POSE: Phase I: Open-Source Ecosystems for Construction Automation and Robotics Education

This project develops a shared open-source ecosystem that expands access to education in construction automation and robotics - fields that are increasingly important to national infrastructure needs. Many construction organizations face barriers to adopting new technologies because educational materials are scattered, inconsistent, or difficult to access, limiting workforce readiness and slowing innovation. By planning a coordinated ecosystem built around the existing open-source platform, OpenConstructionRobotics, the project will help educators, students, and practitioners more easily learn, use, and contribute to emerging robotics tools. This effort supports the national interest by strengthening workforce development, improving safety and productivity in the construction sector, and broadening participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through open access resources and community involvement, the project promotes opportunities for learning and technology adoption across academic, industry, and trade school settings. By enabling broad access to construction automation and robotics technologies, the OSE benefits more than 8 million construction workers in the U.S. and boosts the economy through improved productivity, safety, and quality in the construction sector. The project will plan and design an open-source ecosystem (OSE) that integrates robot simulators, control libraries, educational modules, and demonstrative projects into a cohesive framework for construction automation and robotics education. The team will conduct ecosystem discovery activities to identify technical, organizational, and social requirements, including governance strategies, contributor pathways, and long-term sustainability needs. Methods include roadmap development, stakeholder interviews, surveys, workshops, and community engagement with construction workers, educators, engineers, researchers, and policymakers. The project will also outline frameworks for integrating control algorithms and robotics content into the open platform, ensuring interoperability and accessible reuse of materials. Outcomes will include an ecosystem blueprint, governance model, and development plan that positions the community to sustain a robust and scalable educational resource for construction automation and robotics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.