Daniel J. Trujillo M.S. RECM and Eric Holt, Ph.D.
University of Denver
Denver, Colorado
Automation and robotics have been widely adopted across many industries, but the construction industry has not achieved the same level of diffusion. Construction is a critical global industry that is challenged to address issues of productivity, safety, quality, and profitability. Automation and robotics have a tremendous potential impact on all these fronts. The objective of this study is to identify barriers to the adoption of automation and robotics in the construction industry as perceived by industry experts and answer the research question: What are the barriers to automation and robotics in construction? We gain understanding through exploratory interviews with industry practitioners and automation and robotics researchers. Semi-structured interviews around construction technologies, implementation and development, perceived barriers, and future trends and opportunities provide insight into those barriers. We expected to find that implementation would be related to company revenue and openness to technology as it is in countries like South Korea and Japan. We found that barriers could be categorized into culture, teams, and technical aspects. Our research contributes to the body of knowledge by addressing the topic beyond just technical aspects providing the perspective of practitioners and researchers who are engaged in innovation. The research indicates that the construction industry, educators, and owners should do more to facilitate the adoption of automation and robotics and address the barriers which are more cultural than technical.
Key Words: Construction, Automation, Robotics, Innovation, Technology Diffusion