Collaborative Robots and the Future of Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction
Overview
Collaborative robots or "cobots" represent an exciting frontier in the future of highway, street, and bridge construction. With the rapid advancement of technology, these innovative machines can work effectively alongside humans on construction sites, reducing risks, improving productivity, and transforming how infrastructure gets built. With around 30,000 cobots sold worldwide in 2019, and the estimated growth of the cobot market standing at $9.4 billion by 2025, the immense potential of cobots in construction becomes evident.
The Role of Cobots in Construction
The use of cobots in construction can revolutionize the way highways, streets, and bridges are built, repaired, and maintained. By leveraging the capabilities of cobots, repetitive and dangerous tasks can be automated, reducing the risk to human workers significantly. In fact, around 20% of all workplace fatalities in the U.S. occur within the construction industry, mainly due to accidents. The use of cobots can drastically reduce this number, ensuring a safer and more sustainable work environment. Additionally, adoption of cobots can boost productivity, with studies suggesting that they can perform certain jobs up to 30% faster than human workers.
Integrating Cobots into Existing Infrastructure
The integration of cobots within the existing infrastructure on construction sites is pivotal for its success. The adaptation required in terms of training and equipment is minimal, as cobots are designed to work hand-in-hand with human operators, functioning as their “co-workers.” Safety on construction sites is a priority, especially when considering that an estimated 15% of all fatal workplace injuries occur due to mishandling of heavy machinery. Cobots, with their advanced safety features, can thus significantly reduce the risk element tied to human error.
Key Takeaways
• Collaborative robots are revolutionizing the construction industry by automating repetitive and dangerous tasks.
• The use of cobots can decrease the number of workplace fatalities and injuries, which are significant in the construction industry.
• The integration of cobots within existing infrastructure on construction sites is a straightforward and beneficial process.
• The potential efficiency gains brought by cobots can optimize operations, resulting in cost savings over time.
3Laws Robotics: The Future of Safe and Efficient Robotics
At the frontlines of this technological shift stands 3Laws Robotics, a key player developing innovative software to enhance the safety and reliability of robotic systems. A major challenge for robotics companies is certification, and 3Laws, with their groundbreaking software 3Laws Supervisor, aims to ease this worry by offering robust safety features with a proven record of system dependability.
Founded on Control Barrier Functions (CBFs), a technology crafted by leading academics at Caltech, 3Laws’ software offers mathematically provable safety, taking the guesswork out of system robustness. A broad array of applications, from warehouse automation to human-robot interaction and dynamic environments, all stand to benefit from 3Laws' technology. Proven efficiency gains, such as a 40% boost in warehouse operations, highlight the transformative power of this software.
3Laws is also committed to promoting operational efficiency by mitigating downtime due to unnecessary e-stops or collisions. By establishing real-time limits, 3Laws' software enables robots to function at full capacity while maintaining top-tier safety standards.
This adaptable solution is compatible with an array of platforms, including cars, drones, and manipulators, and robotics middleware such as ROS and ROS2. It also ticks the ISO 3691-4 and ISO 26262 safety certification boxes. 3Laws Robotics is a next-generation safety solution that transcends traditional e-stop methods, enabling the full potential of robotics through proactive, predictive safety.