BUILDING PRODUCTS + MAINTENANCE
VANTAGE POINT Experts weigh in on industry issues
Are Robots and AI the Future of Construction? By Shane Zysk BuildingPoint Ohio Valley
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Take for instance the invention human jobs; they’re modern conof the internal combustion engine struction instruments, and in that in the late 1800s. There were previsense aren’t simply the stuff of scious mechanical innovations, like the ence fiction either. These tools are steam engine, while the use of liquid an interface – the vehicle that fossil fuel had also been explored, moves the project ahead, but and the necessary manufacturing one that still needs human drivcapabilities of the industrial revoluers. The construction industry is tion were already in place. But it indeed changing, and there’s no still took until the end of the 19th arguing that. Tomorrow’s skilled century for the pieces to be put workers will inevitably have more together in just the right way to in common with their peers in achieve the birth of the automobile the fields of engineering than the as we know it. calloused laborers of the past. New In the world of construction, one “layout robots” coming onboard pivotal 20th-century innovation COMMAND + CONTROL Modern layout robots can assist have the ability to understand and was computer-aided design (CAD). construction operations like never before, by literally work directly from the BIM (buildIts arrival ushered in a new way of translating digital plans to the physical world through ing information modeling) and thinking about the built environ- software-guided machine printing. VDC (virtual design construction) ment, of a world where machines plans being used to synchronize played an important role in the other efforts on the construction Yet a major obstacle to the industry development and maintenance of new fully embracing the technological revo- jobsite. This has the potential to tie all and existing infrastructure. There have lutions of this age has often centered on machines, material and teams together, been a flurry of inventions since then one missing piece – the actual deliv- as I’ve discussed in previous issues of that have increased the digital world’s ery of information between those two Properties. However, innovations within role in physical construction, such as realms. Up until now, the link between the past few years take things a step robotic total stations, 3D scanners and design plans and constructed reality has further, in that they can actually assist, even mixed reality headsets, all operat- remained dependent on humans. physically, with the layout work. Through ing off of linked, field-to-office software That now, it seems, is about to change. sophisticated sensors and tailor-made on rugged mobile devices. We have tools Yes, I’m talking about robots. Through the components, on-site robots can perform that can scan and capture the physi- inherent promise of modern construction actual stakeout and layout routines, cal reality just as it lays and transmit layout robots, the industry finally has the marking measurements directly. Such a that data back to the design room, and true means of bridging the gap between concept coming to life has innumerable the augmented devices available now the physical and digital worlds, allowing benefits only hinted at during the early can translate that information to allow the industry to be more precise, productive days of CAD. the digital to be overlaid with the real and profitable than ever before. The human oversees the machine world and provide context to plans never It’s important to note these “robots” through constant communication via before possible. aren’t synthetic humanoids here to take radio and internet, operating off of intui70
Properties | December 2023
Photo provided by BuildingPoint Ohio Valley
he evolution of technology, much like infrastructure, begin as an idea. The components needed to shape these advancements may already exist, yet realizing the vision conjures up obstacles that have to be navigated and requires steps arranged in a specific sequence in order to make the desired progress occur.