Automating the Construction Industry
Jonathan Wilkins explains how technologies such as drones and robots are being used to allow for off-site manufacturing and faster builds The Great Wall of China is regarded as the longest running construction project of all time. The wall took more than 2000 years and millions of workers to complete. At the time, labourers used only simple machinery to build the wall - a vast difference from the equipment used in construction today. Automation has already been used by a number of construction companies to make the building process more efficient. Though house building is an extremely complex and time consuming activity, Swiss prototype robot bricklayer, In-situ Fabricator, can build a house in just two days. In-situ Fabricator isn't the only example of developments in rapid house building - Chinese 3D printing pioneer, WinSun, claims to be able to print ten houses in just one day using its innovating technology. These developments, however, are yet to become mainstream. ...