Thomas Linner

• Professor
• Professor at Regensburg University of Applied Sciences

The elderly can be considered as an important labor force for future industrial development in Germany, in particular in the context of design and production of value-added personalized products/services that demand skilled and experienced labor. In this context, the project USA2 developed, classified, and evaluated scenarios for the utilization of...

“Building production” technology, i.e. construction automation and robotics (CAR), is on a worldwide level increasingly recognized as stating a key element of the future of construction, although CAR up to date has never experienced large-scale real-world implementation. However, the recent significantly growing demand for sustainability has the po...

The public housing construction industry in Hong Kong faces conspicuous challenges of high demands, safety, an ageing workforce, inconsistent quality and stagnant productivity. Compared to the manufacturing industry, the degree of automation in the construction sector lags behind. Based on the ongoing consultancy project commissioned by the Constru...

Purpose – The Japanese prefabrication industry not only has automated its processes to a high extent, but it also innovates due to the fact that it delivers buildings of outstanding quality accompanied by a multitude of services. In order to explore and specify the concepts and parameters that have driven this industry, Japan's prefabrication indus...

Highlights What are the main findings? Varied integration of Circular Economy in construction sector policies in the EU, U.S., and Japan. Limited acknowledgment of digital technologies in CE Policies, despite their potential. What are the implications of the main finding? Need for Policy Harmonization and Cross-Sectoral Collaboration. Policymakers...

Robotics has been gradually adopted in the construction sector to improve productivity and efficiency through automation. Recent scholars study design for automation to facilitate robotization in design and planning. Besides, it has the potential to enable circularity to assist in the current resource crisis. This article explores how robotization...

Digital representations of buildings are the supporting structures of various use-cases in the emerging field of data-driven decision making. From large scale applications in the context of city planning to the detailed evaluation of critical infrastructure they enable specialists to observe problems, interpret relationships, test solutions virtual...

This study aims to compare between onsite and offsite construction 3D printing (C3DP). For this purpose, the Systematic Literature Review approach (SLR) was employed. The review which was based on studying 48 sources identified six categories to classify the motives and barriers for the two C3DP techniques; cost, transportation, design flexibility,...

Digital Twins (DT) implementation in the Built Environment (BE) industry is still in its early stages. Aiming to increase the knowledge about DT, this study analyzes how DT can be understood in the BE sector and investigates its different potential benefits and expected challenges. To do so, the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach was emplo...

Population aging is arguably one of the most serious challenges facing human society. It is not only a severe crisis in the developed world but also a rigorous threat to emerging economies. Therefore, vigorous measures need to be taken to mitigate the impact of aging society. This chapter proposes a procedure model as the foundation to systematical...

Um den zunehmenden Anforderungen an die Beherrschung digitaler Techniken und an die Fähigkeit zur interdisziplinären Zusammenarbeit an Studierende aller Fachrichtungen zu begegnen wurde das interdisziplinäre Lehrformat Digitalisierungskollegs für Studierende entwickelt. Das in vielen Fachbereichen ausbaufähige Angebot von Digitalthemen in der Hoch-...

The construction industry, supported by the materials industry, is a major user of natural resources. Automation and robotics have the potential to play a key role in the development of circular construction by increasing productivity, reducing waste, increasing safety, and mitigating labor shortages. Starting with a brief synopsis of the history o...

The use of robotics in construction projects is still in its infancy despite the opportunities that robots can present for the improvement of construction practices. One of the strategies to effectively increase the reliance on robots in construction is increasing the knowledge and improving the educational programs about robotics for university st...

Beton ist das am meisten verwendete Baumaterial weltweit. CO2‐Emissionen, die bei der Zement‐ und Betonherstellung anfallen, müssen reduziert, Produktionsmethoden verbessert und Betonzusammensetzungen angepasst werden. Zudem steigt die Nachfrage nach Beton, während fossile Brennstoffreserven und die Verfügbarkeit von mineralischen Rohstoffen abnehm...

As use of digital fabrication increases in architecture, engineering and construction, the industry seeks appropriate management and processes to enable the adoption during the design/planning phase. Many enablers have been identified across various studies; however, a comprehensive synthesis defining the enablers of design for digital fabrication...

The use of robotics in construction projects is still in its infancy despite the opportunities that robots can present to the improvement of construction practices. One of the strategies to effectively increase the reliance on robots in construction is increasing the knowledge and improving the educational programs about robotics for university stu...

Due to a constantly growing interest in construction robots, guidance on the design and management for its development process is needed to employ the best practice know-how and accelerate efficient development and marketisation. The development of construction robots usually involves stakeholders from the construction sector, non-construction sect...

A cable-driven parallel robot (CDPR) was developed for the installation of curtain wall modules (CWM). The research addressed the question of whether the CDPR was capable installing CWMs with sufficient accuracy while being competitive compared to conventional manual methods. In order to develop and test such a system, a conceptual framework that c...

The overall aim of the project proposal is to develop a systematic, integrative approach for the use of assistance robotics on building construction sites, involving all stakeholders in construction robotics.

Population aging is one of the major challenges facing the world. In particular, the advent of China’s aging society caused by various factors will be a major threat to its future development. Therefore, serious measures need to be taken to achieve its demographic sustainability. Smart furniture can be considered as a novel subcategory of gerontech...

In recent years, there has been an increase in robots that perform activities in the built environment. In this chapter, projects were featured as case studies to demonstrate the potential of using automation and robotic technologies to facilitate building façade installation tasks. The Building Energy Renovation Through Timber-Prefabricated Module...

Background COVID-19 has a direct impact on the employment of older people. This adds to the challenge of ageism. The World Health Organization has started a worldwide campaign to combat ageism and has called for more research and evidence-based strategies that have the potential to be scaled up. This study specifically aims to identify solutions to...

Rapid advances in modern technologies have completely revolutionized many industries in recent years. It is anticipated that mechatronic and automation technologies would play an important role in transforming the construction industry to embrace for the fourth industrial revolution. However, construction automation problems bring up new research c...

ISARC is the premiere global conference in the domain of automation and robotics in construction. Specifically, ISARC 2021 is situated in an extremely interesting and important time in history: interest in digitising, automating, and robotising construction is rising in an unprecedented scale on a global level and cross all actors. This manifests i...

Population aging is one of the major challenges facing the world. In particular, the advent of China's aging society caused by various factors will be a major threat to its future development. Therefore, serious measures need to be taken to achieve its demographic sustainability. Smart furniture can be considered as a novel subcategory of gerontech...

In the 2020s, the number of the over 60s in the workforce will continue to increase. The book ‘Arbeit und Altern 2020’ (Work and Ageing 2020) takes stock of the state of knowledge on work and age and ageing, and on progress in the areas of work design and human resources. It presents academic findings, practical design models as well as company and...

Single-task construction robots (STCRs) have become a popular research topic for decades. However, there is still a gap in the ubiquitous application of STCRs for onsite construction due to various reasons, such as cost concerns. Therefore, cost-benefit analysis (CBA) can be used to measure the net economic benefit of the STCRs, compared to traditi...

Delivering energy-efficient buildings or settlements has become a popular topic amongst architects, engineers, and building engineering physicists. There are many methods for improving building energy performances, both for new build projects and for retrofitting existing buildings. However, the construction industry faces some profound challenges...

The installation of curtain wall modules (CWMs) is a risky activity carried out in the heights and often under unfavorable weather conditions. CWMs are heavy prefabricated walls that are lifted normally with bindings and cranes. High stability is needed while positioning in order not to damage the fragile CWMs. Moreover, this activity requires high...

Aging society is not only a crisis in the developed world but also a severe challenge in some emerging economies. However, the awareness of population aging and gerontechnology is far from sufficiently addressed in the architectural design education in universities. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach in design education is urgently needed to...

Construction robots are expected to have disruptive impacts on the building industry, but 8 there is still a lack of utilisation. While significant attention has been paid to technical 9 advancement, little has been done to comprehensively understand the broader societal issues 10 associated with the use of this technology. This paper aims to provi...

The world’s population is aging at an unprecedented pace. Aging society is not only a severe crisis in the developed world, but also a rigorous challenge in emerging economies. Many age-related diseases are fostered by the lack of physical, cognitive, and social activities. Increasing the activity level has many benefits for the elderly and can imp...

The technological development of construction robots is underway globally. However, current development activities face significant uncertainties, particularly in terms of the definition and management of system requirements, which are primarily based on vague assumptions about the future. Thus, a new tool is required to grasp how construction robo...

Deliverable D28: Formalized results of final testing and optimization activities: Sum-marization of testing and evaluation of final testing of continuously improved system in the form of prototypes in real world environments and presentation of optimization measures (associated with tasks T6.5, T6.6, T6.7, T6.8). D28 is an update on D27. Additional...

Deliverable D32: Detailed set of privacy guidelines and schemata Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare 2 Deliverable D32: Detailed set of privacy guidelines and schemata: Summarization of the outcome of the development of necessary data privacy and security schemata to (1) protect sensed data; (2) ascerta...

REACH has the ambition to influence and gain from standardization on national, European, and international level. We aim to create synergies between parallel work on these levels that will finally make a beneficial impact. Systematic parallel and synergetic work on these levels allow REACH to create a maximized impact for all involved stakeholders,...

This deliverable report focuses on the exploitation of the results and solutions from the REACH2020 research project and subsequent business models, associated with task T8.4. In particular, this report gives an overview of the progress regarding the purpose and planning of a REACH consultancy firm, including business models and marketing strategie...

The Construction Industry Council Hong Kong (CIC) had commissioned the Chair of Building Realization and Robotics (br2) at Technical University of Munich (TUM) to develop a facade processing robots for high-rise housing buildings (2017-2019). Details of this patent can be found on the online Patents Search System of HKIPD (https://esearch.ipd.gov.h...

REACH stands for “Responsive Engagement of the Elderly Promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare”. Sustained physical activity matters greatly to the health and well-being of older people and significantly improves their chance of maintaining independent living. It can make a difference across the whole care continuum as well as in almost every...

A need exists for faster installation of prefabricated modules in the refurbishment market. Current solutions for installing and fitting prefabricated modules on existing buildings are time consuming. The objective of this research is to reduce the time currently required for the installation of timber-based 2D modules by using innovative technolog...

Because of the sharply growing interest worldwide of “hard” physical-mechanical robot systems for the execution of on-site construction tasks [i.e. single-task construction robots (STCRs)], the purpose of this study is to equip development projects with a systematic design-management system model that allows to integrate the different needs and aim...

The new research field of Ambient/Active Assisted Living (AAL) is quickly evolving. Ambient Integrated Robotics provides an easy-to-understand medical perspective to architects, designers, and engineers, bridging the different disciplines and showing how they fuse together to create the future of AAL technology. Using robotics as an example, the bo...

Construction automation, construction robotics, prefabrication, off-site manufacturing, modular construction, mass-customisation

For a long time, the conventional construction sector in Hong Kong has been perceived as old-fashioned and lagging behind compared to many other industrial sectors. Numerous challenges are facing the construction industry, such as diminishing productivity, unstable quality, increasing demand, as well as population aging and shortage in the local la...

This workshop proceedings contain the final author versions submitted to the CIB World Building Congress 2019. All articles originally appeared in the official proceedings of the CIB World Building Congress 2019 which can be accessed through www.cibworld.nl CIB Working Commission W119 on Customized Industrial Construction has been established as t...

The world’s population is aging at an unprecedented pace. Aging society is not only a severe crisis in the developed world such as Germany and Japan, but also a rigorous challenge in emerging economies such as China. Many age-related diseases are fostered by the lack of physical, cognitive, and social activities. Increasing the activity level has m...

This deliverable report examines the outcome of the construction of functional or partly functional prototypes or mock-ups of Personalized Interior Intelligent Environment Units (PI²Us) for demonstration and testing purposes, associated with Task T5.4. The first part of this document will give an overview of the relation of this task to other tasks...

In this deliverable, we present, structure and interpret the formalised results of all testing activities that have been carried out thus far in REACH. We first (Chapter 2) introduce the detailed testing strategy of REACH, which details and brings forward previously described conceptual provisions (see Deliverables D4, D9 and D29) and responds to p...

This deliverable describes the results and reflections by the partners’ efforts on user acceptance and motivation strategies. The report presents the outcome of an identification and detailing of user acceptance and motivation strategies for the overall system (REACH, Touchpoints & Engine concept) and subsystems (Touchpoints, REACH toolkit elements...

In REACH, WP6 focusses on systems engineering and testing aspects such as system integration, verification, validation, and optimization. The presented Deliverable (associated with Task T6.2) provides a presentation/demonstration of the executed trials including different partner groups in different use case settings. It is worth mentioning that si...

In this paper the authors present the equipping of a 1:1 scaled AAL laboratory apartment with prefabricated compact "terminals" that concentrate on assistive technology. The development has been conducted within the Project LISA HABITEC, which is funded by the City of Bozen, Italy. Within this project new possibilities have been investigated, to en...

Final Report for the project A²L-Mobilius submitted to the Federal Ministry of Science and Education. German Ministry of Science and Technology (BMBF) funding code: GERF-IB-033

Today, approximately 70% of Greater Cairo’s 20 million inhabitants are living in urban informal settlements, and the number is expected to continuously increase. These informal settlements suffer from various issues such as overpopulation, high unemployment rate, land shortage, poor living conditions, inadequate infrastructures, and environmental p...

Purpose According to recent research, many reasons led to independent living become more prevalent among the aging population. This is in contrast with the high age capabilities to perform Activities of Daily Living. Consequently, it is necessary to provide in-home support for the increasing elderly population. For this reason, the project U.S.A. H...

In REACH, an experimental, cross-domain sensing-monitoring-intervention system that can be placed unobtrusively in various care settings and living environments of elderly citizens was developed. Through multiple Touchpoints, REACH implements and systemises several instances of the early detection of physical inactivity patterns and associated risk...

Automation and robotics has been regarded as a leading area of innovation in construction, for the betterment of the industry. Research has been spread out for decades, and new automation and robotics technologies continue to be developed for the general manufacturing industry as well as for the construction industry (Bock and Linner 2015a). In the...

The development of value propositions and business model in REACH is carried out in 5 consecutive phases. Principally it follows the five tasks of WP 8 (development of service-oriented future business strategies) and integrates knowledge and outcomes of selected tasks of WP9 such as innovation (T9.3), IP (T9.6), and stakeholder management (T9.7). C...

REACH states a complex system of systems that is not only developed by highly multi-disciplinary consortium, but moreover is situated in an environment comprised of a multitude of stakeholders (ranging from governments down to end-users) and external systems. Due to the criticality of personal data and the legal impact of medical, preventive feedba...

In this paper, a structured approach for the development of an initial business strategy blueprint for a complicated, multi-partner, multidisciplinary, early-stage research project focusing on value-based and preventive health care technology, is presented. Based on an in-depth analysis of the changes, trends, and innovation mechanisms in the healt...

In REACH, WP5 focusses on identifying the requirements for the Personalized Interior Intelligent Units (PI²Us) and concrete functional elements that have to be integrated by the PI²Us based on the outcomes of WP1 (in particular the detailed analysis of the use-case). In order to simplify later on the modularization of the system where possible betw...

This deliverable report presents the outcomes of task 7.1. It focuses on the identification and detailing of personalization strategies and degree of personalization for all subsystems. Since in task 1.3 and 1.4 we have created the REACH Touchpoint Engine concepts as the subsystems, the personalization strategies are identified and detailed based o...

Today’s population has reached a growth rate never seen before, and, globally, there are examples of traditional cities that have failed to adapt to this sudden change. Therefore, in some areas of the world, the overall quality of life has become unbearable. A proactive response is needed in order to solve the problems of problematic economy, poor...

This paper is a scientific review of the results from research project A2L-Mobilius, which is an ongoing research project partly funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). Today the process of urbanization has reached an unprecedented level. Most of the rapid urbanization phenomena happen in developing countries, trigge...

In REACH, WP6 focusses on systems engineering and testing aspects such as system integration, verification, validation, and optimization. The present Deliverable (associated with Task T6.1) is concerned in a cross sectional manner with the overall methods, best practices, standards, cross-compatibility, and coordination/planning of system integrati...

Description Contents Resources Courses About the Authors Learn how Single-Task Construction Robots (STCRs) can improve productivity in the construction industry with this cross-disciplinary text. This third volume in The Cambridge Handbooks in Construction Robotics series discusses the STCRs employed on construction sites since the development of...

In REACH, stakeholder management states a facilitator of the following process: (1) identification and analysis of the relevant stakeholders, (2) determination of stakeholders’ goals concerning REACH, and based on this (3) the establishment of the stakeholder relationship management process. Stakeholder management creates a feedback loop between in...

Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare 2 Deliverable D40: IPR management-outline of the code of conduct related to the management of intellectual property rights (IPR) in order to ensure an open atmosphere within the consortium as well as to foster efficient and fast exploitation of project results. Abstra...

This deliverable report presents three key contributions and a preview of a fourth. The approach of the report is complementary to the bottom-up approach of D1.3 that has identified “Touchpoints” and “Engine functionality” based on stakeholder workshop results. While this task continues the work of T1.1, which made a basic stakeholder analysis and...

Two mega-trends of modern culture, the rapid aging of the population and the inexorable advances in technology, have fueled the development of gerontechnology--the use of technology to sustain individual autonomy to an advanced age. This expansive book encompasses state-of-the-art research in gerontechnology and promising new technologies, products...

REACH‘s communication and dissemination strategy aims at the consistent communication of REACH’s unique selling propositions and the project’s outcomes towards the general public, end-users, key stakeholders, public authorities, technology developers and the scientific community. Key features of the strategy are the tailoring of means, messages and...

Recently, efficiency in the building fabrication process and on construction sites in terms of energy consumption, sustainability and reuse has become more and more important in the discussion of the building life-cycle and the construction site of the future. In this paper, different approaches for the development of automated refurbishment and en...

The phenomenon of informal settlements interests many areas of the world and is constantly expanding. These areas are often distinguished by the lack of regulation, cheap construction materials and poor living conditions. Nonetheless, they are as well characterized by a strong general sense of community and a quite advanced organization that the co...