ISARC2006

CONSTRUCTION AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Yukio Hasegawa
Professor Emeritus
Waseda University
1-7-12, Motocho Urawa-ku
Saitama-shi, 330-0073, Japan

Abstract: Construction automation and robotization effort was started in around 1980 as ISACR and
IAARC promising great progress by promoted technologies in the 21st century.

Keywords: automation, robotics, construction, technologies

1. Introduction
The total scale of construction industry in
Japan in recent years is ¥50 trillion and the
industry employees about 6 million workers
(10% of total working population). The Fig 1
shows the infrastructures of construction
industry constructed cities and long bridge in Fig.
2.

Fig.2 View of the world longest bridge

Fig. 1 View of the modern city

Automatization and robotization of the

industry was started in l980’s in Japan. The
first ISARC was started in the United States in
l984. Then the symposia were held every year
in many countries in turn. The International Fig.3 A shield machine used for constructing
Association for Automation and Robotics in underground expressway
Construction (IAARC) was started in 1990, and
the association has helped automatization and Fig.4 shows the concrete floor surface
robotization of construction greatly. The Fig. 3 finishing robots. The robots are used in many
shows a shield machine, and the machine is now building construction sites by many general
used for the construction of the capital city contractors and released workers from 3K
underground expressway. operations.

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each time, building structure members are big

heavy and, the most operations are done
outdoors. By such a reason automatization and
robotization in construction industry is farther
behind than in manufacturing industry. Fig. 6
shows the comparison of labor productivity in
both industries. You can see productivity of the
construction industry is lower than that of
manufacturing industry.
In 2007 in Japan it is anticipated that many
working forces will retire from construction
industry and the labor shortage is forecasted.
Fig.4 A floor concrete surface finishing That is a big promotion necessity of
robot (courtesy Kajima Corp.) automatization and robotization in constructing
industry. We shall have to promote those
Fig. 5 shows a case of totally automated actibvities earnestly under international
building construction systems. Several co-operation. In 21st century, fortunately, we
contractors are developing similar systems and shall have the following man-supporting new
development of the systems promoted easiness technologies which will assist our efforts.
of robots introduction into the construction sites.
1) CT (Construction Technologies)
Previously all fabrications of the building
members were done in the construction site and
automatization of those operations were difficult.
We decided to introduce innovative methods.
We develop a new on-site factory, and fabricate
all building members automatically by using
automated machines and robots. Assembly
operations of the building structures are
automatically conducted by using different type
of robots. Also infill systems are introduced.
At the beginning stage of the building
construction, the fundamental beams and pillars
and structures are constructed on the
construction site. And the infill unit for the
interior structures is standardized as on-site
factory made and inserted into the fundamental
structures. At the next renewal opportunity
another newly and automatically manufactured
infill unit is inserted.

2) RT (Robot Technology)
Fig.5 A totally automated building construction It has enough capacity which handles big and
system (courtesy Shimizu Corp.) heavy building structure members, and
intelligence to do complicated operations easily.
Generally speaking, the introduction of robots The robot body must have less weight as it
into construction sites are farther behind than the easily escapes from the working place when it is
case of manufacturing industry. In the case of not used.
construction industry, construction sites move

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Fig.6 Labor productivity comparison of construction and manufacturing industry

3) IT (Intelligent Technology) construction sites. Robot lease systems or

Innovation of yubikitus type computer robot and operators lease systems have to be
releases the people who work at the construction developed. With introducing robots into
sites. By using portable phone with camera construction industry the development of new
managers can easily collect information in each construction management system must be very
site and give appropriate orders on time. In the important.
past, separated locations of construction sites
were serious hazard to avoid timely management Conclusion
in separated places. Today each hazard At the present time, the productivity of
becomes not serious problem by introducing construction industry is not good enough as
advanced information technologies. advanced manufacturing industry. Even though
by utilizing new technologies we can raise the
Also those technologies are going to decrease productivity of the industry in the new century.
the information handling noise. For instance, by Fig.7 shows the trend of relationship between
the introduction of micro tips for avoiding gaps those of construction related technologies
between actual building structures and their progress and labor productivity increment
information additional measurement of distances Also we can solve the serious 3S problems
is cone by using larger beams, and the location of the construction industry. To do so the
information is obtained by applying GPS system. construction industry will become more and
By applying those systems we can make easier more attractive in the future by our international
construction robot driving operation. co-operation.

4) MT (Management Technology) References:

For utilizing robot systems the storage of [1] Yukio Hasegawa et al. “Robotization in
many types of robot is necessary. Such as Construction” Kogyo Chosakai, 1999
transportation of robots among storage areas and (Japanese)
[2] Junichiro Maeda “Current Research and

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Development and Approach to Future ractors, 2004 (Japanese)

Automation Construction in Japan” The [5] Haruo Hoshino “Research on Practical Use
Robot Committee of the Architectual of Next Generation Robot in Construction”
Institute of Japan 2006 (English) Proc. 16th Construction Robot Symposium
[3] Yukio Hasegawa “Construction Robots― 2006 (Tokyo) (Japanese)
Themes for Practical Use―”, Journal Japan [6] Yoshihiro Kusuda “How to Commercialize
Society of Robotics Vol.21, No.3, 2003 Robotic Research into Real Business”
(Japanese) Journal Japan Society of Robotics, Vol.24
[4] “Construction Industry Handbook 2004” No.3, 2005 (Japanese)
Japan Federation of Construction Cont-

Fig. 7 The trend of relationship between C.Robot research investment and labor productivity

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