There are a lot of companies and individual contractors who are starting to equip robotic system in their construction business to increase productivity and performance. But with anything, there are always two sides to the coin. This article explores the advantages and disadvantages of the usage of robotic systems in the construction sector.
Advantages:
1. Robots can be programmed to complete the work the same way as before. As in there isn’t going to be any changes in the output from the first attempt to the hundredth attempt. Thus in terms of precision, a robotic system always has the upper hand.
2. Robotic systems do not form unions, nor do they ask for pay hikes, although this one is on the humorous side. Robotic systems can make all the difference when it comes to profitability.
3. Robots can also greatly the time it takes for construction since they can work for 24 hours a day for seven days without needing a break at all. So in terms of productivity, a robotic system is considerably better.
4. There are a lot of places within a site that is not accessible to humans without specialised suits that cost a lot of money, robots, on the other hand, can be employed in such places that have little to no oxygen or sunlight.
Disadvantages:
1. The biggest obstacle to overcome when it comes to using robotic system is the fact that the robotic AI at the moment cannot match up to the situational awareness that humans offer. Construction sites, unlike factory work stations, are very dirty and extremely volatile. An expensive robot that is designed to brick lying may not be able to get out of a situation where its foot has begun to sink in the soft soil.
2. The construction sector has seen a significant revolution in the recent past, and right now it requires people working on the site to perform multiple roles. Robotic systems have not evolved to that extent yet, and the sector will not benefit from robots that only specialise in one particular function. Although the productivity of humans is often the point of argument for people promoting the idea of replacing humans with robots. But as of this moment or the foreseeable future, robots will not be able to provide the versatility that humans can offer
3. Advancement in robotic systems has not reached as far as replacing human dexterity that has evolved over millions of years. Robots at this point cannot compete with the abilities of the human brain on a broad scale.