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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Robot. AI
Sec. Robot Design
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/frobt.2025.1548684
This article is part of the Research Topic Innovations in Construction Robotics View all articles
Intuitive BIM-Aided Robotic Navigation and Assets Localization with Semantic User Interfaces
Provisionally accepted
Rafael Gomes Braga 1*
Muhammad Owais Tahir 1 Sina Karimi 1 Ulrich Dah-Achinanon 2
Ivanka Iordanova 1
David St-Onge 1- 1 École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Montreal, Canada
- 2 Polytechnique Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
The deployment of mobile robots on construction sites has attracted growing interest from both academic research and industry, driven by labor shortages and the need for more efficient project management. However, integrating robotic systems into dynamic and hazardous construction environments remains challenging due to the reliance on extensive on-site infrastructure, limited adaptability, and a disconnect between system capabilities and field operators' needs. This study presents a comprehensive, modular robotic platform for construction site navigation and asset localization. The system leverages Building Information Modeling (BIM)-based semantic navigation, active Ultra-Wideband (UWB) beacon tracking for precise equipment detection, and a cascade navigation stack that integrates global BIM layouts with real-time local sensing. A usercentric graphical user interface (GUI) enables intuitive control for non-expert operators, improving field usability. The platform was validated through real-world deployments and simulations, demonstrating reliable navigation in complex layouts and high localization accuracy. A user study confirmed improved task efficiency and reduced cognitive load. This work provides a scalable, infrastructure-light solution that bridges the gap between advanced robotics and practical construction site deployment.
Keywords: Semantic navigation, BIM/IFC, path planning, Domain Knowledge, mobile robots
Received: 20 Dec 2024; Accepted: 14 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Gomes Braga, Tahir, Karimi, Dah-Achinanon, Iordanova and St-Onge. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Rafael Gomes Braga, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Montreal, Canada
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.