Exterior Wall Painting Robot Twice as Fast as Humans Designated as Construction New Technology

Hyundai Engineering announced on the 20th that the "exterior wall painting robot" technology, jointly developed with painting specialist company J2 ENC, has been designated as Construction New Technology No. 1042 by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The Construction New Technology system of the ministry certifies construction technologies that have either been developed for the first time in Korea or introduced and improved from overseas, after evaluating their applicability in the field, level of advancement, and other factors.

The newly designated exterior wall painting robot applies an unmanned, remote-control method to replace gondola-based exterior wall painting work, in which a work platform is suspended from the rooftop of a building with ropes. According to the company, operators can remotely control the equipment from the ground or rooftop, thereby reducing the risk of safety accidents associated with working at height.

Hyundai Engineering is demonstrating an exterior wall painting robot at an apartment construction site. Provided by Hyundai Engineering

The company has been conducting research and development on this robot since 2020 and has verified it through on-site demonstrations. The equipment is equipped with an attitude control function and an overspray prevention system. It is designed so that when a displacement beyond a certain angle occurs, a horizontal automatic control sensor immediately corrects it. By applying two sub-fans and a dedicated support frame, the system remains stable even amid external environmental changes such as wind. Multiple safety devices, including high-durability wires and an altitude sensor-based automatic stop function, have been applied.

To capture paint mist generated during the painting process, the robot is equipped with a dedicated casing and filter. A dedicated low-overspray, non-thinned type paint was also developed this time. The company stated that it reduces overspray by more than 90% compared with conventional water-based paint. According to on-site verification results, the work was completed about twice as fast as conventional manual labor.

Previously, the robot was invited to a construction automation robot demonstration event hosted by Korea Land and Housing Corporation in 2023, and it won the Innovation Award at a public contest held by the ministry the following year. Hyundai Engineering plans to expand the scope of application to various facade types and high-rise buildings in the future.