Over the last few years we\u2019ve seen concepts and pilot projects for construction site robotics. Peter Novikov<\/strong>, Enrico Dini<\/strong>, Wolf D. Prix,<\/strong> and others have shown what on-site robotics can already accomplish. There are still hurdles to overcome, but the convergence of several technologies is making the automated construction site look attainable.<\/p>\n Construction robotics is not a fad. In his keynote at AEC Hackathon Munich<\/strong><\/a> in April 2017, Professor Thomas Bock<\/a><\/strong> showed examples of construction robotics beginning in the early 1970s. The first construction robots were designed in Japan for manufacturing prefabricated modular homes. Already in the late 1970s, plans were made for extensive use of on-site construction robots.<\/p>\n \u201cThe problem with architecture and construction,\u201d says\u00a0Petr Novikov, \u201cis that we design digitally and then construct manually, and a lot of inefficiencies happen between them.\u201d (4 Ways a Robot or Drone 3D Printer Will Change Architecture and Construction<\/a>). The other big reason for the increased interest in construction robotics is the shortage of skilled labor. The Japan Federation of Construction Contractors<\/strong>, for example, has estimated<\/a> that there will be 1.28 million fewer construction workers by fiscal 2025 compared with fiscal 2014.<\/p>\n There are two basic ways to use robots in construction: in a factory or at the construction site. Many pundits say that the only feasible way to increase construction productivity is to prefabricate as much as possible. Another strategy, though much harder to implement, is to automate on-site construction as much as possible.<\/p>\n Some companies, like the Danish firm Odico<\/a><\/strong>, are using a hybrid solution. Odico used robotic hot-wire cutting to create formworks from digital models. The forms are produced in a manufacturing facility and used on-site for concrete casting.<\/p>\n![\"-\"](\"https:\/\/aec-business.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/thomas-bock.jpg\")
Professor Thomas Bock, AEC Hackathon Munich, April 1, \u00a02017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nLabor shortage is imminent<\/h2>\n
Robotics as a productivity solution<\/h2>\n