A Review of Advancements in Robotic and Sensor-based Technologies in Construction Sector

The study explores recent innovations in robotic and sensor-based technologies that are spearheading advancements in the construction sector to achieve improvements in construction quality, efficiency, and safety. Automation in construction, although coined as a concept in 1980s, has witnessed minimal progress in the level of application. The study attempts to identify issues constraining adoption of automation in the sector, the recent developments in technologies and their scope in construction, their applications and impacts, and way forward. The role of robotics in various stages of construction and its impact on a wider scale has been identified and discussed. The evolution of Building Information Modeling (BIM) has transitioned it into being an efficient mediator in the construction process with novel concepts such as 4D and 5D BIM and Building Knowledge Management. Various sensor technologies, functioning at diverse scales, have found wide-ranging applications on construction sites ranging from high-accuracy positioning to slow-tracking of personnel and materials, as well as, in progress monitoring and quality control. Information Technology has a major role in binding the sensor technology with on-site requirements to create positive results. A study was done to identify such technological interventions and various software utilities which integrate BIM and sensor technology with tools such as GIS. The factors which restrained developments in automation in construction sector were identified in the course of study. Various global examples of advanced automated construction technologies with applications in various stages of construction were discussed. The review successfully identifies the nascent technological innovations and their productive usage in relevant areas of construction sector.