Automation in Construction in brief – 02/08/2025
Automation and Digitization
OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, told a Federal Reserve conference that AI will soon eliminate entire job categories, notably in customer support, and claimed AI now outperforms doctors in diagnosis. Altman warned of AI’s potential for destructive misuse by hostile states and fraud via voice cloning. OpenAI is deepening its Washington presence as US policy shifts from regulation to accelerating AI development to compete with China.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/22/openai-sam-altman-congress-ai-jobs
A new study proposes a model-based, topological assessment method to improve the accuracy of material recovery in building deconstruction. Traditional quantity takeoff (QTO) tools often overestimate reusable components at end-of-life. By integrating topological analysis into BIM, the method more precisely identifies salvageable structural steel, supporting circular economy goals. Case studies show the approach reduces overestimation and enhances planning for sustainable construction and material reuse.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106438
Researchers have developed a fully automated workflow for generating exterior Building Information Models (BIM) of existing structures by integrating Geographic Information System (GIS) data, autonomous UAV-based 3D imaging, and AI-driven modelling. This approach addresses the inefficiencies of manual and scan-based methods, enabling rapid, accurate BIM creation for urban planning and infrastructure management. Limitations remain regarding environmental complexity and generalizability.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2025.106422
A study in Automation in Construction introduces an automated machine learning (ML) pipeline for forecasting project cost and duration. Tested on 50 real-world construction projects and benchmarking 30 ML methods against traditional Earned Value and Schedule Management models, the ML pipeline—especially indirect regression approaches—demonstrated superior accuracy, precision, and timeliness. The pipeline mitigates underfitting and overfitting, offering practitioners a robust, automated framework for project controls.
Construction Robotics
A team at Columbia University has developed modular robots capable of “eating” other robots to grow and enhance their abilities, mimicking biological metabolism. Using magnetic modules dubbed Truss Links, these robots self-assemble into complex structures, but only with prefabricated parts. While the technology remains a research platform lacking clear real-world application, its creators envision future robotic ecologies capable of adaptive, survivable self-assembly for tasks like lunar construction.
Aurora Innovation’s autonomous trucks now operate commercially at night between Dallas and Houston, logging over 20,000 driverless miles with human observers present. The company aims to expand across the US Sunbelt and validate operations in rain, a key technical hurdle. Aurora targets scaling its fleet from dozens to hundreds of trucks by 2026, but posted a $201m Q2 net loss on $1m revenue.
AI video startups Luma and Runway are exploring robotics and autonomous vehicles as future revenue streams, expanding beyond their traditional focus on film studios, reports The Information. Luma, which began developing 3D AI world models in early 2024, aims for its technology to interpret real-world environments. Runway is also targeting the video game sector. Both firms are in talks with industry players, though details remain undisclosed.
Waymo will launch a robotaxi service in Dallas next year, expanding its autonomous ride-hailing operations beyond Los Angeles and San Francisco. The Alphabet subsidiary has partnered with Avis Budget Group, which will manage, charge, and maintain Waymo’s electric Jaguar I-Pace fleet. The collaboration aims to accelerate Waymo’s rollout in new markets, with further city launches—including Washington, D.C. and Miami—planned for 2025.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/07/28/waymo-taps-avis-to-manage-robotaxi-fleet-in-dallas/
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed an AI-powered surgical robot, SRT-H, capable of autonomously performing gallbladder removal on pig organs with precision matching human surgeons. Trained via imitation learning on the DaVinci platform, the robot adapts to anatomical variation and accepts natural language feedback. Progress is limited by proprietary data restrictions from Intuitive Surgical, but alternative data-gathering methods are being explored.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/07/experimental-surgery-performed-by-ai-driven-surgical-robot/
Bedrock Robotics, founded in 2024 by former Waymo executive Boris Sofman, is tackling America’s construction labor shortage by retrofitting excavators and bulldozers with AI-powered autonomy. Drawing talent from Waymo, Google, and Caterpillar, the startup aims to modernize an industry facing a workforce shortfall and surging infrastructure demand, betting that automation—not manpower—will drive the future of building in the United States.
Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91372492/bedrock-robotics-ai-construction-bots
Space Construction
Engineers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered a flaw in decades of NASA rover testing: Earth-based simulations failed to account for how gravity affects the firmness of sand. Using advanced simulation software, researchers found that lunar soil is far less supportive than previously assumed, meaning rovers may lose traction more easily on the Moon and Mars. The findings could improve future extraterrestrial vehicle designs.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250726234412.htm
Firefly Aerospace, fresh from achieving the first fully private lunar landing, has filed for a $600m NASDAQ IPO, targeting a $5.5bn valuation. Proceeds will reduce debt and fund expansion, including new rockets and spacecraft. Despite lunar success, its Alpha rocket has struggled, and losses deepened to $231m in 2024. Firefly eschews SPACs, reflecting revived IPO appetite in the space sector.
Nearly 3,000 NASA employees, including Makenzie Lystrup, director of the Goddard Space Flight Center, are departing as the Trump administration seeks a 25% budget cut. An open letter from staff warns that rapid policy changes threaten NASA’s mission and safety. Congressional committees aim to restore funding, but the administration may pursue deeper cuts, risking major science programmes and triggering legal battles over appropriations.
NASA has launched a new five-year Announcement of Collaboration Opportunity (ACO), inviting commercial partners to leverage its expertise and facilities to accelerate space technology development, without financial exchange. Past ACOs have advanced lunar landers, cryogenic fuel transfer, autonomous navigation, laser sensing, and lunar tires. Proposals for the 2025 ACO appendix are open until September 24th, with an informational webinar scheduled for August 6th.
NASA has awarded Firefly Aerospace a $176.7m contract to deliver two rovers and three scientific instruments to the Moon’s south pole by 2029, under the Artemis and CLPS initiatives. The mission, a collaboration with Canada and Switzerland, aims to study lunar resources and surface composition. This marks Firefly’s fourth lunar mission, supporting NASA’s ambitions for a sustainable lunar presence and future Mars exploration.
NASA has selected three scientific instruments for its Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle (LTV), advancing plans for crewed lunar exploration. Two instruments—AIRES and L-MAPS—will map minerals, volatiles, and subsurface features near the Moon’s south pole, aiding resource identification and astronaut safety. A third, UCIS-Moon, will orbitally survey lunar geology and water. LTV vendor selection is expected by end-2025, supporting Artemis’s broader lunar and Mars ambitions.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-instruments-for-artemis-lunar-terrain-vehicle/
ESA’s PANGAEA geology training in Norway’s Lofoten Islands prepares astronauts for lunar exploration by honing their field mapping and rock identification skills. Using ESA-developed digital tools and drone-derived maps, trainees—including ESA and NASA astronauts—study rare anorthosite rocks, analogous to those on the Moon. The programme aims to improve scientific observation and documentation, ensuring astronauts effectively support Earth-based researchers during future Moon missions.
Source: https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/07/Mapping_for_the_Moon
The European Space Agency (ESA) advances Europe’s space ambitions through science, exploration, and technological innovation. Recent highlights include a partnership with NASA on the ExoMars mission, the first metal 3D printing in orbit, and testing of the Olympus four-legged robot for planetary exploration in simulated Martian gravity. ESA’s diverse initiatives aim to benefit both European citizens and the global community.
