The future of the construction industry is being developed in Alberta, as innovators in the Canadian province combine AI and robotics to increase efficiency and productivity while managing workforce shortages.
The GlobalData report Alberta’s Evolution in Advanced Manufacturing: The Technologies Overcoming Global Challenges places construction within a much wider robotics and AI economy. GlobalData forecasts that the global robotics market will grow from $90.2bn in 2024 to $205.5bn by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of 15%.
Alberta already has practical applications in logistics, food processing and industrial manufacturing, providing construction technology companies with access to valuable insights. Yet it is the challenging industry of construction that illustrates the scale of the technological advances delivering value.
Applications of robotics and AI in the Alberta construction industry
Alberta-based AI and robotics businesses are beginning to change established processes in the construction industry. Edmonton-based robotics business RoBIM revealed it had increased the number of tasks its robots could perform to more than 25 and compared its fabrication processes with conventional methods for cost, quality and production time. Furthermore, the company is collaborating with construction businesses in Alberta to integrate industrial technologies.
RoBIM is now working towards the full commercial launch of HIVE, which combines industrial robot arms, specialist tools, and simulation software in a self-contained fabrication system. Digital models of building components are uploaded into the system, which works with industry-standard design tools. The proposed fabrication process can then be tested in a virtual environment, allowing designers to adjust components or the robot’s movements before any material is cut or assembled.
Once the process has been checked, the software generates the programming instructions needed by the robot. This reduces the need for a specialist programmer to write new code for every component. RoBIM also uses replaceable tools, known as end-effectors, meaning a standard industrial robot arm can perform different fabrication tasks instead of remaining dedicated to one operation.
Crucially, the system is modular, allowing it to be configured for use off-site or moved closer to the construction site. RoBIM plans to sell complete systems and offer robotic fabrication-as-a-service to provide builders with more options when it comes to automation.
The ways robotics can ease pressure on Alberta’s workforce
Technological advances in Alberta mean that robots can now perform repetitive fabrication work and physically demanding tasks, allowing workers to concentrate on quality checks, equipment maintenance and problems that require experience and judgement. Automating these tasks can make production more predictable and help housebuilders maintain delivery schedules when labour is scarce. This will also help to address the key challenge of recruitment as experienced workers retire and there is a shortage of options to replace them on the market.
In addition, RoBIM’s software simulates how a component will be made, plans the robot’s path and converts the result into instructions for the machine. The GlobalData report Alberta’s Evolution in Advanced Manufacturing also describes how AI can turn an early design sketch into a more detailed concept or calculate more efficient routes for cables across a large site, where manual planning can delay later work.
Another example of construction research in Alberta is Alberta Robotics at the University of Alberta. Researchers are examining how AI could help robots use cameras to interpret construction sites, move materials, and assemble structures.
Alberta Robotics is also researching the sensing and control systems needed for machines to work in less predictable environments. A robot equipped with cameras and AI software can interpret its surroundings and adjust how it moves or handles a component. Collaborative robots are designed to work near people, while exoskeletons are another option available. These can support a worker’s body during strenuous tasks rather than requiring the worker to carry out the whole job manually.
The institutions in Alberta supporting robotics and AI projects
Research organisations across the province support different stages of development. RoBIM has partnered with the University of Alberta, the National Research Council and Alberta Innovates, which have supported development of the technologies.
The University of Alberta’s nanoFAB centre provides equipment for small-scale fabrication and material analysis, while the Alberta CREATE Centre works on modern manufacturing, machining and AI computing. The University of Calgary’s AI Research Hub connects researchers with companies, and Alberta Innovates provides funding, advice, and access to industrial testing capabilities.
Technology developers can also test ideas alongside companies accustomed to complex industrial projects. GN Corporations uses advanced manufacturing systems to improve the cutting and shaping of metal parts for industrial equipment, while Calgary-based Sond Industries applies AI-driven automation in services for heavy construction, energy and automotive customers. Experience from these industries can inform how robots are designed, maintained and introduced into existing construction processes.
For builders, the immediate value of robotics and AI lies in completing more repeatable work with the people already available, while keeping experienced employees focused on tasks that require their expert judgement.
A further advantage of operating in Alberta is the business-friendly environment and taxation system that supports innovators while they develop projects, with the competitive market in the province providing a vital testing ground to verify the commercial potential.
Download Alberta’s Evolution in Advanced Manufacturing: The Technologies Overcoming Global Challenges to learn how the province is turning robotics and AI research into commercial systems in industrial environments.
