Off-World Construction
Human-Robot Collaboration and Workforce Training
In 2023 I served on LSU's Expert Panel on Off-World Construction, a gathering of international experts in engineering, AR/VR/XR tools, construction management, and industry, including ICON, which is partnering with NASA to develop 3D-printed architecture for the moon, as seen in the video above.
I subsequently received a Big Ideas grant, in collaboration with faculty in the Department of Construction Management, to develop methods for robot-human collaboration in off-world construction and to enable exploration of environments with challenging characteristics: low or micro gravity, low or no moisture, high granular dust, and more. The project is titled "Future-Ready Workforce for Off-World Construction," part of the Big Ideas Program.
These faculty regularly conduct research in advanced materials and aerospace workforce development, including LSU Construction Management and NASA researchers exploring lunar materials for off-world robotic construction.
Our next steps adapt LSU's digital twin capabilities for off-world construction simulation and workforce training, adding procedural, physically accurate virtual environments for the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This is an early-stage, ongoing project.