The construction industry is grappling with rising demand for infrastructure and housing alongside a shrinking labor force due to retirements and low youth entry (owing to safety, prospects, and physical intensity). Productivity growth in construction (0.4% CAGR from 2000 to 2022) has lagged significantly behind other sectors like manufacturing (3.0% CAGR). While purpose-built robots and off-site manufacturing offer some relief, on-site automation is difficult due to the unique, constantly evolving, and unstructured nature of construction environments.
The Humanoid Solution
General-purpose robots, particularly humanoids (robots that resemble humans in size and shape), represent a potentially transformative solution. Their power comes from embodied AI, which enables real-time decision-making and versatility—unlike specialized robots that perform a single task.
Key technological advances supporting their future deployment include:
- Sophisticated AI Foundation Models: Vision-language-action models allow humanoids to interpret visual cues and follow spoken instructions, enabling rapid skill mastery by analyzing vast amounts of construction data.
- Improved Mobility and Dexterity: While enhanced, further work is needed for robots to expertly navigate busy, unstructured worksites, climb ladders, and handle complex, delicate tasks with human-level dexterity.
- Focus on Safety and Collaboration: Developers are working on safety features for “fenceless” operations and improving AI models for seamless collaboration with human workers.
Applications and Timeline
While large-scale humanoid usage may be a decade away due to the complexity of construction sites, leaders should prepare for an accelerated timeline. The primary goal is for humanoids to support, not replace, human workers.
- Near-Term (Pilots): Focus on repetitive, moderately complex tasks in low-variability zones, such as preparing tools, cleaning sites, painting walls, or unloading trucks.
- Long-Term (10+ years): More versatile assistance in complex tasks, including on-site casting, installing pipes/sensors in tight spaces, collecting terrain data, and precision taping.
How Industry Leaders Can Prepare
Forward-looking construction leaders should begin preparing now to position their companies for success. Recommended actions include:
- Assess Value: Determine where humanoids can add the most value, such as closing productivity gaps, reducing risk in hazardous tasks, or supporting large-scale infrastructure projects.
- Invest in Infrastructure: Improve worksite sensors and connectivity.
- Build Robot Capabilities: Obtain robust, task-specific data (e.g., construction videos, teleoperation records) and use it to train models through virtual simulations and digital twins.
- Develop Strategy: Decide on a deployment strategy (First Movers, Early Adopters, or Selective Deployers), each with trade-offs between speed-to-market/shaping standards and investment risk.
- Create New Playbooks: Develop guidelines for human–robot collaboration and upskill the workforce to operate alongside the machines.