The Use of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) in the Construction Industry

Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) have been identified as one of the most promising technologies and will continue to revolutionize the industry as well as the industrial and consumer products by combining silicon-based microelectronics with micro-machining technology. All the spheres of industrial application including robots conception and development will be impacted by this new technology. If semiconductor microfabrication was contemplated to be the first micro-manufacturing revolution, MEMS is the second revolution. The paper reflects the results of a study about the state of the art of this technology and its future influence in the development of the construction industry. The addressed questions are: technical and economical effects of MEMS application in the industry and analysis of their use in Japan, Europe, and the USA. Also several examples of MEMS applications in construction are presented.