Expect Human-Free Drone-Operated Construction Sites By 2050
A recent study suggests construction sites will be hands-free and fully operational without the use of humans by the year 2050.
The white paper conducted by Balfour Beatty is called “Innovation 2050: A Digital Future for the Infrastructure Industry.” The report foresees technological advances transforming infrastructure to such a degree that remote-powered machines and robots will be able to operate and oversee projects without humans having to step foot on-site, Construction Dive reports.
The Internet of Things, in addition to drones and sensors, will play a big role in this transformation, improving safety measures and even speeding up repairs. This future outlook will require construction crews to master a fresh set of skills in high-tech equipment and software, CD reports.
As job-site tech becomes smarter, so will the intelligence required of its human counterparts. Unlike industrial automation, where machines do the work for humans — resulting in the elimination of jobs — smart tech and remote-operated machinery will still require human operators behind-the-scenes to teach the tech the nuances of construction work.
