Abiola Akanmu

Hossein Naderi, Alireza Shojaei, Lifu Huang et al.

Robots are expected to play a major role in the future construction industry but face challenges due to high costs and difficulty adapting to dynamic tasks. This study explores the potential of foundation models to enhance the adaptability and generalizability of task planning in construction robots. Four models are proposed and implemented using lightweight, open-source large language models (LLMs) and vision language models (VLMs). These models include one single agent and three multi-agent teams that collaborate to create robot action plans. The models are evaluated across three construction roles: Painter, Safety Inspector, and Floor Tiling. Results show that the four-agent team outperforms the state-of-the-art GPT-4o in most metrics while being ten times more cost-effective. Additionally, teams with three and four agents demonstrate the improved generalizability. By discussing how agent behaviors influence outputs, this study enhances the understanding of AI teams and supports future research in diverse unstructured environments beyond construction.

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Xinghua Gao et al.

While traditional AI and data-driven facilities management approaches have improved building operational efficiency, they remain constrained by centralized organizational structures that are vulnerable to cyber attacks, limited contextual understanding, and decision-making processes that exclude key stakeholders from governance. This paper introduces a novel AI- and data-driven distributed governance framework for smart building management that integrates decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), digital twins, large language models (LLMs), and blockchain technology. The framework enables transparent collective decision-making through a DAO governance platform, implements data-driven management using IoT and digital twins, incorporates LLM-based virtual assistants for enhanced decision support, and utilizes blockchain for secure building automation. A full-stack decentralized application was developed to facilitate user interaction with these integrated components. The system was evaluated for cost efficiency, scalability, data security, and usability using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Expert interviews were also conducted to assess its practical benefits and implementation challenges.

Reachsak Ly, Alireza Shojaei, Xinghua Gao et al.

Traditional facility management often relies on centralized decision-making structures that limit stakeholder participation, leading to misalignment with occupant needs and reduced satisfaction. This paper proposes a novel blockchain- and Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)-based framework for community-based facilities management in smart buildings. The framework comprises two key components: a decentralized governance platform that facilitates transparent collective decision-making through blockchain-based voting, and a maintenance management platform with an incentivization mechanism that encourages building occupants to actively contribute to facility upkeep through tokenized rewards. System evaluation includes cost analysis, scalability, data security considerations, usability testing, and semi-structured interviews with facility managers and researchers to assess the platform's usefulness, challenges, and adoption potential. The findings demonstrate the framework's potential as a viable incentivization solution for engaging stakeholders in the collective upkeep and improvement of building infrastructure.