When you think about technological advancements, your mind might automatically gravitate toward industries like medicine or electronics. The construction sector doesn’t automatically seem like the kind of industry with innovative technological advances, but in reality, it’s one of the most innovative industries out there.

This is due to the fact that the construction industry has always responded with innovation when confronted with difficult circumstances that require the construction sector to change. This adaptability has helped propel the industry helped propel things like designing, developing, and building a skyscraper in one of the most effective manner.

Presently, the industry has been responding to things like the skilled labor shortage, new sustainability regulations, and advancements in information technology and software, and the resulting tech is just as futuristic. Things like robot workers to 3D printed houses have become a reality so quickly that we might not have realized it. In fact, there are so many advancements happening so quickly that it’s sometimes hard to keep track of it all.

Below we’ve broken down 8 of the most innovative advancements in the construction technology you’re likely to see in the coming years.

1. LiDAR

Thanks to LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, sensors mounted on construction equipment can scan the surrounding worksite and produce high-resolution 3D images in real-time. This makes it possible to perform site work from a distance, reducing or eliminating the likelihood of a worker getting hurt. This is especially critical in industries like logging, which is the second most dangerous industry in the United States.

Though LiDAR is incredibly useful, it’s also very fragile– the LiDAR sensor capacity is limited in conditions like heavy dust, rain, snow, or fog

2. Humanoid Laborers

In response to the continuing labor shortage plaguing most labor industries, Japanese researchers have developed the HRP-5P, a humanoid robot capable of performing basic physical tasks like installing drywall independently. Other robot laborers include a semi-automated mason and the Tybot, which ties rebar on bridges in half the time it takes a human crew.

On one hand, automating dangerous tasks takes human workers out of the risk of harm; however, it also takes them out of the workforce, which is why industry leaders are recommending widespread retraining to help retain employees in fields that are already short on workers.

3. Robot Swarms

Unlike humanoid robots, which are built to vaguely resemble people, robot swarms consist of hundreds of tiny robots that are designed to work together like a collection of insects. Researchers at Harvard’s Self-organizing Systems Research Group have designed a swarm of tiny, four-wheeled robots that can operate as a cohesive unit to perform tasks like laying bricks.

Applications for robot swarms in construction are effectively limitless. They could safely repair infrastructure in flooded or hard-to-reach locations that are dangerous for a human worker, and could even build structures that are impossible for people to reach, like the deep sea or even the surface of Mars.

4. Connected Hardhats

Wearable tech has already infiltrated the personal gadget space, but applications in construction can do more than just monitor heart rate or capture photos on the sly. The Japanese company Shimabun recently released an upgrade kit that can be used to outfit standard hardhats with a range of advanced safety capabilities.

The Shimabun-equipped hardhat can monitor location, motion, and temperature, enabling it to warn that a worker might be lightheaded or overheated. It can also perceive if a worker has fallen and trigger an emergency call to first responders. The exactness of the data collected also makes it possible to perform better assessments of worksite mistakes to better prevent repeat occurrences.

5. SmartBoots

Another wearable tech advancement, SmartBoots are equipped with sensors that can measure worker fatigue, alert first responders in an emergency, and communicate with heavy equipment to prevent vehicle accidents. The boots are powered by the energy generated by the worker’s steps and are equipped with RFID devices that immediately identify workers when they enter the site and make it possible for site managers to automatically assign tasks over mobile devices.

SmartBoots are likely to make a wider appearance in coming years, not only on construction sites, but also in military defense and first responder environments.

6. Smart Infrastructure

Structural monitoring systems, like those developed by Hexagon Geosystems, use sensors to monitor the strengths and weaknesses of a given structure that are invisible to the human eye. These monitors can help predict structural problems before they happen, allowing the site owner to bring in a construction crew to perform necessary maintenance before the site becomes dangerous.

In natural settings like rock falls and mines, monitoring technology can be used to assess the structural integrity of a site to reduce workers’ risk exposure and alert crews to hazardous conditions.

7. Virtual and Augmented Reality

For many years, military and civilian pilots have used airplane simulators to train in a life-like environment without any of the risk of actually operating a plane. Now, the same technology has made its way into equipment operator training.

Virtual reality training is more engaging than video or lecture curricula, offers more accurate and lifelike preparation, and can also allow an individual to take more control of the rate at which they learn. But that’s not all– VR also allows equipment operators to run simulations that are too dangerous to replicate, like a natural disaster or major equipment malfunction.

Where VR is a strictly digital experience, augmented reality is the application of VR technology in real-world scenarios. With AR, workers can view layers of plans and data while on site by using wearable lenses or a camera-equipped mobile device.

That means a contractor could hold a tablet up inside a home and see the locations of every necessary drill hole without having to check the physical building plan, or a project manager could take a client through several proposed window designs and make plan modifications while standing in front of the window itself. AR technology also makes it possible to generate 3D models on top of a 2D plan, allowing for more accurate architectural planning.

8. Eco-Friendly Construction Tech

Sustainable construction has largely to do with conserving natural resources, which includes water. Advancements in water collection and filtering technology have changed the way that new structures’ plumbing and wastewater systems are designed.

Rainwater harvesting, dual plumbing, and greywater reuse are all examples of updated water supply techniques that can lower water waste by as much as 15 percent.

As green buildings become more popular, it’s become essential for contractors to be able to deliver on energy efficiency specifications. Building management systems and energy monitors make it possible to accurately measure operational costs and adapt build specifications to meet required efficiency levels.

by: Liam Stannard

Source: big rentz