Monumental, The New Robot Helping Labourers in Manufacturing Construction is an enormous and vast industry whose annual turnover values around $2 trillion annually in the U.S. alone. Dutch startup Monumental is bringing revolutionary changes to the industry. The traditional bricklaying process involves spreading mortar, positioning a brick, and smoothing out excess mortar with a trowel, and unfortunately, this process hasn’t undergone much advancement to date.
Finding qualified workers, especially bricklayers and masons, has become quite difficult these days. This Dutch startup is using robots to lay traditional red clay bricks. The physically demanding, repetitive, and occasionally dangerous nature of construction work aligns perfectly with the capabilities of industrial robots.
Monumental, was founded in 2021 by the creators of the data visualization firm Silk. This is not the first time that someone developed or initiated a step toward technological advancement in the construction industry. Earlier in 2014, the British pathe discovered such technology named “Motor Mason”.
Motor Mason is a mechanical bricklayer developed as early as the mid-1960s. It claimed to lay bricks 5-10 times faster than the conventional method and was considered by the public as the solution to housing shortages.
After this company vanished in 2015 the new construction robotics introduced the first modern bricklaying robot, known as SAM100 (Semi-Automated Mason).
Sam 100 is embedded with multiple sensors to measure and track velocity, incline angles, orientation, outside and enclosure temperature, humidity, run hours, GPS, safety, and many more.
CEO Salar al Khafaji declares that Monumental aims to help the industry meet its challenges. by combining human proficiency with robotic efficiency using their adaptable, intelligent robots and software. They claim that this is an approach not previously witnessed in the industry.
Major Functions Of Monumental
Monumental’s robotic system involves an autonomous cart designed to carry heavy payloads, According to Monumental, it’s the first time AI, autonomous tech, and low-cost hardware have been combined in this way to create construction robots capable of working on-site.
It is fitted with an advanced sensor, computer vision, and small cranes each Monumental robot can place bricks and mortar in industrial and residential walls with human-level precision, accuracy, and efficiency.
This also aids in removing the financial risk the contractor might have if the work remains undone or the workers ain’t skilled or proficient enough The overall quality of wall alignment can be improved using a robotic bricklayer and fine alignment cant be done by human labor
It can easily carry heavy payloads with the help of an autonomous cart that is designed to lift such heavy loadings. The Robots can handle various brick and block types and work in diverse environments, including residential and commercial construction sites.
Drawbacks or Disadvantages Of Robots Laying Bricks
Costlier machine, setting up such a machine can be complex and expensive for one as it costs around $2 million per unit, This higher investment is not suitable for many small firms.
It might not perform other construction tasks like carpentry, plumbing, electrical work, or finishing, requiring human intervention for a complete build.
Operating in an outdoor environment might create challenges for robotics. Factors like wind, rain, and uneven terrain can disrupt the robotic construction and it might require human monitoring and adjustments.
This new technology ain’t adoptable by everyone which may cause hurdles during construction, It might also face technical glitches and breakdowns which will consequently cause delay and downtime.
This new technology would lead to job losses in the construction industry.
