Development of the Integrated Construction Automation Methodology

Current research In construction automation Is focusing on automating Individual processes Instead of approaching the problem from a hierarchical systems viewpoint ; thus many systems being studied treat the construction site as a "hostile" environment and Incorporate many sensors to extract Information from the building. As a result, sensor and signal processing technology can be a limiting factor In the design of machines to automate building processes. However, If Integration and automation of the construction process are approached from a systems view, then existing technology can be used to design economical machines to automate many construction processes , and to coordinate and Integrate their use within the construction environment. A new design methodology, the Integrated Construction Automation Methodology ( ICAM), Is presented here to assist In achieving high levels of integration and automation using existing technology.