Automation in Construction in brief – 21/03/2026
Automation and Digitization
Microsoft’s latest Windows 11 update scales back AI integration, acknowledging its premature rollout. Copilot’s intrusive features are reduced, while File Explorer speed and stability improve. Users regain control over updates and customisation. Performance tweaks address memory use and crashes. The shift, tested next month, responds to user backlash-proof that full AI integration remains a work in progress.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/20/microsoft-rolls-back-some-of-its-copilot-ai-bloat-on-windows/
Jeff Bezos seeks $100bn to acquire and AI-transform legacy manufacturing firms via his startup, Project Prometheus. The fund, targeting aerospace, chipmaking, and defence, will deploy AI models to modernise operations. Bezos, co-CEO alongside ex-Google’s Vik Bajaj, has courted investors in Singapore and the Middle East.
DoorDash’s new “Tasks” app pays couriers to film daily activities-like washing dishes or speaking in foreign languages-to train AI and robotic systems. Available in select U.S. markets, the app offers flexible earnings beyond deliveries. Competitors like Uber have launched similar schemes. DoorDash aims to monetise its 8m-strong workforce to digitise real-world data for retail, insurance, and tech partners. Expansion plans include more tasks and global rollouts.
Walmart has secured AI-driven pricing patents, using algorithms to adjust e-commerce prices based on demand and third-party data. Though Walmart denies deploying dynamic pricing, digital shelf labels in stores suggest real-time adjustments. New York now requires consumer alerts for algorithmic pricing, but federal bans remain stalled. Critics warn of “surveillance pricing” risks.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/walmart-wins-patents-for-ai-powered-price-changes-2000735833
After backlash, Meta reversed its decision to kill Horizon Worlds for VR, keeping existing games but halting new development. Reality Labs, its XR division, has burned $73bn since 2021, yet VR headset sales fell 16% in 2025. Meta now bets on mobile, AR glasses, and AI, though consumer interest in VR remains niche.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/meta-after-killing-the-metaverse-just-kidding-2000735795
A study in Automation in Construction presents a framework combining machine learning (ML) and multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) to optimise urban block design. The ML model predicts sunlight, energy use, and solar power with high accuracy, while MADRL improves performance by 9.5% over genetic algorithms. The approach enhances efficiency and scalability for sustainable urban development.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2026.106892
A study in Automation in Construction (2026) found head-mounted augmented reality (AR) boosts productivity in precast concrete manufacturing, cutting task time by 86% vs. traditional tape measures. Handheld AR also sped up work but lagged in accuracy. While AR reduced mental and physical strain, traditional methods still delivered superior precision-highlighting a trade-off between efficiency and exactness in industrial AR adoption.
Construction Robotics
China’s Wuhan University has developed the world’s smallest atomic clock-0.14 cubic inches-losing just one second every 30,000 years. Seven times smaller than U.S. models, the chip-scale device enables precision timing for drones, missiles, and underwater navigation. Mass production is underway, though high costs and manufacturing hurdles persist. A new era of ultra-compact, high-accuracy timekeeping dawns.
Uber bets big on robotaxis. The ride-hailing giant will invest $1.25bn in Rivian, deploying 50,000 autonomous R2 SUVs by 2031. Initial rollouts begin in 2028 in San Francisco and Miami, expanding to 25 cities. Uber also partners with Waymo and Lucid, while rivals like Waymo scale up. Safety concerns persist after recent incidents.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/uber-and-rivian-team-up-to-deploy-50000-robotaxis-2000735594
A study in Automation in Construction presents a framework for automating robotic arms on tunnel arch-installation trolleys. Using LiDAR-based scanning, adaptive clustering, and improved particle swarm optimization, the system achieves real-time pose tracking and 73.6% faster trajectory execution. Field tests in China’s Yanjiazhai Tunnel confirm its efficiency, bridging a gap in tunnel construction automation.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2026.106890
A new framework enables automated guided vehicles (AGVs) to navigate glass-heavy construction sites with 96.8% initial localisation success. By fusing Fresnel optics for glass detection and multi-resolution manifold optimisation, the system achieves 8.2 cm trajectory accuracy and 1.8 cm glass reconstruction precision-all in 31.7 ms per frame. The marker-free approach eliminates reliance on external infrastructure.
Source: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2026.106885
Space Construction
NASA’s LAVA software, using data from Artemis I, modelled rocket exhaust interactions with launchpad systems. Simulations revealed water-based sound suppression reduces pressure waves but may cause localised pressure spikes. Engineers adjusted the Artemis II mobile launcher to withstand these forces. LAVA, soon open to industry, enhances aerospace design. The tool stems from NASA’s aeronautics research, bolstering mission safety.
Source: https://www.nasa.gov/aeronautics/artemis-sls-launch-sim/
ESA’s Genesis mission will redefine precision, measuring Earth to the millimetre. By stabilising the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF), it will sharpen satellite navigation, track sea-level rise, refine ice-mass loss calculations, and improve earthquake prediction. Enhanced climate models, polar ionosphere mapping, and satellite positioning will follow.
ESA is hosting industry events to roll out decisions from CM25, its 2025 ministerial meeting. Key priorities include Earth observation, in-orbit validation, and Stepping Stones missions-accelerating new space-based capabilities. Industry will gain insights into tenders, programme implementation, and collaboration opportunities.
Source: https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Business_with_ESA/Upcoming_ESA_Industry_events_on_CM25_implementation
A NASA-backed startup, TransAstra, plans to capture near-Earth asteroids using inflatable bags, relocating them to stable orbits for mining. Testing a prototype on the ISS in 2025, the firm targets a 2028 launch. With 250+ resource-rich asteroids identified, the scheme could unlock space-based infrastructure-if successful. Rival startups, like AstroForge, have faltered, but the industry persists.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/nasa-backed-startup-to-try-ingenious-asteroid-mining-idea-just-bag-it-2000735650
As NASA prepares to deorbit the ISS by 2030, five firms vie to replace it. Axiom Space, Vast Space, Blue Origin/Sierra Space, Starlab Space, and Max Space are developing commercial stations, targeting launches between 2027 and 2029. Backed by NASA funding and private investment, these ventures aim to sustain low-Earth orbit research, manufacturing, and tourism-ushering in a new era of privatised space habitation.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/5-companies-competing-to-replace-the-international-space-station-2000734746