Application of Robots in Construction Industry: Navigation of a Mobile Robot. Robotic Welding of Steel Bridge Girders

Some views on the feasibility of the application of robots in the construction industry are introduced in the initial section of the paper and three approaches to robotic automation are listed.

The paper compares briefly the robotic activities in the building industry as carried out in various countries and mentions the UK and the recent initiative instigated by the Department of Trade and Industry.

In the later part of the paper the author introduces the Automation and 'Robotics Centre under which auspices the robotic work is carried out at the

-.University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology. He then describes two projects which are relevant to the construction industry. One is the 'development of a mobile robot and its navigational means and the other deals with robot welding operations carried out on girders used for steel bridge construction.