BuiltWorlds reports that the construction industry may be warming up to robotics

Robots and automation have increased at different rates depending on the industry. The construction industry is generally viewed as conservative in its interest in new technologies. However, BuiltWorlds reports in its 2024 Tools, Equipment, and Robotics Benchmarking Report that industry attitudes are beginning to change.

BuiltWorlds is a Chicago-based membership network dedicated to inspiring and driving innovation in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry. It conducts an annual survey on category-specific technology adoption and usage.

The latest report found that while the AEC industry overall is slow to adopt robotics, progress has been made in certain areas.

“The integration of advanced tools, equipment and robotics represents a significant step toward modernizing and streamlining operations in the AEC industry,” wrote Audrey Lynch, the BuiltWorlds research analyst who authored the report. “This year we saw the highest adoption in surveillance robotics and service/work robotics, two of the four main categories we identified in construction robotics.”

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BuiltWorlds reports increasing robot utilization

Nearly two-thirds of contractors surveyed who use robotics on construction sites use monitoring and/or service or work robotics. 35 percent said they use autonomous heavy machinery, while only 6 percent said they use prefabrication robotics.

“There is a confluence of factors all working together to drive the increased use of robotics in the construction industry,” said Tyler Sewall, senior research director at BuiltWorlds. “The main driving factor is an increasingly evident labor shortage in the industry.”

“Statistics show there are now over 500,000 vacancies in the industry and this number is expected to continue to rise,” he said The Robot Report. “To mitigate this risk, the industry is preparing to rely on robotics to supplement the available workforce.”

“Meanwhile, the typical barriers to adoption are slowly decreasing, resulting in an environment that is more receptive to robotic solutions,” Sewall added. “The increased use of BIM [building information models]Improved usability and accuracy, improved data collection and use, and an industry more culturally inclined toward new technologies have all led to a significant increase in the use of robotics.”

An annual survey found that nearly two-thirds of contractors use some form of automation. Source: BuiltWorlds

Dusty Robotics is a leading provider

Among the many robotics technology providers mentioned in the report, one provider stood out as both the most implemented and the highest rated: Dusty Robotics, which builds robots that help plan construction sites.

“Dusty Robotics consistently outperforms the industry average in all criteria evaluated, indicating its strong market position,” Lynch wrote. “With top ratings in adoption/usability, ease of use, coordination with site activities and data integration, the solution proves its effectiveness and ease of use.”

“It also features installation/performance speed and quality – coupled with Civ Robotics – which underlines its reliability and efficiency,” he said.

According to the survey, Dusty Robotics is a leading brand in implementing construction robotics. Source: BuiltWorlds

Why “better acceptance” is not “mass adoption.”

But while this year’s report shows broader adoption than previous years, particularly in the service/work and surveillance robotics sectors, the industry has yet to integrate robotics into its mainstream, BuiltWorlds said.

“Although advocacy for robotics continues to grow, honestly there are still so many reasons why adoption of robotics is not widespread and may not be for a while,” Sewall said.

On the one hand, most construction robots require different building models to operate. “Although BIM is well-received in some markets, it is significantly underutilized across much of the industry,” Sewall explained.

Another reason is that robotics, like any new technology, comes with some risk – which is a problem in a traditionally risk-averse industry, he acknowledged.

“With layout robots, for example, the second question is always, ‘Who owns the layout?'” Sewall said. “If the general contractor dictates how the planning should be done, does that change who owns the risk?”

Finally and most obvious is the cost.

“The upfront cost of robotic solutions is high,” Sewall said. “While larger companies can absorb these costs, many small and medium-sized contractors simply cannot finance additional expenses.”

Although there remain significant barriers to mainstream adoption of construction robotics, the data appears to point to slow adoption and use of a technology that BuiltWorlds says represents a massive increase in safety, efficiency and productivity.

Monitoring and material movement systems were the most commonly cited types of robots in construction. Source: BuiltWorlds