Robotic Arms Offer Array of Advantages in Construction

Brief 

Robotic arms that are bringing new efficiencies to other industries are finding their way into construction, performing heavy tasks and helping remove the need for humans in hazardous environments, writes Reginald Davey. They can perform repeated, complex tasks in modular applications, as well as on-site in cold locales where temperatures pose a challenge for human beings and daylight hours are brief.

Insight

The robotic arm is a technology that is used in multiple industries. A paper published in the journal Sustainability has explored the use of this technology in constructing modular buildings in colder regions, where building projects may be limited by the constraints of daylight hours and low temperatures due to the needs of human operators.

Robotic Arms in Construction

Meeting the demands of modern society has driven technological innovation in multiple industrial sectors. Consequently, technological progress has prompted individuals to demand more from their living environment in terms of aesthetics and functionality, leading to building designs that provide a safer, more convenient, and comfortable environment for inhabitants.

An increasingly fast pace of life and population growth facilitates increased construction efficiency.

Robotic arms are high precision, multi-input and output, nonlinear, and coupled complex systems. Their operational flexibility means they are used in a variety of hazardous environments, industrial assembly processes, and other fields.  Contemporary trends in the construction industry, such as standardized design, rapid construction, and refined construction, have facilitated the adoption of innovative technologies.

Robotic arms have significant potential as a breakthrough technology in the construction sector. They can replace human operators in harmful environments, perform heavy manual labor, improve the safety of construction projects, and accurately complete repetitive motions. The development of a standardized process from design to construction will aid the application, adoption, and promotion of robotic arm technology in building projects across the world.