In the past few years, we have witnessed the rapid application of technologies such as cloud computing, drones, robotics, augmented reality, virtual reality, Internet of Things, BIM, and prefabricated construction in the construction industry.

There is reason to believe that the convergence of new technologies and construction will continue to accelerate. With the technological change centered on automation and intelligence, the demand for human labor in the construction industry in the future will drop significantly.

So, when exactly will the construction sites that are mainly constructed and managed by robots emerge?

Nick Hertzman, a content planner from Unearth Technologies, predicted this trend and believes that the construction industry will change dramatically in less than a decade.

Among them, the biggest change is that with the deepening of automation, artificial intelligence and automation equipment will gradually take over the construction site and bring a new era of highly autonomous construction industry.

If this prediction is accurate, does it mean that by 2025, the construction site will have no work to do? If not so fast, when will these seemingly unimaginable changes happen again?

Regardless, the author still gives a timeline for the automation of the construction industry in 2018-2025. Of course, we need to go through the following steps before we reach the construction site under the control of the robot:

2018: SaaS solution penetrates the entire industry

If there is no suitable software, the hardware facilities are invalid. Therefore, software must have a profound impact on the industry before any other progress is made.

At present, we have already seen the application of Software as a Service (SaaS) or cloud computing solutions in the construction industry.

One of the major contributions of cloud computing to automation is its ability to obtain data input from multiple sensors and devices. With the popularity of these systems, they will gradually integrate with more advanced technologies.

2019: Augmented Reality and Internet of Things become mainstream

Many construction sites have begun using drone data, HoloLens or other augmented reality devices, and material sensors to experiment with augmented reality and IoT technologies. However, software that can really promote the efficient application of these devices has not yet been fully developed.

By 2019, we should see that software can seamlessly integrate data from these devices and use a single map to present a visual image of the entire site. At the same time, the UAV will generate a bird's-eye view of the project and integrate it with the raw material status of the site, as well as real-time data on the location and status of the workers.

2020: Prefabricated Construction Takes Off, 3D Printing Takes Root

In January 2018, Katerra, a US prefabricated construction developer who had founded nearly three years, received a huge investment of US$865 million led by Softbank Group. In 2017, another similar startup, Project Frog, also received investment from engineering and software giant Autodesk.

These two investments are just a microcosm of the rapid development of prefabricated building technology. Prefabricated building technology that is cheaper, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly than traditional construction methods is moving into the mainstream and attracting more attention from investors.

It is expected that by the end of 2020, most major contractors will turn to this latest type of construction. The move to prefabricated buildings will also be the cornerstone of building automation, and will make it easier and more orderly for the chaotic state that construction projects are often difficult to avoid.

In addition, with 3D printing, we have been able to build a small house in one day. Within a few years, this technology will be developed to meet most of the construction scenarios in important projects.

The combination of this technology with prefabricated structures will mark the biggest shift in the modern architectural project process.

2021: Law will allow continuous drone surveillance

Aerial data captured by drones is very valuable for tracking project progress and monitoring construction sites. However, at present, if the contractor needs drone data, the law will require that its employees have a licensed drone operator or hire a drone operator.

However, drone technologies that can be unmannedly intervened, fly to the construction site automatically, and perform measurements already exist. Once the law is complete and consistent with technological progress, we are likely to see contractors using several drones, collecting data several times a day along pre-defined flight routes to monitor project progress in real time.

At the same time, aerial surveillance by UAVs can be linked to autonomous driving equipment on the site to guide safer and more efficient operation of automated driving equipment.

2022: Increased machine-oriented construction activities

Automated machine-oriented construction activities are still in their infancy, but you should expect that this technology will develop at a very fast pace, especially as the automotive industry is striving to build the first autonomous vehicle. The construction industry will also benefit from it. .

By 2022, we may see that a variety of basic operations, including excavation operations, will initially implement automatic guided machine applications. Once it is proven that this measure is safe and efficient, its application will be carried out with great momentum and will be extended to more complex areas of operation.

2023: Artificial intelligence gains control for the first time

By 2023, construction software will begin to release the first version of artificial intelligence that can predict construction progress and make decisions for simple project management tasks.

This progress will lead to the rapid realization of fully self-contained construction sites, because artificial intelligence has the ability to learn quickly and innovate. At the same time, artificial intelligence will collect and analyze data from various new technology applications introduced in previous years. It will not only make decisions more accurately and quickly than humans in real time, but also learn how to improve the construction process.

2024: The arrival of a fully automated machine age

It can be expected that the first two years of the emergence of automated machines may not have much impact on the construction site, but then they will begin to take over most of the tasks, which are mainly supported by artificial intelligence systems that can monitor and control the site.

From self-driving trucks that carry raw materials and transport waste, to robots that automate the assembly of prefabricated parts and transfer to pre-determined locations, humans will begin to make concessions on the construction site. Of course, the people who stay on the construction site are mainly to ensure that the automated construction site can successfully create a building structure without human involvement.

2025: Weakening of human influence, rise of more new technologies

With drones acting as eyes in the sky, sensors acting as eyes on the ground, automatically leading to machines acting as arms, artificial intelligence will turn building sites into ultimate autonomous entities and at a faster pace than we can imagine. Accuracy for construction work.

At that time, building a skyscraper may require only a few preliminary plans and related information inputs, just as if you were pressing the launch button.

By 2025, the first batch of autonomous buildings have been completed, and humans may be considered a security risk at the construction site. The contractor will replace humans with machine workers to complete project monitoring. At this time, we will also see the rise of new technologies that are more completely new to us. These technologies will be further rapidly integrated and will push the construction industry into a new era.

100 years ago, around 1900, a set of postcards published by French artists such as Jean Marc C?Té predicted the production and living scenes after 100 years.

Among them, the artist predicted that in the 21st century construction site, there may be some creative people working, such as architects and designers. They will send instructions via wire or radio to machines that will be constructed, including robotic bricklayers. These heavy, tedious and dangerous jobs have no one to do.

100 years have passed. Although we still haven't achieved the scene imagined by the artist, we are still on the road and we are stepping closer to this sci-fi scene.