Autonomous Collective Construction with Recyclable Modular Building Components

Project ID: 2531bd1612

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Research Theme: Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Research Area(s): Robotics and Artificial Intelligence
Manufacturing Technologies
Built Environment

UCL Lead department: Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction

Department Website

Lead Supervisor: Vijay Pawar

Project Summary:

This PhD project explores the future of autonomous construction, where teams of intelligent robots collaboratively build and reconfigure structures made from recyclable modular components. The aim is to develop a scalable, low-carbon, and circular approach to construction that reduces waste, improves productivity, and enables adaptable built environments.

The construction industry is a major global emitter of CO₂ and remains one of the least automated sectors. This research tackles these challenges by creating a multi-agent robotic system that can cooperatively assemble and disassemble modular building blocks made from recycled or bio-derived materials. By combining artificial intelligence, robotic perception, and collective control strategies, the system will allow autonomous agents—such as drones and mobile robots—to coordinate through embedded sensing and digital tags within the modules themselves.

Leveraging prior work in Nature (2022), and Science Robotics (2025), the project will investigate new methods for collective task allocation, localisation, and adaptive control, enabling robots to respond dynamically to real-world conditions. A circularity and lifecycle assessment will evaluate how modular reuse can reduce embodied carbon and extend the life of building systems.

This PhD will be based at UCL HereEast within the Autonomous Manufacturing Lab (AML), using available state-of-the-art robotic and sensing facilities, and will be co-supervised across the Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction and the Department of Computer Science. The student will gain hands-on experience in robotics, AI, sustainable materials, and digital manufacturing, supported by collaboration with industry partners in construction and materials innovation.

This project is ideal for candidates passionate about robotics, AI, and sustainability who want to redefine how we design and build — transforming construction into a circular, intelligent, and autonomous industry.