Swinerton, the national construction services provider, is among the GCs that are embracing construction technology is various ways.
It is using high-definition 3D scanning technology to provide clients with such benefits as time-stamping work with preserved historical data, minimizing client travel thanks to remote walk-through capabilities, and coordinating subcontractors with an eye toward minimizing change orders and errors.
The firm’s prefab and modular construction capabilities leverage technology to reduce construction costs by as much as 20% per project, improve quality and safety, and expedite a project’s completion.
And on a number of its jobsites, Swinerton has been testing Boston Dynamics’ quadruped robot, better known as Spot Dog, for walk-throughs to inspect progress (such as tracking the numbers of studs or electrical conduit installed daily), measure and report data points, create a digital twin, and compare as-built to BIM.
Meet Spot Dog: The robotic inspection dog for construction jobsites
The three-foot-tall yellow robot “is an incredibly capable machine,” says Eric Law, Swinerton’s senior director of technology and innovation, whom BD+C interviewed last week with Tristen Magallanes, the firm’s innovation analyst; and Brian Ringley, a construction technology manager with Boston Dynamics.
Swinerton has been testing Spot Dog for four months. It used the robot to track the interior work within a ground-up medical office building in Redwood City, Calif. (That robot has since been relocated to one of Swinerton’s other projects in Austin, Texas.) The robot was also at work at the Queen Emma Building in Honolulu, Hawaii, where Swinerton is reconstructing an office building to affordable apartments.
The robot in use in Honolulu, which can handle a payload of up to 30 lbs., was equipped with a laser scanner and 360-degree camera. The robot, explains Ringley, can be controlled directly or tele-operated from offsite. There’s also an “auto-walk” feature where the user takes the robot to where he or she wants it to go, and artificial intelligence lets the robot repeats that pattern and tasks.
A video of Spot Dog in action in Honolulu can be viewed here.
Spot Dog, standing in front of Swinerton's brand image.
Law notes that a robot is better suited for capturing repetitive data because humans “have a hard time walking the same path everyday.” Spot Dog is also capable of navigating uneven terrain, and can be programmed to avoid obstacles.
Boston Dynamics has about 100 of these robots in the field, confirms Ringley, all of them under leases that typically run from six to 12 months. He declined to discuss lease terms, except to say “it’s cheaper than leasing a car.”
Spot Dog was expected to complete its work at the Honolulu project sometime this month and be relocated to roam another Swinerton project.
Ringley says that Boston Dynamics is constantly tweaking its robots for better mobility, stability, and autonomy. Boston Dynamics is preparing to launch a 2.0 version of Spot Dog “soon,” he says, without disclosing any details.
Related Stories
AEC Tech | Jun 8, 2021
FARO Expands Digital Twin Product Suite - Acquires HoloBuilder Inc.
FARO Technologies, a global leader of 3D measurement, imaging, and realization solutions for the 3D Metrology, AEC (Architecture, Engineering & Construction), and Public Safety Analytics markets, today announced the acquisition of HoloBuilder, Inc.
AEC Tech | May 27, 2021
New Work Zone Cam Pro Delivers 33% More Detail for Time-Lapse
Work Zone Cam, a leading provider of professional jobsite construction camera services, premiered its latest camera, which increases image resolution from 18 to 24 megapixels. The additional image detail helps track construction progress more accurately and results in higher resolution time-lapses for construction documentation.
Digital Twin | May 24, 2021
Digital twin’s value propositions for the built environment, explained
Ernst & Young’s white paper makes its cases for the technology’s myriad benefits.
AEC Tech | Apr 15, 2021
3 startups making their mark in 2021
Meet a trio of AEC tech firms that are making advances in the COVID-19 era.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 15, 2021
The Weekly Show, Apr 15, 2021: The ins and outs of adaptive reuse, and sensors for real-time construction monitoring
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from PBDW Architects and Wohlsen Construction about what makes adaptive reuse projects successful, and sensors for real-time monitoring of concrete construction.
AEC Tech | Apr 8, 2021
The Weekly Show, April 8, 2021: SPOT the autonomous robot, and Woods Bagot's in-house 'futurist'
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Procon Consulting, Virginia Tech, and Woods Bagot about SPOT, the autonomous robot for construction progress monitoring applications, and how Woods Bagot's new "futurist" is promoting innovation at the international design firm.
Coronavirus | Mar 11, 2021
The Weekly show, March 11, 2021: 5 building products for COVID-related conditions, and AI for MEP design
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders about building products and systems that support COVID-related conditions, and an AI tool that automates the design of MEP systems.
AEC Tech | Mar 4, 2021
The Weekly show, March 4, 2021: Bringing AI to the masses, and Central Station Memphis hotel
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders about the award-winning Central Station Memphis hotel reconstruction project, and how Autodesk aims to bring generative design and AI tools to the AEC masses.
AEC Tech | Jan 28, 2021
The Weekly show, Jan 28, 2021: Generative design tools for feasibility studies, and landscape design trends in the built environment
This week on The Weekly show, BD+C editors speak with AEC industry leaders from Studio-MLA and TestFit about landscape design trends in the built environment, and how AEC teams and real estate developers can improve real estate feasibility studies with real-time generative design.
AEC Tech | Dec 21, 2020
GIS benefits are widely accepted, but measurements of importance vary among AEC firms
Future usage might boil down to competitive pressure, according to a Dodge Data & Analytics survey.