INSPIRATION
Construction continues to be one of the most labor-intensive industries. It includes many repetitive and time-consuming tasks which can be done faster through robotics and automation. Construction robots also reduce human-induced error and losses due to fatigue. For example, collaborative robots automate bricklaying, welding, rebar tying, painting,and many such repetitive tasks with great precision. Robotics solutions also automate heavy equipment and fleets for excavation, transportation, load lifting, concrete works, and demolition. This increases construction worker safety and significantly reduces operational time. Construction automation using robots increases the overall productivity of the project,reduces the labor requirement, and provides safety for dangerous or hazardous tasks.
Based out of the US, Advanced Construction Robotics is a startup developing robots to automate rebar installation. The startup’s TyBot and IronBot solutions perform repetitive and backbreaking tasks of rebar installation using artificial intelligence and computer vision. TyBot eliminates the need for manual mapping and calibration by auto-locating, auto-positioning, and tying up to 110 rebar intersections per hour.
IronBot, on the other hand, relieves the burden of the heavy lifting by placing 5,000-pound bundles of both transverse and longitudinal rebar. Hence, it saves schedule time and reduces the risk of injuries as it does not require pre-mapping, programming, and calibration. The startup’s solutions increase workforce productivity while keeping them safe.
Singaporean startup Weston Robot provides autonomous heavy robots for load lifting,logistics, patrolling, inspection,and disinfection. The startup develops a range of solutions including back-support exoskeletons to reduce strain when lifting heavy objects. It also develops shoulder exoskeletons to enable workers to perform chest to ceiling level tasks for longer durations. Further, it has a leg support exoskeleton that reduces muscle strain in the quadriceps around the knee joint. The startup also offers Outdoor UGV Hunters and Rough Terrain Bunker Robots to automate on-site delivery and disinfection tasks. Weston Robot improves productivity by replacing time- and energy-consuming tasks with independent robots.
