LAUSR

Abstract Utility pipes on the facades of high-rise buildings are susceptible to the harsh environment. Damaged pipes are conventionally replaced manually, which is inconvenient to customers and leads to material wastage and worker safety concerns. This work proposes a different approach by developing a robotic solution in a preventive maintenance manner. The entire robotic system consists of a service robot working at heights and a remote ground station. This paper presents the work process and the major robotic modules: a manipulator arm, a two-finger gripper with force feedback, a sparkless polishing tool with contact feedback, a painting tool with a dip replenish mechanism, and on-board visual monitoring. Field deployment test results validate the effectiveness of the concept. The proposed system saves time from eliminating scaffold preparation setup and reduces material wastage compared with conventional methods. The developed robotic system and process have a potential application in relevant high-rise utility operations.