As part of our continuing stories on the use of robotics in the construction industry, today we spotlight the SAM100, the first commercially available robotic mason in use today.
The Sam100 is in use by the Clark Construction Group, LLC on the construction of the 29,000 square foot Lab School in Washington, DC. The robotic mason works with a human mason and together they can place 4-6 times as many bricks as their human counterparts. That is a real improvement in productivity. The robot was built and tested by Construction Robotics, a New York based firm which has shown its worth on several projects. The Lab School is the first application in the DC area.
This type of laser-guided robot is interesting since it “butters” and places the bricks. The human mason and helper still do the tuck pointing and apply the finishing touches to the joints, but the productivity gains possible on long stretches of masonry build is noteworthy.
According to Construction Robotics and Clark, this type of robotic construction is very attractive to younger workers and is helping Clark in their recruiting efforts. The use of robotics on the jobsite results in increased productivity, increased safety, a higher quality product and new recruits to the industry. Sounds like SAM100 is part of a winning combination to me.
Thanks to the Washington Business Journal for reporting the story and to the AGC Brief for spotlighting it.
Watch SAM in action in the 4-minute video below.
