Roadrobot Project - An Experience Using STEP in Construction

Up to now, the construction industry has not achieved a very high degree of automation. This lack has resulted in a demand for very flexible and automated heavy-duty machines, as well as integration concepts for automated construction sites. The utilisation of Information Technology (IT) in outdoor applications, specially in the building industry and automated construction, should receive more attention concerning the utilisation of standards in the modelling process, towards system's integration. A STEP (ISO 10303) based platform (SIP toolkit), for integration of applications under standard information modelling, was developed by the UNINOV A institute, helping to reach standardised Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environments. This paper devotes special attention to the results and experience acquired during 'the implementation of SIP in several R&D industrial projects. The focus is put on the European Project named RoadRobot - Operator Assisted Mobile Road Robot For Heavy Duty Civil Engineering Applications.