Towards Supporting Construction Equipment Operation Using Collaborative Agent-Based Systems

A new approach based on collaborative agents is proposed to coordinate construction equipment operation in real-time. Cranes are taken as an example due to their frequent usage in construction for cooperative work. Literature related to agent-based applications is reviewed to investigate the feasibility and advantages of applying agents for equipment operation. Information about the equipment to be shared between agents is identified and the requirements for applying collaborative agent-based systems in construction are discussed. Lift task is decomposed into several steps comprising different actions for each crane, and negotiation is used to resolve the conflicts. A case study about a bridge rehabilitation project is used, where two cranes are working together to lift a panel on the bridge with height limits from the bridge structure. A simulation model is under development to create a virtual environment showing the work site, the bridge structure and two virtual cranes. In our preliminary test, agents can dynamically control the kinematic action of the two cranes respecting the functional constraints for safety and efficiency of operations.