Automation in Construction in brief – 19/04/2025
Automation and Digitization
With the beginning of Expo 2025 Osaka, the VR app “Virtual Expo Yumeshima Islands in the Sky” is now available. Accessible via smartphones, PCs, and VR headsets, it allows global users to explore digital replicas of pavilions and events as avatars. The platform offers immersive experiences, including AR content at the physical site, enhancing engagement for those unable to attend in person.
Source: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/future-index/virtual/virtual-site/
Expo 2025 Osaka will showcase a “super-smart venue” powered by advanced digital technologies. Features include AI-driven personal assistants, real-time translation tools, and immersive visual systems designed to enhance visitor experience and streamline operations. The initiative aims to redefine large-scale event management through cutting-edge communication and automation.
Source: https://www.expo2025.or.jp/en/future-index/digital/
Microsoft Research has unveiled BitNet b1.58 2B4T, the first open-source, native 1-bit large language model at the 2-billion parameter scale. Trained on 4 trillion tokens, it matches full-precision models while slashing memory use and energy demands. Optimized for efficiency, BitNet runs on CPUs—enabling broader, greener AI deployment without the need for specialized hardware.
Source: https://huggingface.co/microsoft/bitnet-b1.58-2B-4T
Famed AI researcher Tamay Besiroglu has launched Mechanize, a startup aiming to automate all human labor. The venture, focusing initially on white-collar jobs, seeks to develop AI agents capable of performing any task. Besiroglu estimates the global market for such automation at $60 trillion annually. The announcement has sparked backlash, raising concerns about the implications for employment and the neutrality of his research institute, Epoch.
Construction Robotics
China hosted the world’s first humanoid half-marathon near Beijing, pitting robots against humans in a spectacle of tech ambition. Though gimmicky, the race underscores fierce competition in a sector forecast to exceed $200bn by 2035. China leads in hardware, leveraging its EV supply chain. Success may hinge on mastery of data and semiconductors.
Source: https://www.economist.com/the-world-in-brief
Archer Aviation, in partnership with United Airlines, unveiled plans for an electric air taxi network in New York City. The service aims to connect Manhattan with major airports like JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark, reducing travel times to 5–15 minutes. Utilizing Archer’s eVTOL aircraft, Midnight, the initiative awaits FAA certification before commencing operations.
Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving truck startup, plans to go public via a $2.5bn SPAC merger with Ares Acquisition Corp II.Backed by investors including Soros Fund Management and ARK Investments, the deal includes $110m in new funding and $551m in trust. Despite a challenging market for autonomous vehicle firms, Kodiak has begun limited commercial operations and aims to scale long-haul freight automation.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/14/autonomous-trucking-startup-kodiak-robotics-to-go-public-via-spac/
Space Construction
The 12th DLR Industrial Days conference, held in April 2025, convened European space leaders to discuss the future of space transport. Key topics included enhancing Europe’s strategic autonomy in space access, fostering innovation among startups, and ensuring the competitiveness of European launchers. Discussions emphasized the importance of resilient and cost-effective solutions to maintain Europe’s position in the evolving global space sector.
The Lunar Technologies AGH team from AGH University of Science and Technology in Poland has been selected for the July 2025 test window of the European Space Agency’s Fly Your Satellite! Test Opportunities programme. Their Lunaris payload, a micro-deployable device weighing up to 200 grams, aims to study interactions between lunar regolith and various materials, focusing on adhesion properties critical for lunar exploration. The team will conduct vibration and thermal vacuum testing at ESA’s CubeSat Support Facility to verify the payload’s resilience for lunar deployment.
At ESA’s LUNA facility in Cologne, Germany, virtual reality (VR) is transforming lunar mission training. Astronauts, engineers, and scientists can now practice navigating and operating on the Moon’s surface using immersive 360-degree simulations. These VR scenarios replicate harsh lighting, low gravity, and lunar dust conditions, offering a cost-effective and adaptable training environment. Future plans include integrating LUNA into a digital twin of the lunar landscape to enhance mission preparation.
At the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions in Geneva, ESA showcased over 1,000 innovations derived from space technologies. These inventions, patented by ESA, span various sectors, including propulsion systems and satellite altimetry methods. Celebrating 35 years of technology transfer, ESA has facilitated over 450 such transfers, contributing to advancements in industries ranging from healthcare to telecommunications.
Source: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Space_technologies_find_new_life_on_Earth
NASA’s recent findings suggest that the solar wind contributes to water formation on the Moon. The solar wind, a stream of charged particles from the Sun, interacts with lunar surface materials, potentially producing water molecules. This discovery enhances our understanding of lunar water sources and has implications for future lunar exploration and resource utilization.
Source: https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/moon/can-solar-wind-make-water-on-moon/