Construction ‘envy’ robots from other sectors. Are ‘co-bots’ the answer?

At a factory in leafy northern Massachusetts, Amazon’s robotic fulfillment center streamlines the delivery of sortable packages for delivery across the northeastern United States.

Once an item is ordered online, it is automatically carried across the warehouse floor by a four-wheeled robot cart or Drive robot to a worker, who scans it and checks whether the product is indeed the same as the one displayed on the computer screen in front of him. Then, the item is automatically sent onto a conveyor to be packed and sorted by a robot arm called Robin, whose computer vision picks out the selected packages and sends them via another Drive robot to the correct loading dock.

For those trying to introduce automation into the construction industry, the contrast is obvious between cutting-edge robotics used in factories and warehouses and automated machines that are expected to shorten turnaround times and reduce accidents on construction sites.

“I’m a little jealous of what’s happening in the automotive industry,” says Aviad Almagor, vice president of technology innovation at Trimble in the U.S. “You see complete automation of the production line, and to be fair, they have an easier task to solve because the production line is the same.”

Innovations that are not widely known

But while advances in automation and robotics are driving a high-tech revolution in other industries, examples of such innovations on construction sites are not as easy to find, and generally harder to spot.

Mason Ford, director of sustainability and equipment services at Skanska, says the robotic future of construction sites is still mostly science fiction. That’s because scientists still can’t make robots or automate existing machines fast and agile enough to avoid hitting objects and people in the fast-paced, live environment of a construction site.

“Realistically, (automation) is rarely feasible in densely populated construction zones,” Ford says. “In these particular projects, installing object avoidance technology is essential. In addition to object avoidance technology, we also selectively use video surveillance, which allows us to closely monitor projects and identify potential hazards as they arise.”

To that end, Ford says that adding sensor technology to the company’s existing fleet is actually its top priority, helping human operators avoid collisions. “Our current initiative is to implement blind spot detection technology on every machine we own and operate by 2025,” Ford says. “We see that a lot of the available technology is focused solely on identification, not avoidance,” he adds.

“Our hope is that sensors and avoidance technology will be embedded in these machines, intelligently detecting obstacles or people and stopping the machines when necessary. It is important that industry leaders continue to challenge the status quo so that we can continue to push innovation in construction equipment to provide a safer work environment on all types of projects.”

“We are very close to achieving our goal of equipping 100% of our equipment fleet with OEM or OEM-applied technologies, but it is critical for the industry to maintain the momentum towards ‘smarter’ equipment; machines that not only identify threats, but also take action to avoid them once they are identified.”

However, robots and automated processes are playing an increasingly important role in the construction industry’s ongoing struggle to increase productivity.

Some of the biggest advances in recent years have been in sensor and camera technology, a key element of remote-controlled robotics and automated machinery. Drones, which can be equipped with this technology, are also increasingly being used.

Trimble’s Almagor says that while some parts of the industry may be moving toward off-site prefabrication or modular approaches, “cobotics”—robotics that require human collaboration—are likely to become commonplace on dynamic jobsites.

“Robot fleets shouldn’t be just one robot,” Almagor says. “A construction site is going to have a mixed fleet with drones and autonomous cranes and a plastering robot and a bricklaying robot; it’s a mix of tools, and each one is different and has someone who understands how to operate and maintain the robot.”

Of course, while this type of innovation can reduce the number of people needed to perform a job on-site, increasing automation also increases the need for more skilled operators and technicians on-site.

“There’s so much work to be done. We need to make sure that the workers are trained to support the robot because we won’t see any places without people in the near future,” he added.

Robots without human characteristics

Perhaps the biggest change in recent years in construction robotics is the definition of what machines we consider “robots.”

“The term ‘robotics’ often conjures up images of humanoid robots,” says Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR). “However, in the construction industry, robotics encompasses various forms of automated machinery tailored to specific tasks; (like) tying or stacking rebar.”

ACR’s TyBot – the “rebar tying robot” – is exactly one such automated machine, and it has almost no human-like characteristics.

TyBot may look more like the top of a tower crane than anything else, but it’s an advanced robot that can sense and navigate its environment without the need for prior mapping, calibration, or BIM data entry.

Designed for the road and bridge construction industry, the TyBot specializes in tying rebar. It operates at speeds exceeding 1,200 ties per hour using 15-pound (6.8 kg) wire spools and can tie epoxy-coated and black rebar.

It can stretch to a width of 117 feet (35.7 m) or operate narrowly as small as 10 feet (3.05 m). A robotics supervisor accompanies the machine during its 12-hour workday, after which it requires refueling.

“Our robotic solutions not only address labor shortages, but also significantly improve workplace safety by taking on the most hazardous tasks, such as heavy lifting,” says Danielle Proctor, CEO of ACR. “This reduces the risk of injury and improves overall job satisfaction. Additionally, by streamlining processes and reducing waste, our technologies contribute to sustainability in construction, aligning with environmental standards.”

Modernization of existing machines

Other robotic machines in the industry were not originally designed with automation in mind, but thanks to Built Robotics – a US manufacturer of industrial-scale automated equipment – ​​existing construction units can be retrofitted with robotic capabilities.

Erol Ahmed, communications director at Built, says: “We have something we call Exosystem. It’s a set of software and hardware that we could install on almost any heavy equipment and turn it into an autonomous machine or robot.”

Ahmed says Built has focused on leveraging its app for bulldozers, vibrators and excavators, which play important roles in large-scale solar panel installations.

“Solar power is a very automated type of process,” he says. “Solar farms are putting in hundreds of thousands of specific components in a consistent way. So it’s one of the few engineering tasks that’s really well suited to what robots can do.”

Tasks such as trenching and drilling can be automated using non-automated machines, providing flexibility for contractors and rental groups that do not have the capital to implement newly developed robotics.

Ahmed claims that the work of the machines is as precise as the work of a specially designed automatic unit.

“When we’re talking about solar construction, we’re talking about some sub-centimetre measurements. We’re installing to very tight tolerances, so you’re looking at the level of precision you can expect (from a fully automated machine),” Ahmed says, noting that Exosystem’s machines allow operators to monitor and respond from a safe distance. They’re working more consistently, more safely.”