Comparison of Construction Robots and Traditional Methods for Drilling, Drywall, and Layout Tasks
Cynthia Brosque, Gunnar Skeie, Joakim Örn, Joel Jacobson, Tessa Lau, Martin Fischer
Abstract
As robotic construction methods start being adopted on sites, construction managers should be able to answer how robots will impact safety, quality, schedule, and cost on a given project compared to traditional, manual methods. This study developed three comparative cases evaluating a drilling robot, a drywall robot, and a layout robot against traditional construction methods. We established an initial feasibility check that evaluates the lit between product, organization, and process variables, and then measures the robot's impact on safety, quality, schedule, and cost. This study also outlines common implementation challenges to become aware of the effort faced to harness the robots' benefits and provides strategies to mitigate these challenges. Finally, we recommend that a framework for analysis be formalized on the basis of the analysis method and the comparison variables presented in the paper.