TY - JOUR A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Pan, Wen A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Zhao, Charlie A1 - Iturralde, Kepa A1 - Taghavi, Meysam A1 - Trummer, Julian A1 - Schlandt, Marcel A1 - Bock, Thomas T1 - A technology management system for the development of single-task construction robots JF - Construction Innovation N2 - Purpose: Because of the sharply growing interest worldwide of “hard” physical-mechanical robot systems for the execution of on-site construction tasks [i.e. single-task construction robots (STCRs)], the purpose of this study is to equip development projects with a systematic design-management system model that allows to integrate the different needs and aims of stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach: This paper proposes a STCR-technology management system (STCR-TMS) for the complete development cycle of STCR designs. The STCR-TMS is based on established principles from systems engineering and management and STCR-specific activities developed and tested by the authors as standalone elements in previous research work. Findings: The application of the STCR-TMS revealed the practicability of the method and the underlying concepts to provide practical guidance for the development process. Additional findings indicate that the method is sufficiently generic and flexible for application to different types of robots and indifferent world regions. This research has also shown that key activities need to be addressed to increase the practicability of the STCR-TMS. Originality/value:  A unique characteristic of this method is the evolution with each utilization cycle. In addition, individual elements are interchangeable and can be adapted based on external circumstances. These properties allow the TMS to be applied to other fields in construction robotics. With the progression of the verification and validation of the method, know-how and certain elements can be fed into standardization activities (e.g. establishing a management system standard). KW - Construction robotics KW - Construction technology KW - Robotics KW - Systems analysis and design KW - Systems engineering KW - Technology management Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-06-2019-0053 VL - 20 IS - 1 SP - 96 EP - 111 PB - Emerald ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pan, Mi A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Pan, Wei A1 - Cheng, Huimin A1 - Bock, Thomas T1 - Structuring the context for construction robot development through integrated scenario approach JF - Automation in Construction N2 - The technological development of construction robots is underway globally. However, current development activities face significant uncertainties, particularly in terms of the definition and management of system requirements, which are primarily based on vague assumptions about the future. Thus, a new tool is required to grasp how construction robots—and their surrounding ecosystems—will be used. This research adopts an unprecedented scenario-based approach to develop and analyze future alternatives for construction robotics in a systematic manner. Hong Kong “toward 2035” is used as an initial test case, and four scenarios of the robot ecosystem, i.e., “Bottleneck,” “Age of Iron Worker,” “Dynamic Co-evolution of Robotization and Modularization,” and “Rise of the Robots,” are developed from evidence-based analysis. Scenarios highlight the crucial role of workers for construction robot utilization. Driving forces, opportunities, and challenges are identified for elaborating strategies under each scenario. The integrated scenario approach and findings lay an important foundation for systems engineering processes in construction robotics to develop a new tool for structuring system context and specifying system requirements. KW - Construction robotics KW - Construction technology KW - Scenario techniques KW - Systems engineering KW - Technology forecasting Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2020.103174 VL - 114 IS - June PB - Elsevier ER -