Robotics in Construction : State-of-Art of On-site Advanced Devices

Recently, robotic technologies have significantly improved, bringing considerable enhancements in many sectors; the main objective of this paper is to figure out if these innovations have also involved the building industry. To achieve this purpose, it has been considered crucial to first reshape and clarify some concepts, incorporating a much more flexible understanding of the term “robot”, as well as the formulation of its future potential. Subsequently, it has been carried out an analysis of the various advanced devices that are currently available to be employed in the construction processes; the review includes a thorough classification of construction robots, divided into 18 families reflecting their purpose of use, and a dissection based on the term used to define them. The attention has been focused on the most updated and recent robots and, in their absence, on the most advanced machines prevailing. This operation has been achieved taking into account the development history of construction robots, as well as the analyses and classifications previously conducted, reconsidering them according to the just mentioned reflections. Furthermore, an in-depth exploration of the exoskeletons, as well as on a sophisticated robot recently developed by Schindler Group has been executed.