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Large-scale construction projects can benefit from having a team of heterogeneous building robots operating autonomously and cooperatively on unstructured environments. In this work, we propose a flexible system architecture, MARSala, that allows teams of distributed mobile robots to construct motion support structures in large and unstructured environments using purely local interactions. The paper primarily focuses on the deliberative layer of the architecture which provides a means for formulating a construction project as a motion support structure construction problem. We implemented the architecture in simulation and demonstrated the benefits of such a formulation in two different construction scenarios operating in large unstructured environments.
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This content will become publicly available on November 22, 2026
How to Build a Drum-Shaped House: A Replicative Experiment in Ancestral Architecture (Cusco, Peru)
Studies of late prehispanic architecture in the Andes have generally focused on rectangular and circular structures associated with the Inka Empire. Meanwhile, the architecture of non-Inka populations spans a remarkable diversity of non-orthogonal structures, implicating varied roof designs and construction techniques. This study addresses a gap in knowledge on architectural traditions through collaboration with the community of Huama (Lamay District). Specifically, the replicative construction of a wankar wasi (drum-shaped house) presented herein draws on traditional knowledge developed in Huama over the course of many generations. We also applied Mobile Laser Scanning to visualize and analyze the resultant structure. These data facilitate analogy between contemporary practices and the archaeological record to understand the materials, knowledge, and relationships engaged by prehispanic builders, with the objective of reconstructing local cooperation and resilience of under state occupation. Moreover, this research celebrates local heritage while illuminating the technological choices implicated in construction, past and present.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2212652
- PAR ID:
- 10649984
- Publisher / Repository:
- Taylor & Francis
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Ethnoarchaeology
- ISSN:
- 1944-2890
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 29
- Subject(s) / Keyword(s):
- Experimental archaeology labor construction technology traditional knowledge community-based research mobile laser scanning Inka Empire Andes
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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