Construction Automation: Demands and Satisfiers in the United States and Japan

Automation and robotics are often proposed as solutions to problems in productivity, quality, safety, and skilled-labor availability in the United States and in Japan. In recent years, many prototype robots have been developed, but few practical examples can be found on construction sites today. Nevertheless, several large Japanese contractors are aggressively pursuing research and development (R&D) programs to introduce robots on construction sites. United States contractors exhibit little interest. This paper evaluates construction automation and robotics in the context of their ability to satisfy the often conflicting demands of managers and owners, workers, and society in the United States and in Japan. In the United States, there is weak demand for construction automation and robotics. In fact, there may be considerable resistance. In Japan, there is a great deal of demand for automation and robotics, much of it coming from workers and society in general. Differences in cultural, economic, and business practices help explain why construction automation and robotics are generating so much activity and investment in Japan and so little in the United States.