actual poses of the assembly features to guide further block alignment. Traditional methods use single-point measurement, which is time-consuming and may lead to loss of key information. Thus, large-scale scanning is introduced for data acquisition, and this paper aims to provide a precise and robust method for retrieving poses based on point set registration.

Design/methodology/approach

The main problem of point registration is to find the correct transformation between the model and the scene. In this paper, a vote framework based on a new point pair feature is used to calculate the transformation. First, a special edge indicator for multiplate objects is proposed to determine the edges. Subsequently, pair features with an edge description are noted for every point. Finally, a voting scheme based on agglomerative clustering is implemented to determine the optimal transformation.

Findings

The proposed method not only improves registration efficiency but also maintains high accuracy compared to several commonly used approaches. In particular, for objects composed of plates, the results of pose estimation are more promising because of the compact pair feature. The multiple ship longitudinal localization experiment validates the effectiveness in real scan applications.

Originality/value

The proposed edge description performs a better detection for the edges of multiplate objects. The pair feature incorporating the edge indicator is more discriminative than the original template, resulting in better robustness to outliers, noise and occlusions.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 43 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2024

Chuyu Tang, Hao Wang, Genliang Chen and Shaoqiu Xu

This paper aims to propose a robust method for non-rigid point set registration, using the Gaussian mixture model and accommodating non-rigid transformations. The posterior…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a robust method for non-rigid point set registration, using the Gaussian mixture model and accommodating non-rigid transformations. The posterior probabilities of the mixture model are determined through the proposed integrated feature divergence.

Design/methodology/approach

The method involves an alternating two-step framework, comprising correspondence estimation and subsequent transformation updating. For correspondence estimation, integrated feature divergences including both global and local features, are coupled with deterministic annealing to address the non-convexity problem of registration. For transformation updating, the expectation-maximization iteration scheme is introduced to iteratively refine correspondence and transformation estimation until convergence.

Findings

The experiments confirm that the proposed registration approach exhibits remarkable robustness on deformation, noise, outliers and occlusion for both 2D and 3D point clouds. Furthermore, the proposed method outperforms existing analogous algorithms in terms of time complexity. Application of stabilizing and securing intermodal containers loaded on ships is performed. The results demonstrate that the proposed registration framework exhibits excellent adaptability for real-scan point clouds, and achieves comparatively superior alignments in a shorter time.

Originality/value

The integrated feature divergence, involving both global and local information of points, is proven to be an effective indicator for measuring the reliability of point correspondences. This inclusion prevents premature convergence, resulting in more robust registration results for our proposed method. Simultaneously, the total operating time is reduced due to a lower number of iterations.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 44 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2024

Qihua Ma, Qilin Li, Wenchao Wang and Meng Zhu

This study aims to achieve superior localization and mapping performance in point cloud degradation scenarios through the effective removal of dynamic obstacles. With the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to achieve superior localization and mapping performance in point cloud degradation scenarios through the effective removal of dynamic obstacles. With the continuous development of various technologies for autonomous vehicles, the LIDAR-based Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) system is becoming increasingly important. However, in SLAM systems, effectively addressing the challenges of point cloud degradation scenarios is essential for accurate localization and mapping, with dynamic obstacle removal being a key component.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a method that combines adaptive feature extraction and loop closure detection algorithms to address this challenge. In the SLAM system, the ground point cloud and non-ground point cloud are separated to reduce the impact of noise. And based on the cylindrical projection image of the point cloud, the intensity features are adaptively extracted, the degradation direction is determined by the degradation factor and the intensity features are matched with the map to correct the degraded pose. Moreover, through the difference in raster distribution of the point clouds before and after two frames in the loop process, the dynamic point clouds are identified and removed, and the map is updated.

Findings

Experimental results show that the method has good performance. The absolute displacement accuracy of the laser odometer is improved by 27.1%, the relative displacement accuracy is improved by 33.5% and the relative angle accuracy is improved by 23.8% after using the adaptive intensity feature extraction method. The position error is reduced by 30% after removing the dynamic target.

Originality/value

Compared with LiDAR odometry and mapping algorithm, the method has greater robustness and accuracy in mapping and localization.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2023

Hao Wang, Hamzeh Al Shraida and Yu Jin

Limited geometric accuracy is one of the major challenges that hinder the wider application of additive manufacturing (AM). This paper aims to predict in-plane shape deviation for…

Abstract

Purpose

Limited geometric accuracy is one of the major challenges that hinder the wider application of additive manufacturing (AM). This paper aims to predict in-plane shape deviation for online inspection and compensation to prevent error accumulation and improve shape fidelity in AM.

Design/methodology/approach

A sequence-to-sequence model with an attention mechanism (Seq2Seq+Attention) is proposed and implemented to predict subsequent layers or the occluded toolpath deviations after the multiresolution alignment. A shape compensation plan can be performed for the large deviation predicted.

Findings

The proposed Seq2Seq+Attention model is able to provide consistent prediction accuracy. The compensation plan proposed based on the predicted deviation can significantly improve the printing fidelity for those layers detected with large deviations.

Practical implications

Based on the experiments conducted on the knee joint samples, the proposed method outperforms the other three machine learning methods for both subsequent layer and occluded toolpath deviation prediction.

Originality/value

This work fills a research gap for predicting in-plane deviation not only for subsequent layers but also for occluded paths due to the missing scanning measurements. It is also combined with the multiresolution alignment and change point detection to determine the necessity of a compensation plan with updated G-code.

Details

Rapid Prototyping Journal, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 December 2022

Vahide Bulut

Surface curvature is needed to analyze the range data of real objects and is widely applied in object recognition and segmentation, robotics, and computer vision. Therefore, it is…

Abstract

Purpose

Surface curvature is needed to analyze the range data of real objects and is widely applied in object recognition and segmentation, robotics, and computer vision. Therefore, it is not easy to estimate the curvature of the scanned data. In recent years, machine learning classification methods have gained importance in various fields such as finance, health, engineering, etc. The purpose of this study is to classify surface points based on principal curvatures to find the best method for determining surface point types.

Design/methodology/approach

A feature selection method is presented to find the best feature vector that achieves the highest accuracy. For this reason, ten different feature selections are used and six sample datasets of different sizes are classified using these feature vectors.

Findings

The author examined the surface examples based on the feature vector using the machine learning classification methods. Also, the author compared the results for each experiment.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to examine surface points according to principal curvatures using machine learning classification methods.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. 57 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2021

John Peter Cooney, David Oloke and Louis Gyoh

This study aims to demonstrate the possibility of showing the functionality of complex microbial groups, within ancient structures within a process of refurbishment on a heritage…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to demonstrate the possibility of showing the functionality of complex microbial groups, within ancient structures within a process of refurbishment on a heritage building information modelling (BIM) platform.

Design/methodology/approach

Both a qualitative and qualitative research method will be used throughout, as observational and scientific results will be obtained and collated. This path being; phenomena – acquisition tools – storage – analysis tools – literature. Using this methodology, one pilot study within the scope of demolition and refurbishment, using suitable methods of collecting and managing data (structural or otherwise), will be used and generated by various software and applications. The principle methods used for the identification of such micro-organisms will incorporate a polymerase chain reaction method (PCR), to amplify DNA and to identify any or all spores present. The BIM/historical BIM (HBIM) process will be used to create a remotely-based survey to obtain and collate data using a laser scanner to produce a three-dimensional point cloud model to evaluate and deduce the condition, make-up and stature of the monument. A documentation management system will be devised to enable the development of plain language questions and an exchange information requirement, to identify such documentation required to enable safe refurbishment and to give health and safety guidance. Four data sampling extractions will be conducted, two for each site, within the research, for each of the periods being assessed, that being the Norman and Tudor areas of the monument.

Findings

From laboratory PCR analysis, results show a conclusive presence of micro-organism groups and will be represented within a hierarchical classification, from kingdom to species.

Originality/value

The BIM/HBIM process will highlight results in a graphical form to show data collected, particularly within the PCR application. It will also create standardisation and availability for such data from ancient monuments to make available all data stored, as such analysis becomes substantially important to enable the production of data sets for comparison, from within the framework of this research.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

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