Construction Robotics: A Perspective

Construction robotics is an infant discipline whose mature form is not apparent. Despite the many advantages and benefits of introducing robotic technology to the construction work site, progress to date has been circuitous. Needs, prospects, challenges, and goals of construction robotics are presented. They suggest an evolutionary approach to the development of advanced construction machines, building on developments in parallel domains. We speculate that the forms of teleoperated, programmed, and cognitive robots and their hybrids will all be relevant in the long term.