Construction Use Cases
Progress Tracking and Verification
Today, progress is tracked through superintendent walkthroughs, manual photo documentation, and updates in spreadsheets or scheduling tools. This process is labor-intensive, subjective, and often delayed, meaning stakeholders operate on outdated information. A mobile robot can autonomously perform daily or even multiple daily site scans using 360° cameras and LiDAR, creating time-stamped, geo-referenced records of installed work. By aligning captured data with BIM and schedule milestones, progress can be verified quantitatively rather than visually estimated. This reduces reporting lag, improves transparency, and provides an objective historical record of construction advancement.
QA/QC Walks and Punch Verification
Traditional QA/QC walks require engineers or inspectors to physically traverse the site, identify deficiencies, manually log issues, and return later for punch verification. This is repetitive, time-consuming, and dependent on individual observation. A mobile robot can follow predefined inspection routes, capture consistent visual and spatial data, and use AI to flag missing elements, misalignments, incomplete finishes, or safety issues. For punch verification, the robot can revisit exact locations and automatically compare before-and-after conditions. Instead of multiple human walkthrough cycles, verification becomes faster, repeatable, and digitally documented.
Pre-Install and Post-Install Documentation
Before and after installation, documentation is typically done with handheld cameras and ad hoc photos that are not always structured or easy to retrieve later. This can create gaps when issues arise months afterward. A mobile robot can systematically document areas before installation (e.g., framing, rough-ins) and again after completion, linking imagery and scans to precise spatial coordinates in BIM. This creates a searchable digital archive of hidden conditions and completed work, significantly reducing uncertainty during future troubleshooting, warranty claims, or renovations.
Issue Validation and Dispute Resolution
Construction disputes often rely on fragmented photo evidence, email trails, and recollection of events. Determining when something was installed, damaged, or altered can become contentious. A mobile robot continuously collecting time-stamped site data creates an objective timeline of conditions. When a dispute arises, stakeholders can review historical scans to validate whether work met specifications at a given date. This shifts resolution from opinion-based arguments to data-backed verification, reducing friction and legal exposure.
Schedule and Sequence Verification
Currently, schedule compliance is verified through manual site observation and coordination meetings, which can miss sequencing conflicts until they cause delays. A mobile robot can compare real-time site conditions against planned sequences in the schedule and BIM model, detecting out-of-sequence installations or incomplete prerequisite work. For example, it can confirm whether MEP rough-ins are complete before drywall installation begins. Instead of discovering conflicts reactively, teams gain early visibility into deviations from planned sequencing, improving coordination and minimizing costly rework.