SIMCON (System of Intelligent Connected Machines for Construction)

Purpose

In the past decade, the construction industry has lagged behind other sectors in terms of digitalization, while attention has increased towards the industry's CO2 emissions and the opportunities arising with electrified and autonomous vehicles and machinery. Construction and infrastructure projects often consist of complex subsystems with independent suppliers, systems, and machines in their own ecosystems. To fully exploit the advantages of digitalization, the project will develop an intelligent System of Systems (iSoS) to connect the underlying systems.

The project has the target to advance the industry by:

• Facilitating interaction between autonomous and electrified machines
• Reducing incidents and accidents by integrating safety mechanisms into machines and systems
• Providing a reliable CO2 report for an entire project from production to completion
• Enhancing information exchange between different systems and making communication between systems more robust and efficient
• Digitizing more processes

Challenge 

Coordinating activities on construction sites is a crucial factor in maximizing productivity. Introducing autonomous and electrified machines to leverage the benefits of new technology requires a digital infrastructure to enable communication between machines on-site. Due to the interdependence of various systems handling data from each machine, there is a need for a clear standard of shared data and an agreement on how data should be used to achieve the goals.

The future technical development of the solution is linked to these focus areas:

• Model- and simulation-driven development and digitalization, including the use of digital twins
• Autonomous systems (development, optimization, and architecture for reliability and coordination)
• 5G networks and edge computing
• Integration of safety in the work environment and in CO2 reports

Expected Results

Since there are currently no existing or feasible iSoS solutions, we anticipate increased productivity and efficiency in the construction sector over time. The project is expected to develop concepts (TRL 2-3), orchestration through iSoS, the development of mechanisms and methods, and a demonstration of the solution's applicability on-site in the Slakthusområdet through visualization in the form of a film.

The project will demonstrate the possibilities of interoperable, scalable, and device- and supplier-independent operation of construction sites. Such a solution has the potential to be applied in other construction or infrastructure projects involving complex interactions between human and autonomous vehicles and systems.

Project Partners

Fredrik Cederstav, RISE

Ulf Håkansson, Skanska

Sasikumar Punnekkat, MDU

Christian Spjutare, Volvo CE

Joachim Sachs, Ericsson