Cognitive Robotics for Digital Twin–Enabled Automation in Structural Panel Fabrication and Installation

This paper presents an integrated system that combines robotics, depth vision, and digital twin technologies to automate and enhance the fabrication of structural wooden panels and their installation on-site by human workers. The methodology for enabling better and faster panel production and on-site installation integrates AI and Robotics into BIM (Building-Informational-Model), allowing the entire build process to be simulated and optimized in a digital environment before deployment. The robotic system for panel assembly and the computer vision system work hand in hand with the robots, making real-time decisions, detecting issues, and ensuring consistent quality. The interface to a digital twin enables on-site crew guidance for seamless panel integration into new homes. The system is evaluated on more than 50 real-world panels and demonstrates improvements in installation efficiency by reducing the time needed to frame the house by 70%, decreasing the cost by approximately 30%, and improving quality traceability, compared to conventional building methods. This work exemplifies cognitive collaboration between robots and humans in modern manufacturing environments.