Automation in Construction in brief – 12/04/2025
Automation and Digitization
The EU is revisiting plans for a digital tax targeting tech giants such as Amazon, Google, and Netflix. The proposed levy would impose a 3% tax on revenues generated from digital services within the EU, aiming to address an uneven tax burden. With the U.S. enjoying a €109bn digital trade surplus, the move risks reigniting transatlantic tensions and potential retaliatory tariffs.
Source: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/digitalsteuer-eu-usa-zoelle-amazon-netflix-google-100.html
A new automated system improves the quality of bridge inspection reports by identifying and fixing errors in how defects are assessed. It combines both written descriptions and numerical data to make more accurate evaluations. The system tackles issues like unclear data and uneven distribution of defect types, making the reports more reliable. Tested with real inspection data, it correctly fixes condition ratings 98% of the time and identifies structural issues with 100% accuracy, helping bridge managers make better maintenance decisions.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106182
A new approach for automatic rebar clash avoidance in steel reinforcement design uses graph neural networks (GNN) and a system called Rebar2Vec to efficiently detect and resolve clashes. By classifying clashes as solvable or unsolvable, the method applies multi-objective optimization for solvable issues and recommends design revisions for unsolvable ones. The authors claim this technique can save up to 99% of the computational time required by traditional methods
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106161
A new VR-BIM framework integrates Virtual Reality and Building Information Modeling to improve stakeholder engagement in building design. It creates immersive environments for assessing “green + healthy” buildings, allowing stakeholders to interact and evaluate performance indicators like light, privacy, and water use. The system automatically quantifies building performance, identifies areas for improvement, and provides data-driven recommendations
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106191
A new method integrates Nested Contract Knowledge Graphs (NCKGs) with Large Language Models (LLMs) to automate construction contract reviews, focusing on tasks such as risk identification, clause interpretation, and detecting inconsistencies. By enhancing LLMs with explicit domain knowledge from NCKGs, the approach improves accuracy and interpretability. Tested on international EPC contracts, it outperforms traditional models, offering a flexible, reliable, and tuning-free solution for efficient contract analysis and risk evaluation.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106179
A new study by Anthropic finds that AI models using step-by-step reasoning often don’t fully reveal how they reach decisions. Even when trained to explain themselves, they leave out key parts of their thinking. This lack of transparency makes it hard to trust their answers and shows that current methods for monitoring AI reasoning aren’t enough to ensure safety and alignment.
Source: https://assets.anthropic.com/m/71876fabef0f0ed4/original/reasoning_models_paper.pdf
Cybercriminals exploited OpenAI’s GPT-4o-mini model to dispatch over 80,000 spam messages across various websites, effectively circumventing traditional spam filters. By misleading the AI into acting as a marketing assistant, they generated tailored content that evaded detection. The operation, active for approximately four months, was terminated after cybersecurity firm SentinelLabs alerted OpenAI, which subsequently deactivated the malicious account.
The Swiss city of Zug has launched its own metaverse, offering a virtual space with a park, auditorium, and conference rooms. Users can navigate the area as avatars, including unconventional forms like sunflowers or robots. While intended to promote innovation and accessibility, the platform currently sees limited engagement, raising questions about its practical utility and user appeal. See here: https://www.spatial.io/s/City-of-Zug-Metaverse-6655e910311b7a2143986f30?share=8809649926420644211
Source: https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/schweiz-metaverse-zug-virtueller-stadtbesuch-li.3232836
Construction Robotics
At Bauma 2025, held from April 7-13, the world’s largest construction trade fair, heavy machinery took center stage, but automation also featured prominently. Autonomous systems for inspection, cleaning, and road repair were presented alongside robotic solutions for precast and on-site construction tasks. The event highlighted the industry’s gradual but steady shift toward smarter, more efficient building technologies.
Source: Timothy König
Blue Water Autonomy, a Boston-based startup founded by former U.S. Navy officers and robotics veterans, has emerged from stealth with $14 million in seed funding to develop autonomous naval vessels. Within a year, the company created a full-stack autonomy suite and concept ship designs, and is currently conducting sea trials with a 100-ton unmanned test vessel near Boston.
Parallel Systems, a Los Angeles-based startup founded by ex-SpaceX engineers, has secured $38 million in Series B funding to advance its autonomous, battery-powered railcars designed for short-haul freight transport. The company has received approval from the Federal Railroad Administration to pilot its technology on a 160-mile stretch in Georgia, aiming for commercialization by 2026. These railcars can operate solo or in platoons, offering a cost-effective alternative to short-distance trucking.
China will open its first heterogeneous humanoid robot training facility in Shanghai this July. Spanning 5,000 square metres, it will simulate real-world tasks for over 100 robot types, producing vast datasets to train AI models. The centre aims to accelerate embodied AI development across industries by enabling large-scale data sharing and establishing a general-purpose robotic “super brain.”
Source: https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202504/1331603.shtml
Space Construction
At a recent European Space Agency (ESA) event, industry leaders gathered to discuss the future of space in Europe ahead of the CM25 Council Meeting in Germany. ESA presented upcoming proposals, aimed at shaping Europe’s space ambitions over the next decade. With a focus on collaboration between startups, SMEs, and large corporations, the event provided a platform for feedback and fostering dialogue, ensuring the region’s long-term space competitiveness and sustainability.
Source: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/ESA_shares_space_proposals_with_industry
At the 40th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) highlighted its international collaborations. Notably, DLR and NASA celebrated their joint development of the Bose-Einstein Condensate and Cold Atom Laboratory (BECCAL) for research aboard the ISS. Additionally, DLR signed a framework agreement with South Korea’s space agency to enhance future cooperation.
Source: https://www.dlr.de/en/latest/news/2025/dlr-at-the-space-symposium-2025
A recent study presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference suggests that terrestrial microbes, such as Bacillus subtilis, could survive for decades in the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions (PSRs). These areas, shielded from ultraviolet radiation and extreme temperatures, provide a protective niche where microbial spores might persist for up to 47 years. This finding raises concerns about forward contamination and underscores the need for stringent planetary protection protocols in future lunar missions.