Robot teams for construction sites [Int]Friday 9 Oct 2026
Through the “Pathfinder Challenge,” the European Innovation Council supports groundbreaking technologies with high transformative potential. However, competition for funding is extremely fierce. In the EIC Pathfinder Challenge “Toward Autonomous Robot Collectives Delivering Collaborative Tasks in Dynamic, Unstructured Construction Environments,” the University of Stuttgart secured funding for two successful projects in 2026: SCALAR and COBRAS. Both projects are coordinated by the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) and will each receive approximately €4 million in funding. "This extraordinary double achievement underscores the University of Stuttgart's leading international position in architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC). At the same time, these new projects are boosting our visibility worldwide as a research hub for the digital transformation of the construction industry,” says Prof. Achim Menges, director of the Institute for Computational Design and Construction (ICD) at the University of Stuttgart. Menges is also the spokesperson for the Stuttgart Cluster of Excellence IntCDC, to which SCALAR and COBRAS are affiliated. Both projects focus on autonomous multi-robot systems for construction sites. Research will begin in November 2026. The projects are scheduled to last three years. Urgently Needed: Greater productivity and sustainability in the construction industry The global demand for housing, buildings, and infrastructure is steadily increasing. To meet this demand, construction would have to increase significantly and proceed more quickly – but a shortage of workers is making this increasingly difficult. SCALAR and COBRAS aim to boost productivity in the construction industry with the help of autonomous robotics. In addition, the researchers view robotics as a pioneer for resource-efficient and circular construction methods. Robotics as part of a comprehensive, integrated approach The two successful EIC projects are based on a research approach that the University of Stuttgart –and the ICD in particular – has developed over many years. "In the IntCDC Cluster of Excellence, we do not view robotics in isolation. To make the construction industry future-proof, we view design, planning, materials, component manufacturing, the construction site, and robotics as part of an integrated system,” says Menges. The researchers in Stuttgart call their new approach “co-design,” in which architecture, engineering, robotics, computer science, and other disciplines work closely together. Using a co-design approach, SCALAR and COBRAS are each exploring different areas of application for collaborative robotic systems on construction sites. SCALAR: Autonomous construction machines and robots work as a team Timber-based modular construction relies on a renewable raw material and is not only considered a forward-looking technology for greater sustainability, but also enables higher productivity in the construction industry. More >> Source & image credit: University of Stuttgart  | ||
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