Meet Jaibot, Hilti's new construction robot

Construction tools manufacturer Hilti has unveiled a BIM-driven construction jobsite robot, Jaibot.

The semi-autonomous robot is designed to assist mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) contractors with ceiling-drilling, and help tackle productivity, safety, and labor shortage challenges.

Using data from the BIM model, Jaibot locates itself accurately indoors, drills the holes dust-controlled, and marks them according to the trade, according Hilti.

"The productivity of the construction industry has been lagging behind other sectors for years," said Jan Doongaji, Member of the Executive Board, Hilti Group. "Margin pressure and shortages of skilled labor are already facts of life in our industry and make it increasingly difficult to overcome productivity shortfalls.

"With Jaibot, and in close collaboration with our customers, we are further stepping toward realizing the efficiency that digital transformation can and will bring to construction sites," added Doongaji.

ALSO SEE: A robotic dog becomes part of Swinerton’s construction technology arsenal

Safety played an important role in the development of the Jaibot. It is designed to assist tradespeople in physically demanding, repetitive installation tasks such as drilling numerous holes overhead for many mechanical, electrical or plumbing installations. It is navigated by the worker via remote control and uses reference data from a robotic total station, the Hilti PLT 300. Holes within reach are drilled automatically.

"We looked at which routine work on the construction site is among the most stressful, and that is primarily overhead work," said Julia Zanona, Product Manager for Robotics at Hilti. "From the beginning, it was important to us to develop a robotic solution that supports our customers where it is most needed. The Hilti Jaibot takes over the most strenuous and exhausting tasks, working alongside the installation team."

Associated Builders and Contractors has released an artificial intelligence (AI) technology guide for the U.S. construction industry. AI in Construction — What Does It Mean for Our Contractors? outlines definitions, construction use cases, and considerations for the implementation of AI in construction.

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