Trip report: Japanese progress in robotics for construction

T h i s trip was pan of a study mission sponsored by the Technology Transfer institute. urd co-sponsored by the Construction Robotics Laboratory at Camegie Mellon University. T h e study mission visited six of the largest construction firms in Japan. a University, md a Robotics Rexarch Assmiation. Perhaps the most important finding i s that a11 the major Japanese construction cornpanics have large research budgets and impressive in-house research surf. Of the compania we visited. dl had resurch laboratories staffed with more than 200 pmple. and budgets in excess of S10 Million. These companies aggressively compete with each other in many areas of advanced technology. including construction robotics. and arc actively uansfemng results from the research laboratory to the construction site. Although there is as yet no significant direct government funding of construction industry m a r c h in Japan. many of the government contracting procedures for large construction projects retm to be designed to encourage m e u c h into innovative techniques. Also it m s that building codes and regulations set by the government can be changed rather easily I O accommodate newly developed building techniques. Thus. any Japanese company which implements a new technique to improve productivity or quality can reasonably cxpcct to reap a large profit. I t is also important M note that the Japanese practice of saving and investing betwan two and four timer as much. I Ameriuns has crcntcd a growth ewnomy in whch wnstruc-tion is 20% of the GNP. Construction i s about 8% of GNP in America. Thus. the Japanese construction industry i s very health). aggressive, and rurching for new technologies to exploit both at home and abroad. The Japanese emphasis on new construction tcchndogy contrasts sharply with the situation in American where construction firms typiully spend absdure!v norhing on research. Funhmnore. Amcriun construction companies rarely usc m y machine that is not a well established product. and are reluctant to introduce new techniques onto the construction site Nonh-Holland R ~ b o t i c s2 (1986) 103-112 unless forced by competitors. Also building regulations and union grievances work to discourage attempts to change construction procedures. M y distinct impression was that the Japanese construction industry will provide significant competition to American firms within the next decade. T h e large Japanese companies have about 10% of their operations overseas. While the) may not choose …