CONCERT · Project

Modular Robots That Safely Handle Heavy Loads Alongside Workers on Construction Sites

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Imagine if you could snap together robot parts like LEGO blocks to build exactly the machine you need for today's job — lifting heavy beams in the morning, precise drilling in the afternoon. That's what CONCERT built: a kit of robot modules that workers can reconfigure on the fly for different construction tasks. The robots are strong enough to handle human-scale forces but smart enough to sense when a person is nearby and stay safe. They use cameras and sensors at multiple scales to understand what's happening around them and automatically adjust how they work alongside people.

By the numbers

partner organizations in consortium

countries represented (AT, DE, IT, PL)

total project deliverables produced

demo deliverables with prototype demonstrators

industry partner in the consortium

17%

industry participation ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Construction sites face a dangerous combination: heavy manual lifting causes injuries, skilled labor is increasingly scarce, and every job site is different — making traditional fixed automation impractical. Current collaborative robots are too weak for real construction work, limited to light assembly tasks in controlled factory settings. Companies need robots that are both powerful enough for heavy-duty tasks and flexible enough to adapt to constantly changing site conditions.

The solution

What was built

The project built a modular configurable robot platform with 42 deliverables including: proximity sensing modules for safe human-robot interaction, a control toolbox for automatic motion and navigation deployment, software tools for automatic configuration synthesis from task requirements, multi-scale multi-modal sensor fusion components, open-source simulation and model generation tools, and a preliminary integrated system verified through experimental trials in construction scenarios.

Audience

Who needs this

Large construction companies facing labor shortages and safety compliance pressureRobot integrators serving construction and heavy industry clientsHeavy manufacturing firms needing flexible human-robot collaboration for high-payload tasksConstruction equipment manufacturers looking to add collaborative robotics to their product lineOccupational safety consultants advising on automation of dangerous manual tasks

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Construction

enterprise

Target: General contractors and construction firms managing large building projects

If you are a construction company dealing with labor shortages and safety incidents from heavy lifting — this project developed modular collaborative robots with verified safe physical interaction that can be reconfigured for different tasks on the same site. The system includes 6 demo prototypes covering proximity sensing, control toolboxes, and sensor fusion, validated in construction scenarios with high payloads and diverse workspace settings.

Industrial Automation

mid-size

Target: Robot integrators and automation solution providers

If you are a robotics integrator struggling with the cost and time of deploying custom robot setups for each client — this project developed open-source simulation tools and automatic model generation for configurable robots, plus a software toolbox for automatic deployment of motion and navigation control. Instead of engineering each solution from scratch, you could assemble and deploy robot configurations from a modular kit with 42 documented deliverables.

Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Heavy manufacturing plants with mixed human-robot workflows

If you are a manufacturer where workers handle parts too heavy for current cobots but too variable for full automation — this project built high-power collaborative robots with multi-modal sensor fusion that adapt their behavior based on what the human partner is doing. The shared autonomy system automatically allocates roles between human and robot, covering tasks that require demanding human-scale forces while ensuring safety on the fly.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this configurable robot system?

The project does not publish pricing or unit cost data. As a publicly funded research project (RIA), the outputs are pre-commercial. Implementation costs would depend on the specific configuration needed, but the modular approach is designed to reduce costs compared to custom-built solutions since you reconfigure rather than replace.

Can this scale to a real construction site or factory floor?

The project built a preliminary integrated system that was verified through experimental trials in construction task scenarios with high payloads and diverse workspace sizes. However, this was validated in controlled settings, not full-scale commercial deployment. The 6 partners across 4 countries tested multiple configurations, but scaling to production would require additional engineering.

Who owns the IP and can I license this technology?

The consortium of 6 partners — led by Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia — holds the IP. The project explicitly produced open-source simulation and model generation tools, which are freely available. For proprietary components like the control toolbox and sensor fusion modules, licensing would need to be negotiated with the consortium partners.

How does this differ from existing collaborative robots on the market?

Current commercial cobots are limited to low-power, light tasks. CONCERT specifically targets high-power collaborative robots that can handle demanding human-scale forces — think construction-grade lifting — while still ensuring worker safety through multi-scale proximity sensing and verified safe physical interaction. The modular design means one platform covers multiple task types.

Is the safety system certified for industrial use?

The project developed verified safe physical interaction methods and proximity sensing modules, but based on available project data, formal industrial safety certification is not documented. The assessment methodology covers technical, functional, occupational, labor effort, and societal aspects, which would support a future certification process.

How quickly can the robot be reconfigured for a different task?

The project emphasizes quick deployment and adaptability as core goals, with automatic deployment of control and online safety verification methods. The software tools for configuration synthesis can generate new robot arrangements from task requirements. Based on available project data, specific reconfiguration time benchmarks are not published.

Consortium

Who built it

The CONCERT consortium is research-heavy: 4 research organizations and 1 university out of 6 partners, with only 1 industry participant (17% industry ratio) and zero SMEs. This is typical for a deep-tech robotics project at an earlier maturity stage. The coordinator, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, is a leading European robotics research institution. The 4-country spread across Austria, Germany, Italy, and Poland covers key European manufacturing and construction markets. For a business looking to adopt this technology, the low industry involvement means commercialization partnerships are still needed — but it also means early movers could secure favorable licensing terms before the technology reaches the broader market.

FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIACoordinator · IT
FRAUNHOFER ITALIA RESEARCH SCARLparticipant · IT
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHENparticipant · DE
BUDIMEX SPOLKA AKCYJNAparticipant · PL
PROFACTOR GMBHparticipant · AT
CENTRALNY INSTYTUT OCHRONY PRACY - PANSTWOWY INSTYTUT BADAWCZYparticipant · PL

How to reach the team

Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Genoa, Italy — contact through SciTransfer for a warm introduction to the project team

Order a report on this consortium See FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI TECNOLOGIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how CONCERT's configurable robot technology could address your construction or manufacturing automation challenges? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the research team and help you evaluate fit for your specific use case.

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