Automation in Construction in brief – 08/03/2025
Automation and Digitization
Microsoft is intensifying its AI push to compete with OpenAI, reportedly developing an in-house alternative to ChatGPT. The move follows tensions over its reliance on OpenAI’s models and reflects a broader industry shift as tech giants race to control foundational AI technologies. Microsoft’s increased investment signals growing competition in generative AI, as firms seek to reduce dependence on external providers.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/07/microsoft-reportedly-ramps-up-ai-efforts-to-compete-with-openai/
Apple is delaying the rollout of its AI-driven “Apple Intelligence” and enhanced Siri features, initially expected this year. The postponement, reportedly due to technical challenges, underscores the complexities of integrating advanced AI into consumer devices. As rivals accelerate AI deployments, Apple’s cautious approach reflects its focus on privacy and reliability, though it risks falling behind in the AI race.
Meredith Whittaker, president of Signal, warned that “agentic AI” poses serious security and privacy risks. Speaking at a conference, she criticized AI systems that act autonomously, arguing they could be exploited for surveillance and misinformation. Her remarks highlight growing concerns over the unchecked deployment of advanced AI, as companies rush to integrate increasingly independent machine-learning models into everyday applications.
Amazon is developing Nova, an advanced AI reasoning model aimed at improving Alexa and enterprise applications. Positioned to compete with OpenAI and Google, Nova focuses on complex reasoning and contextual understanding. The project highlights Amazon’s push to catch up in the AI race, leveraging its cloud dominance to integrate smarter assistants and AI-driven services across its ecosystem.
Source: https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-ai-reasoning-model-nova-2025-3
Scrunch AI has launched a platform to help brands and organizations optimize their presence in AI-driven customer journeys. The service enables businesses to monitor their brand’s performance across AI assistants, gain actionable insights, and address content gaps. As consumers increasingly seek direct answers from AI, Scrunch AI aims to ensure brands and organizations remain visible and competitive in this evolving landscape.
Source: https://scrunchai.com/
Construction Robotics
China hosted the world’s first human-robot marathon, where human participants were paired with robots to compete in a race. This event, part of China’s broader push to lead in robotics and artificial intelligence, aligns with the country’s national goals of advancing its technological capabilities. The marathon showcased China’s growing ambitions to integrate robotics into everyday life, further positioning itself as a global leader in innovation.
Germany’s automotive and robotics sectors face challenges, but AI-driven robotics could revitalize both industries. David Reger, founder of Neura Robotics, proposes a strategy to preserve Germany’s manufacturing capabilities. This involves utilizing cognitive robots like Maira for more efficient production, which may help address the labor shortage in car manufacturing and ensure future competitiveness. Robotics could become key to overcoming the sector’s struggles and help retain industrial expertise.
A new study has shown that robots can now recognize themselves in a mirror, mirroring human self-awareness. By using AI and machine learning, these robots adjust their behavior based on their reflection. This research marks a significant step toward developing more autonomous robots capable of performing tasks that require self-monitoring and real-time adjustments, advancing their capabilities in various environments.
Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-025-01006-w
A new method for optimizing flexible job-shop scheduling in industrial production integrates automated guided vehicle (AGV) costs and workpiece priority. Using a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm with self-cross and delete-mutation, it reduces production time and energy by up to 19.4%. Simulation results demonstrate the method’s effectiveness in lowering production costs and adjusting AGV numbers and workpiece sequences.
Source: 10.1109/ICARCV63323.2024.10821565
A new approach, Control Barrier Function Behavior Tree (CBF-BT), resolves task conflicts in multi-robot systems during persistent coverage tasks. By dynamically adjusting CBF constraints within the robot’s task scheduler, this method improves performance by managing conflicts in complex environments. The robots temporarily reduce task performance during conflicts and restore normalcy once resolved. Simulation results demonstrate its superiority over traditional CBF techniques in conflict management.
Source: 10.1109/ICCMA63715.2024.10843939
A study addresses task allocation for railway maintenance robots in the context of Industry 4.0, focusing on cost and efficiency optimization. An improved hybrid algorithm combining NSGA-II and MOPSO is proposed to minimize makespan and travel distance. The method dynamically partitions task areas based on track bolt coordinates and includes a multi-elite archive strategy to prevent premature convergence, enhancing solution quality. Experimental results validate the algorithm’s effectiveness in optimizing multi-robot task allocation during railway maintenance.
Space Construction
Two private companies, Intuitive Machines and Astrobotic, achieved historic milestones by landing on the Moon within four days of each other. These missions underscore the growing role of commercial enterprises in space exploration. Both companies delivered payloads for NASA’s Artemis program, marking a significant step in the commercialization of lunar exploration, with further missions planned to demonstrate technological advancements and establish a sustainable lunar presence.
NASA has successfully acquired GPS signals on the Moon, marking a significant milestone for lunar navigation. This achievement will enhance the precision of future lunar missions, aiding both crewed and robotic operations. It paves the way for reliable positioning and navigation in lunar exploration, contributing to mission safety and efficiency as part of the Artemis program. The successful test also signals advances in space communications technology.
NASA is using virtual reality (VR) to simulate lunar environments for preparing for future scientific missions. VR enables astronauts and mission planners to practice and improve techniques for lunar exploration, from collecting samples to operating equipment. This technology aids in refining the mission strategies and logistics for Artemis, ensuring effective execution once humans return to the Moon. VR training will play a critical role in astronaut readiness for extended stays on the lunar surface.
ESA’s robotics labs recently hosted student teams, offering them hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies in space exploration. The teams engaged in developing robots for various space missions, such as lunar exploration and satellite servicing. These initiatives aim to foster innovation in space robotics, showcasing Europe’s growing role in space technology development and inspiring the next generation of engineers and scientists.
Asteroid mining startup, Deep Space Industries, has lost contact with its spacecraft, which was tasked with identifying mining prospects beyond the Moon. The company had aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of extracting resources from asteroids but failed to establish communication with the spacecraft. The mission, intended as a key step in asteroid mining, marks a significant setback for the emerging industry. Despite the loss, the company remains hopeful for future missions.
