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Robots in the construction sector

A brief overview of the likely future of robotics in the construction industry and the future of human workers within the sector. Learning summary: Customer relations managing systems in the construction sector ● Bipedal and quadrupedal robots have come a long way since the inception of Boston Dynamics, but they are still far from comparable to human workers in every arena ● Far from autonomous death machines, modern robots are best suited to automating tasks that are predictable and require consistency, such as bricklaying, steel-truss assembly, welding, installation, painting, and concrete laying. ● Workers currently in these fields are unlikely to be replaced overnight; more likely, they will find themselves working alongside robots to complete tasks, with the robots focused on the more tedious aspects of the job. ● This would make many jobs more enjoyable for workers but would also mean a reduction in the number of workers needed. As such, these tasks will likely become more specialised and competitive over time, with fewer job opportunities but correspondingly higher wages. ● If modular, prefabricated housing and buildings become more commonplace, this will lead to a greater consistency between projects and potentially allow for robots to undertake more and more of the labour. ● As both robotics and pre-fab construction technologies improve, this could cause a positive feedback loop, whereby robots make it more economically viable to use prefab construction techniques, which in turn makes it more practical to use robots for construction labour. Robots themselves are also used in the pre-fabrication process, which would likely incentivize robot manufacturers to push for this kind of positive feedback. ● Robots can easily integrate with digital tools, perform tedious jobs without complaint, can eliminate risk to human workers in dangerous environments, and do not have human rights, all of which are attractive to employers. ● In terms of functionality, robots like Boston Dynamics’ Spot are already in use for autonomous inspections and for creating BIM point-cloud-based models with scanning software. ● Using robots in place of humans takes humans out of the equation when it comes to health and safety, which can be useful for certain risky tasks or in more dangerous environments. ● However, malfunctioning or damaged robots may require retrieval at times, which may entail added risk if only a human is capable of performing this task. ● The main economic incentive to use robots is to reduce money spent on wages. ● Robots lack legal rights and are not subject to minimum wage laws, and hence can undercut human workers if their operating and maintenance costs are under minimum wage or the previous market price. ● A robot’s lack of rights or sentience is also a double-edged sword in that they lack liability for when mistakes or accidents occur - a contractor may be able to charge a subcontractor for shoddy work that causes the former to incur a loss, but the story is rather murky when it comes to robots. ● If a robot makes a costly mistake or causes an accident, there may not be a single person or party who is liable to cover the mistake, at least according to current regulations and laws. A robot making a mistake may come down to any combination of design, manufacturing, maintenance or operating errors that can be difficult or impossible to disentangle. This is especially true of workplace injuries and fatalities; who exactly is responsible when a life is ruined or lost at the hands of a robot? ● These types of unresolved legal issues are one of the barriers to self-driving vehicles. Robots with Artificial Intelligence (AI) that make decisions based on software will have to account for what to do when a human life or lives become endangered. ● Many people are uncomfortable with leaving life-or-death decisions in the hands of unfeeling machines. ● Robotic technologies are making steady improvements in and outside of the construction industry, but are still constrained by practical, mechanical, economical and moral issues. ● Which jobs may be supplemented or supplanted by robots in the near-future is a game of educated guessing; the more predictable a task is the more likely a robot can do it for cheaper than a human worker. ● To keep up to date with new trends in robotics, do your own research online. Boston Dynamics is perhaps the leading company in the world at the moment in terms of robots, and the capabilities of their current models will give you an idea of where we’re headed.