![Excavator claws are on a dark background.](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/f04399ae25a30a5fc72395a00d87848b27e45136/2022/09/14/b144d8e0-d4e7-420a-bbff-447305662975/sri-excavator.jpg?auto=webp&width=1280)
Okay, I admit it. I have never outgrown my Tonka toys and sandboxes. As a new era of construction robots dawns, its appeal has only shifted to the high-tech descendants of the big yellow construction machines.
For example, I could watch this robotic excavator dig all day.
In fact, you'll soon be seeing a lot of robots at work. The construction industry is facing unprecedented change as workers retire and competition for more efficient construction processes increases. Although not construction workers, this sector deserves close attention as it is a harbinger of the rapid march of automation.
also: Robots are rushing to fill jobs that people don't want. What happens when a recession hits?
To add some numbers, the construction robotics market is growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14% and is expected to more than triple in size by 2030, according to a new forecast from Straights Research. The demand is driven partly by safety concerns and rising labor costs, and partly by population trends and urbanization. The World Bank estimates that by 2050, seven in 10 people worldwide will live in cities, ending a century of migration from rural areas to dense urban centers. Demand for homes has sent prices sky high and will continue to fuel a bonanza of new builds.
Enter the robot. Amid the proliferation of project management concepts such as drones and robotic grid line drawing, rebar installation, and scaffolding construction, there is also an emerging market for large machines that operate without a human being in the driver's seat.
Foreshadow the future of remotely operated and automated excavation. Complex machines like excavators require skilled professionals to complete the job safely and in a timely manner.
While excavators speed up work, existing models pose safety concerns and feature unintuitive controls that require manual operation from within the vehicle. With a tight labor market and increasing demand for construction, this poses a problem for construction companies.
also: Yes, robots have their place. (So why don't we care?)
SRI International, a non-profit research organization, is developing a new excavator concept. The group has led the discovery and design of robotics technology for more than 75 years, including the early launch of the Siri voice assistant and Yamaha's robotic bicycle. SRI researchers recently developed a smart excavator that can be operated remotely and has an augmented reality system. The system is designed to make the process safe, convenient, and as easy as playing a video game.
Think about it Nintendo Wii. It will take a few minutes to learn these controls. This upgrade eliminates the need for operators to sit behind the wheel and allows the machine to be operated from anywhere in the world.
“We call them ‘robotization kits,’” Reuben Brewer, senior robotics engineer at SRI International, told trade publication Equipment World last month.
also: Highly skilled technical talent is becoming increasingly scarce and companies are having to make difficult decisions.
This is an apt description, as SRI essentially provides an autonomous or remotely controlled overlay for diesel-powered hydraulic excavators. This is a smart strategy, considering that construction companies may already be making capital investments. Companies like Electric Sheep are doing the same with their landscape lawn mowers.
“We actually have an electric motor mounted on the excavator that moves the levers and pedals just like a human would move,” Brewer said. “We have computers and sensors that we can bolt on, and it's essentially connected to the internet. Now this isn't just an excavator, it's a robotic arm that basically acts as an excavator.”
It all comes back to the pure joy of watching a big, honking machine dig a hole. If you have time, give it a watch. It's even better if there's a sandbox nearby.