Construction sites are evolving into smarter, safer job sites thanks to Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, according to Dr. Tony Yang, a Structural Engineering Professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC).
Yang and his team at the UBC Smart Structures Lab have developed smart construction robots that can perform basic tasks, such as lifting and moving objects around a job site, autonomously transporting materials and monitoring sites for safety issues.
The UBC team recently demonstrated the concept at a construction site on Mitchell Island in Richmond, British Columbia.
The demonstration included the use of aerial drones fitted with cameras to captured details of the construction site. The data was then used to create a digital twin – a simulation of the site.
Then, AI-equipped cranes and forklifts used the information to move construction materials such as beams and columns around the actual site, navigating around obstacles without a human operator.
“Our smart construction robots are able to recognize objects, performing detailed scans of structural components for quality assurance. They can precisely place objects on site and check against a computer model to ensure they’re building according to plan,” Yang said.
“They can make autonomous decisions such as navigating around obstacles or instantly stopping work to protect a worker who is in danger.”
RELATED: ETH Zurich develops autonomous wall-building excavator
Yang is working with several B.C. construction companies to find opportunities to use smart robots in commercial building projects. He believes smart robots will have a larger role to play in improving construction timelines, increasing worker safety and easing labour shortages in the industry.
“Our made-in-Canada technology is ready to deploy now and can be quickly scaled up, helping to elevate Canadian construction and making us more competitive on the global stage.”
Yang explained he expects this technology will fully mature within the next decade, adding the next era of construction will be fully digitized and allow real-time monitoring of construction activity and knowing where machines, labour and materials are located within a site.
