Is the construction industry ready to deploy robots?

Robots are increasingly being deployed on construction sites around the world, with applications ranging from automated bricklaying to 3D printing to site surveying. These robots have proven their ability to perform tasks faster and more accurately than human workers. However, there are still some challenges that need to be overcome, such as high investment costs, the need to re-engineer workflows and resistance to change, Harsh Pareek, Regional Sales Director, India and SAARC, Trimble Solutions, shared his application of AI in the construction industry.

As megatrends such as inflation, geopolitical uncertainty, ecological constraints and the need to house more people faster combine to challenge the industry, the potential benefits of building automation appear greater than ever All greater and undeniable.

In an industry that prioritizes increasing productivity and improving worker safety, the use of robots and automated construction equipment seems like a natural fit. Robots have been part of the global $12 trillion construction industry for some time, and their applications are diverse.

From fully automated bricklaying and 3D printing to site surveying, these construction robots have proven their ability to perform a range of tasks faster and more accurately than human workers.

In 2018, Australian robotics company FBR’s autonomous bricklaying robot built a three-bedroom house in less than three days. An early version of this fully autonomous robot can place up to 200 blocks per hour, which is roughly equivalent to 2,000 bricks. It can do work in 48 hours that would take human workers four to six weeks. The latest version is said to be even faster - it can complete the interior and exterior walls of a standard double-storey brick house in a day.

Robots Targeting Project Sites

These and many other robotic innovations are increasingly being deployed on construction sites around the world. A 2019 survey by consultancy KPMG found that among the top 20% of construction firms that consider themselves “technology ready”, 86% use building information modeling (BIM), 72% use drones and 10% use construction robot.

Another post-pandemic survey of nearly 2,000 small and large construction and related businesses in Europe, North America and China was even more revealing – 81% of respondents were certain they would introduce robots within the next decade .

The market opportunity for construction robots is huge enough to attract interest from companies and startups around the world. In September 2022, technology giant HP launched an on-site printing robot that can automatically print the layout of digital models on the floor of a construction site. The machine can outline walls, doors and other elements with little to no intervention. Other startups, such as Dusty Robotics and Rugged Robotics, have launched similar robots that can automate building layouts.

The fusion of advanced technologies such as computer vision and artificial intelligence (AI) allows robots to complete more complex and complex tasks without human supervision for the first time.

The timing couldn't be better - the global construction industry has been facing labor shortages since the start of the pandemic, and they are further squeezed by rising inflation and rapidly rising input costs due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict profit margin.

Digitalization is driving greater adoption of robotics

The construction industry lags behind its peers in technology adoption. This may explain why annual productivity growth in the construction industry has averaged just 1% over the past 20 years, according to research from McKinsey. In manufacturing, where robots are already the mainstay of the shop floor, annual productivity growth during the same period was 3.6%.

Still, whether the construction industry is ready to actively embrace and use robots remains an open question. First, investing in full automation can be expensive, and for many construction companies, allocating resources to robots while dealing with declining margins and profitability can be challenging. Second, adopting robots isn’t as simple as plug-and-play—construction companies may have to completely reimagine or redesign their workflows to take full advantage of robots.

For an industry that has relied on paper models and manual guidance for centuries, such a dramatic reinvention of automated processes can be daunting. Fortunately, there is strong motivation to pursue this path. McKinsey Global Institute estimates that productivity in some parts of the construction industry could increase by 5-10 times by moving to manufacturing-based production systems.

The global pandemic has proven to be another powerful driver of accelerated digitalization in the construction industry, prompting some large and advanced contractors to turn to BIM and cloud-based collaboration tools for more efficient remote project management.

Once core processes are digitized, deploying robots to automate them is relatively simple. For example, once a detailed 3D BIM model of a structure is ready, it can be used to program robots to perform multiple downstream tasks – from bricklaying to 3D printing of building modules.

Robots are ready to build homes

Several companies are focusing on using robots for 3D printing to help complete construction projects faster. US-based ICON used its autonomous construction robot to 3D print an entire house in 24 hours for $10,000. The Austrian company Printstones recently launched a multifunctional construction robot that is capable of more than just 3D concrete printing. It can carry out material transport, welding, milling, screw drives, plasma cutting, spray painting, and even bricklaying.

In fact, using robots to 3D print building structures is a huge opportunity in itself. For example, Dubai has set a goal that 25% of new buildings will use 3D printing technology by 2030. The United States and China are the other two major economies promoting the use of 3D printing technology in construction. Furthermore, with rapid urbanization, the demand for housing and urban infrastructure will only increase in the coming years.

A disruptive shift is coming

Ultimately, there is a clear business case for investing in and deploying robots across all construction activities. The promise of significantly faster construction at lower costs, greater accuracy and safety, and fewer errors or waste is a powerful enough incentive. Additionally, ongoing robotics research and development efforts are expected to reduce the cost of automation, making robots accessible to the vast majority of construction companies.

The turning point in the deployment of robots in the construction industry is coming. It also promises to enable the most disruptive shift in the way the industry operates since the early days of the Industrial Revolution.

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