Thanks to recent advancements in technology, an increasing number of industries are using robots to assist or even replace human workers. According to The Brookings Institution, the automotive industry leads the way, followed by the electronics industry, as well as the plastics and rubber industry. The hotel renovation industry may not be far behind.
In contrast, the construction industry is only just beginning to use robots. As the Robotic Industries Association points out, this is due to the fact that construction tasks aren’t well-suited to automation, which works best for repetitive actions. Moreover, construction sites are notoriously unpredictable environments that typically don’t provide the stability that’s conducive to automation.
Examples of Construction Robots
However, a handful of technology companies have designed robots that can autonomously — without human intervention — adapt to changes in their surroundings. As a result, several types of robots have been developed that promise to be highly useful for the construction industry overall — including the hotel renovation industry.
For example, Doxel AI uses rovers and drones, combined with AI, to measure progress and productivity on the worksite. Kespry has developed a drone that can collect highly detailed and accurate field data in a short period of time, which makes it perfect for project planning and earthworks management. SAM100 is a bricklaying robot that supplements a mason’s work. Other examples include autonomous vehicles, demolition robots and 3D printers that can create entire buildings.
Benefits of Robots for Hotel Renovation Projects
Robots offer a number of distinct advantages for hotel construction projects. First of all, they’re generally faster than human workers, so they make construction teams more productive. In addition, they enhance safety, since robots don’t make mistakes due to fatigue, distraction or any other type of human error.
Finally, they’re more affordable than human labor. This is currently especially important since according to the Associated General Contractors of America, 70 percent of construction companies face challenges finding qualified workers — and are subsequently paying more for skilled talent. Clearly, the use of robots could play a significant role in controlling hotel construction costs.
Will Robots Replace Human Workers?
Considering the pace at which technology is advancing, it’s not surprising that many workers in the construction industry are concerned about being replaced by robots. Of course, it’s impossible to foresee exactly what will happen 10 or 20 years from now. However, as Construct Connect points out, for the foreseeable future, it’s far more likely that robots will be deployed in conjunction with humans to enhance productivity and safety. As a result, workers will need to gain additional skills or even retrain in order to operate and maintain the robots they work with.
Using Robots for Hotel Renovation
We still have a long way to go before robots will be mainstream equipment on construction sites throughout the country. Nevertheless, forward-thinking hotel remodeling contractors like Interserve LP are already looking into how to use them for safer, more productive and more cost-effective hotel construction projects.
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