The construction industry is considered one of the least digitized industries around with most of its processes being repetitive and labor-intensive. However, recently, the industry has witnessed an upsurge in the volume of new technologies implemented in practice. One prospective opportunity for innovative technologies in construction is the implementation of robotics and automation technologies. With these disruptive technologies being implemented in the industry, there is a need to improve pedagogic methods to address the changing demands of the workforce and equip new employees with the abilities required to drive construction robotics processes. The principal purpose of this research is to examine the current applications of robotics technologies in the construction industry in order to identify the foundational knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) construction students must possess to perform in the future workforce successfully. This paper presents the background of construction robotics, the research framework and initial assessment of essential KSAs.
essential knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) construction students must possess to perform in the future workforce successfully. Therefore, the two main objectives of this study are to: 1. Identify the current technology trends and applications of robotics and automation in the construction industry. 2. Determine the perceived critical construction robotics KSAs required to perform construction robotics tasks in the industry.
With most of its processes being monotonous and labor-intensive, the construction industry
remains one of the least digitized industries around. The industry still operates traditionally,
resulting in relatively low productivity when compared to other industrial sectors. The industry
calls for more efficient construction companies, effectual and practical construction processes,
and advanced construction methods to productively contend for relevance under the pressure
of growing urbanization, globalization, technological innovations, and industry competition in
the twenty-first century
A promising opportunity to improve the productivity, safety, and quality aspects of the
construction industry lies in the implementation of innovative robotics and automation
technologies Construction robots are intelligent machines operated by smart controls with a
variable range in levels of sophistication, and are generally intended to enhance speed and boost
the precision of construction processes (Buswell et al. 2007). Construction automation is the
application of automated and computerized techniques in construction to perform mechanical
operations aimed at reducing time, labor intensity, and risk of exposure to harm, while at the
same time preserving and even enhancing the quality of the finished products
The progression in digital technology encountered in several mature industries over the past
decade has transformed these industries, thus leading them into a new technological era
identified as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, also known as the era of industrialization
Significant efforts to automate aspects of the construction process and enhance efficiency in the
industry have been prevalent since the nineteenth century, as seen in the various manifestation
of large and technologically complex construction like long-span bridges
The new era of digitization in construction offers immense benefits for the construction industry, the environment, and the economy. The technological disruption of the AECO industry calls for a change in the pedagogic methods in AECO education to address the future of work. The advent of construction robotics technology such as prefabrication, 3D printing, robotic arm systems, big data, and predictive analysis and IoT should influence construction education. It is critical for institutions of higher learning to introduce these new technologies and processes into construction education, to equip students adequately with the knowledge and skills required to thrive in the workforce of the industrialized era. Furthermore, in the face of troubling skilled labor shortages, it is crucial for employees to be equipped with the necessary abilities and exposure to technologies to drive construction robotics processes and higher levels of precision in construction as they join the workforce.
Although research in construction automation and robotics has become well established over
the years, transferring the knowledge gained in these fields through classroom teaching has not
gained as much traction
To identify the essential KSAs required for construction robotics competency, three primary phases were developed for this study, with each being built upon by a subsequent phase. Figure 1 shows these phases as literature review, semi-structured interviews, and Delphi study. This research is on-going and this paper presents the preliminary results for the first phase, which has been completed.
The first phase of the research was an extensive review of literature on construction robotics and automation. Information on construction robotics technologies was gathered through a comprehensive evaluation of academic literature to establish a foundation for the general knowledge for this study. The especially relevant conference proceedings explored include The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Construction Research Congress (CRC), The 4 Camacho et al. (2018)
Kim et al. (2018)
Bogue (2018)
Micro aerial vehicles Autonomous robotic systems
Unmanned aerial systems Remotely operated vehicles
Additive manufacturing (Robotic 3D printing) Mobile robot 3D printers
Unmanned aerial systems Automated robotic excavator
Automated robots Robotic 3D printing Digital fabrication Internet of Things
Robotic systems
Unmanned aerial systems Autonomous ground vehicles
Robotic 3D printing Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC), the ASCE Computing Division Computing Workshops, and The Joint Conference on Computing in Construction (JC3) conference series. The journals searched were the Automation in Construction Journal, Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, Journal of Information Technology in Construction (ITCon), and Journal of Educational Technology. Several academic papers on current construction robotic technologies implemented in the construction industry, with a focus on the United States, were evaluated. Furthermore, the literature review assisted in the preliminary identification of essential KSAs required to meet performance requirements related to construction robotics tasks in the industry. This phase has been completed, and the results are presented in this paper. The next step in this research is to conduct one-on-one interviews with construction industry and educational professionals considered to be subject matter experts (SME) in robotics and automation. The interviews will be semi-structured to permit deeper investigating and consequently collect a large quantity of data, as the interviewees will be encouraged to examine the research topic and share their opinions based on their experiences. The industry professional expertise solicited in the semi-structured interviews is essential in providing an understanding of the application of robotics and automation technologies in their respective companies. In addition, educators who have been at the forefront of construction robotics research and have introduced construction robotics to students in their classrooms will be sought after. The interviews will establish a baseline for categorizing the vital KSAs considered necessary for construction robotics proficiency. The interview participants will be offered the chance to take part in the subsequent Delphi phase. The findings of the interview will be used to support and cross-validate the findings of the literature review.
The third and final phase of the research will involve the development and execution of a Delphi study with participants from the SME pool identified during the interview phase. During the interview phase, possible involvement in a Delphi study will be discussed with the SMEs and the expectations regarding their participation, time commitment and anticipated outcomes of the Delphi study will be clearly outlined. The list of participants who agree to participate will be created as they are being interviewed and upon completing the informed consent forms. The Delphi study itself will be conducted in multiple stages of development. The Delphi study for this research will be conducted in three iterations. During the first round, a preliminary list of the required construction robotics KSAs will be generated, and the first round will serve as an open discussion among the Delphi panelists to expand the preliminary list and determine the relevance and applicability of each item on the list. Consensus evaluation will be conducted throughout the second and third rounds. At the end of the Delphi study, a final report will be generated to present the perceived important KSAs related to construction robotics according to their ratings and rankings.
A content analysis based review technique was employed to develop a preliminary list of the essential construction robotics KSAs. Given the absence of an established framework for determining construction robotics KSAs, several research articles were reviewed to corroborate the implementation of construction robotics technologies and applications, and the research development process and technical requirements associated with them. Inferences were then made by systematically identifying specific characteristics in the articles. The techniques required the review of several publications, from which results were drawn and highlighted in Table 3. The content analysis-based review was carried out in two parts to achieve a systematic review of literature from 2009 to 2019, as shown in Figure 2. A thorough exploration of literature using the Google Scholar search engine using various keywords such as automation, robotics, robotic technologies, construction, construction education, and robotic skills was completed in Phase 1.
Phase 1 resulted in the identification of 53 related articles mostly from the Automation in Construction journal, the International Journal of Advanced Research in Computer Science, the Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, and the Journal of Information Technology in Construction. The contents of these articles were reviewed and screened in Phase 2 in order to extract publications that were deemed irrelevant to the study. Upon completion of the screening procedure, 34 articles were selected for further analysis. While this two-phase search and review method may not deliver the maximum amount of publications eligible to be evaluated, it adequately presents a substantial volume of significant research, from which this research could extrapolate conclusions and advance to the next phase of the research. From the articles selected for further examination at the end of Phase 2, 29 publications facilitated the development of the preliminary list of the essential KSAs required to perform construction robotics related tasks. From the literature review and content analysis based review, the fundamental KSAs that were required to complete the job tasks highlighted in the articles were extracted based on a broad mention in multiple applications, aimed at capturing the complex dynamics of the technologies and processes. These identified KSAs can be broken down into two major categories: computing KSAs and computer science KSAs, as shown in Table 3. The preliminary list will be expanded on and validated during the semi-structured interview phase of this research. After which, the list will be further evaluated during the Delphi study phase where the panel will reach a consensus on the essential KSAs.
Robotics and automation have been employed in the construction industry for several decades. However, very few research studies have tried to uncover the shift in robotics technologies. Through a systematic review of conference proceedings and journal articles, this research assesses and highlights some of the current technology trends and applications of automation and robotics in the construction industry, uncovering the focal point of construction robotics research. In addition, through a two-phase content analysis based review method, this research provides insight into the perceived critical construction KSAs required to perform construction robotics tasks in the industry. Additional systematized review and evaluation of the list of construction robotics KSAs will be accomplished through a series of one-on-one semistructured interviews with construction industry and education professionals followed by a rigorous three-round, consensus-building Delphi study.
Upon completion of the study, a significant area of future research is the development of a construction robotics competency benchmark and performance assessment framework to assist educators and industry professionals in cultivating talent and advance innovations in construction robotics. The research priorities are as follows: 1. Develop a model of student learning objectives for construction robotics training and education curricula with the integration of effective assessment measures. 2. Benchmark the desired student learning outcomes and career-specific competency in developing talent in construction robotics. 3. Evaluate the possibilities of integrating construction automation and robotics in construction education curriculum. 4. Guide the development of a training course to ensure the proposed competency benchmark and performance assessment framework provide meaningful outcomes to educators for developing and assessing the competency of students. 5. Test and validate the developed competency benchmark and performance assessment framework.
The developed skills benchmark is expected to make significant contributions to construction robotics curricula, training development, and competency cultivation in academia, as well as industry.