TY - JOUR A1 - Pan, Mi A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Pan, Wei A1 - Cheng, Huimin A1 - Bock, Thomas T1 - Influencing factors of the future utilisation of construction robots for buildings: A Hong Kong perspective JF - Journal of Building Engineering N2 - Construction robots are expected to have disruptive impacts on the building industry, but 8 there is still a lack of utilisation. While significant attention has been paid to technical 9 advancement, little has been done to comprehensively understand the broader societal issues 10 associated with the use of this technology. This paper aims to provide a holistic exploration 11 of the influencing factors of the future utilisation of construction robots in a systems manner, 12 analyse the interactions among these factors and identify the key ones that are most 13 influential in shaping the technological transformation. A modified fuzzy decision-making 14 trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method is developed and applied. Hong Kong 15 was selected as the desirable case for the study due to its vibrant yet challenging built 16 environments. Factors were first systematically identified and synthesised before being 17 empirically verified, evaluated and analysed through the modified fuzzy DEMATEL. The 18 results demonstrate the multi-faceted and complexly interrelated factors influencing the 19 utilisation of construction robots. Eleven influencing factors were determined as critical for 20 shaping the future trajectory of robotic applications, among which “construction cost”, 21 “governmental support” and “the scale of prefabrication” are the most influential ones. The 22 findings indicate that more interdisciplinary efforts and broader non-technical discussions are 23 needed to achieve the successful transition of the industry towards robotic construction. The 24 findings further reveal the driving forces of environmental pressures behind the future 25 utilisation of construction robots. Detailed utilisation scenarios which fit to the evolution of 26 the whole society are recommended for future research. Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2020.101220 VL - 30 IS - July PB - Elsevier ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Pan, Wen A1 - Iturralde, Kepa A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Bock, Thomas ED - Tateyama, Kazuyoshi ED - Ishii, Kazuo ED - Inoue, Fumihiro T1 - Adopting Off-site Manufacturing, and Automation and Robotics Technologies in Energy-efficient Building T2 - Proceedings of the 37th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2020): From Demonstration to Practical Use, To New Stage of Construction Robot, Kitakyushu, Japan, October 27-28, 2020 N2 - Delivering energy-efficient buildings or settlements has become a popular topic amongst architects, engineers, and building engineering physicists. There are many methods for improving building energy performances, both for new build projects and for retrofitting existing buildings. However, the construction industry faces some profound challenges to satisfy the increasing demand for energy-efficient buildings or other solutions and to be able to offer them at an affordable cost. A holistic approach has been adopted to validate whether automation robotics and off-site manufacturing technologies can yield positive changes in the delivery of energy-efficient buildings. This paper emphasizes the potential transformations and possible impacts on the design, construction, and installation process of an energy-efficient building once the advanced technologies are implemented. This paper also highlights case studies in multiple ongoing or past European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 research projects as well as private projects to demonstrate the applicability and technical feasibility of the proposed solution. The scenario proposed was used to demonstrate how to apply the proposal in a large-scale residential building project. In addition, the findings from this study will serve as proof of the concept of a larger research project, or as an inspiration for the construction industry to execute energy-efficient building projects in the future. KW - Construction robotic KW - Energy-efficient building KW - prefabrication Y1 - 2020 SN - 978-952-94-3634-7 U6 - https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2020/0215 SP - 1549 EP - 1555 PB - The International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (I.A.A.R.C.) ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Ilhan, Bahriye A1 - Bock, Thomas A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Iturralde, Kepa A1 - Pan, Wen A1 - Hu, Rongbo ED - Goulding, J. S. ED - Rahimian, F. P. T1 - Innovative Robotics and Automation for Offsite Manufacturing T2 - Offsite Production and Manufacturing for Innovative Construction : People, Process and Technology N2 - This chapter presents additional research and development on offsite modular manufacturing of interior subsystems – to transform real estate stock to future demands triggered by demographic challenges, thereby allowing instant deployment. It explores the use of innovative systems for prefabrication. Regarding offsite production and manufacturing, the transformation of parts and low-level components into higher-level components by highly mechanised, automated or robot-supported industrial settings therefore needs to take place. Construction automation for offsite manufacturing, requires the integration of products, organisation, informational aspects, and machine technology in order to maximise efficiency and deliver product quality. A construction-kit cell can confine the production-unit elements in a specific area of the building, yet contain a greater capacity than an upgraded existing environment. A fully robotic construction industry will require significant research and development – of each product, process, and participant of the building production process. Y1 - 2019 SN - 9781138550711 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1201/9781315147321-13 PB - Routledge CY - London ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Pan, Wen A1 - Iturralde, Kepa A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Bock, Thomas T1 - Construction Automation and Robotics for Concrete Construction: Case Studies on Research, Development, and Innovations T2 - Proceedings of the 40th International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2023), Chennai, India N2 - The construction industry, supported by the materials industry, is a major user of natural resources. Automation and robotics have the potential to play a key role in the development of circular construction by increasing productivity, reducing waste, increasing safety, and mitigating labor shortages. Starting with a brief synopsis of the history of construction robotics and the concept of robot-oriented design, this article presents exemplary case studies of research projects and entrepreneurial activities in which the authors have participated that have contributed to the advancement of concrete construction. The activities of the authors have systematically led to spin-offs and start-ups, especially in recent years (e.g., CREDO Robotics GmbH, ARE23 GmbH, KEWAZO GmbH, ExlenTec Robotics GmbH, etc.), which shows that the use of construction robots is becoming an important part of the construction industry. With the use of automation and robotics in the built environment especially for concrete construction, current challenges such as the housing shortage can be addressed using the leading machinery and robot technology in Germany and other parts of the world. The knowledge and know-hows gained in these endeavors will lay the groundwork for the next frontier of construction robotics beyond the construction sites. Y1 - 2023 SN - 978-0-6458322-0-4 U6 - https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2023/0095 SN - 2413-5844 SP - 683 EP - 690 PB - IAARC ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Kuhn, Alexander A1 - Franzius, Jan Niklas A1 - Möller, Dennis A1 - Pralle, Norbert A1 - Reich, Franziska A1 - Hellmuth, René A1 - Tombeil, Anne-Sophie A1 - Wenzel, Günter A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Schmailzl, Marc A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Bock, Thomas A1 - Maufroy, Christophe A1 - Kopp, Verena A1 - Bölke, Nico A1 - Daub, Urban T1 - Kompetenzzentrum für Baurobotik im Hochbau (CONSAS) - Förderkennzeichen 16SV8637 T2 - Roboter für Assistenzfunktionen: Konzeptstudien für die Interaktion in der Praxis Y1 - 2023 UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373084211_Kompetenzzentrum_fur_Baurobotik_im_Hochbau_CONSAS_-_Forderkennzeichen_16SV8637 SN - 9783731512448 SP - 169 EP - 207 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Iturralde, Kepa A1 - Pan, Wen A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Bock, Thomas ED - Bergmeister, Konrad ED - Fingerloos, Frank ED - Wörner, Johann-Dietrich T1 - Bauautomatisierung und Robotik im Betonbau: Fallstudien zu Forschung, Entwicklung und Innovation T2 - Beton-Kalender 2024 Y1 - 2023 SN - 978-3-433-03407-1 SP - 563 EP - 573 PB - Ernst & Sohn CY - Berlin ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Marzani, Giulia A1 - Tondelli, Simona A1 - Kuma, Yuko A1 - Cruz Rios, Fernanda A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Bock, Thomas A1 - Linner, Thomas T1 - Embedding Circular Economy in the Construction Sector Policy Framework: Experiences from EU, U.S., and Japan for Better Future Cities JF - Smart Cities N2 - The transition towards a Circular Economy (CE) in the construction sector is essential to achieving sustainable, inclusive smart cities. This study examines the integration of CE principles into construction policies across four key global contexts: the European Union (focusing on Italy and Germany), the United States, and Japan. Through a comparative policy analysis, the research identifies best practices, implementation barriers, and the role of digitalization in advancing CE strategies. In Europe, CE is embedded in policy frameworks such as the Green Deal and the New Circular Economy Action Plan, driving the shift toward sustainable urban development. The United States, while in the early stages of CE adoption, is fostering circular initiatives at local levels, particularly in waste management and building deconstruction. Japan’s policy landscape integrates CE within a broader strategy for resource efficiency, emphasizing technological innovation. The findings highlight the necessity of a research-driven approach to inform policies that leverage digital tools, such as Building Information Modeling and Digital Product Passports, to enhance material traceability and urban circularity. This study contributes to the global effort of designing smart cities that are not only technologically advanced but also environmentally and socially sustainable through the adoption of CE principles in the built environment. Y1 - 2025 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities8020048 VL - 8 IS - 2 PB - MDPI ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Schmailzl, Marc A1 - Bock, Thomas A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Güttler, Jörg T1 - Active Assisted Living Technology in the Context of the Built Environment T2 - The Routledge Companion to Ecological Design Thinking: Healthful Ecotopian Visions for Architecture and Urbanism Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003183181-50 PB - Routledge CY - New York ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Bock, Thomas A1 - Lu, Yuan A1 - Linner, Thomas ED - Dunmade, Israel Sunday ED - Daramola, Michael Olawale ED - Green Energy and Technology, T1 - A Procedure Model for Developing Gerontechnological Solutions to Achieve Demographic Sustainability in Aging Society T2 - Sustainable Engeneering N2 - Population aging is arguably one of the most serious challenges facing human society. It is not only a severe crisis in the developed world but also a rigorous threat to emerging economies. Therefore, vigorous measures need to be taken to mitigate the impact of aging society. This chapter proposes a procedure model as the foundation to systematically develop gerontechnological solutions. Based on the analysis of the state-of-the-art assistive smart furniture and smart home solutions and the requirements of older adults, a service system called Ambient Rehabilitation Kit that transforms clinical and care environments into personalized modular sensing, prevention, and intervention systems was proposed, encouraging older adults to become healthier through various activities. To achieve that goal, several modular smart interior devices integrating advanced sensing and assistive technologies were developed which seamlessly materialize the care concepts and functionality. Meanwhile, a strategy for testing and exhibiting the system was proposed. Furthermore, this chapter also introduces a framework for the cost-benefit analysis of the gerontechnological solutions compared to traditional care methods. Finally, in order to mitigate the severe threat imposed by rapid population aging to the social sustainability of emerging economies, the prospects for implementing the Ambient Rehabilitation Kit in China’s market are discussed, and a research and development action plan is proposed based on the results of a nationwide opinion survey. KW - Aging society KW - Demographic sustainability KW - Gerontechnology KW - Procedure model KW - Smart furniture KW - Smart home Y1 - 2024 SN - 978-3-031-47214-5 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47215-2_26 SP - 449 EP - 475 PB - Springer ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Lafhaj, Zoubeir A1 - Albalkhy, Wassim A1 - Linner, Thomas ED - Linner, Thomas ED - García de Soto, Borja ED - Hu, Rongbo ED - Brilakis, Ioannis T1 - Teaching Construction Robotics for Higher Education Students "Imagine and Make" T2 - Proceedings of the 39th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2022): Bogotá, Colombia, July 13-15, 2022 N2 - The use of robotics in construction projects is still in its infancy despite the opportunities that robots can present to the improvement of construction practices. One of the strategies to effectively increase the reliance on robots in construction is increasing the knowledge and improving the educational programs about robotics for university students. This paper contributes to the ongoing efforts around the world to improve the teaching methods about construction robotics through the presentation of a novel method that is called “Imagine and Make”, in which students learn how to integrate robotics in different aspects and practices in construction projects. The method has been applied at Centrale Lille in France since 2018. The results of the application of “Imagine and Make” in the first semester in 2021-2022, evaluation by students, and teaching outcomes are reported in this paper. Keywords – Robotics, Construction management techniques, Construction 4.0, Robotics teaching, France Y1 - 2022 UR - http://www.iaarc.org/publications/fulltext/007_ISARC%202022_Paper_80.pdf SN - 978-952-69524-2-0 SN - 2413-5844 SP - 47 EP - 54 PB - International Association on Automation and Robotics in Construction ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linner, Thomas ED - Linner, Thomas T1 - Special issue ISARC 2021 JF - Construction Robotics N2 - The research filed of construction robotics broadens increasingly in terms of complexity, approaches, technologies used, active stakeholders, and application areas. Worldwide labour and resource shortages, the need to increase circularity and resource efficiency, new materials and the increasing utilisation of digital construction tools in the planning and construction industry massively spur the uptake of robotic solutions for on-site construction. The initial boom of construction robots happened in the 1970s, driven by the Japanese construction industry. In the 1980s, a combination with parallel developments was supposed to achieve complete, integrated robotic on-site factories. From the mid-1980s onwards, the global interest in construction robots decreased gradually. Bulky and expensive systems, complex on-site navigation and logistics approaches, a narrow scope of tasks, inflexibility, incompatibility with on-site work organisation and professional qualification, low usability and insufficient inter-robot coordination capabilities revealed the immaturity of the systems. Only a few organisations predominantly situated in Asia such as Takenaka, Obayashi, Kajima Corporation, Nihon Bisho Co., Samsung, and Hitachi maintained development activities. However, since the mid-2010s, development activities are gaining traction again. On the application side, this is mainly driven by trends such as the need to upgrade the energy performance of buildings in Europe, a global necessity to remove asbestos from existing structures, and a demand for enormous quantities of high-rise buildings all over East Asia. On the system side, the renewed interest stems from major advances in physical–mechanical robot technology in other automation-driven industries such as the automotive industry. Robots became lighter, more flexible, their parts modular and interchangeable, more user friendly as well as significantly cheaper. On the digital side, the BIM-to-Robot pipeline was subject of intensive reserach and development. More and more methods and tools help to increase the usability of robots and facilitate the simulation and optimisation of robot-driven construction processes. In the last 4–5 years, the worldwide growing need and interest in construction robotics became highly evident. More than 200 robot systems are pushed by start-ups and spin-offs and their investors to the market. This is backed by an enormous number of activities and projects carried out in the academic area pushing to the boundaries of what is technologically possible. Major associations and their conferences increase significantly in popularity such as ISARC (International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction), EC3 (European Council of Computing in Construction), and Robots in Architecture. Competency in digital construction, automation and robotics becomes a key for all stakeholders in the construction industry and many universities worldwide launch dedicated interdisciplinary programs. Powerful governments (China) and major funding programs such as Horizon Europe (Europe) massively request and fund the development of robotic solutions for construction such as drones, mobile robots, 3D-printing solutions, cable-driven robots, and exoskeletons. Regulators and standardisation organisation start to develop the first certification and standardisation schemes for construction robots and large software companies make attempts to allow to simulate and program robotic construction processes efficiently and robustly based on digital building and construction data. To showcase the diversity of cutting-edge research in the area, this special issue invited eight extended versions of selected papers from the ISARC 2021 conference. As such, this issue covers digital approaches to embed fabrication and robot information in BIM and IFC and program robots directly from digital building models. New robot systems spur novel robotic production processes, and machine learning enable novel logistics approaches for building components that may ultimately lead to robotic cranes and other robotic on-site logistics and handling solutions (including autonomous construction machines). In parallel, systematic evaluation and robot development methods are developed that allow to shed light on their performance in the construction process. Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s41693-022-00079-y N1 - Corresponding author: Thomas Linner VL - Vol. 6 IS - Issue 2 SP - 58 EP - 68 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - JOUR A1 - AlBalkhy, Wassim A1 - Karmaoui, Dorra A1 - Ducoulombier, Laure A1 - Lafhaj, Zoubeir A1 - Linner, Thomas T1 - Digital twins in the built environment: Definition, applications, and challenges JF - Automation in Construction N2 - Digital Twins (DT) implementation in the Built Environment (BE) industry is still in its early stages. Aiming to increase the knowledge about DT, this study analyzes how DT can be understood in the BE sector and investigates its different potential benefits and expected challenges. To do so, the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach was employed. Using 228 publications, the current study presents a proposed definition and structure for DT systems. The proposed structure is based on four main layers: physical, digital, application, and user layers. The study also classified the applications of DT into six groups: sustainability and environmental, facility management, safety, health, and risk management, structural performance, construction management, and architectural and urban-related applications. The challenges of DT implementation were also grouped based on industry-related, social and organizational, economic, technological, and political and legal challenges. Based on the results, future research directions and practical recommendations were presented to support the successful deployment of the technology. KW - Digital Twins (DT) KW - Digital technologies KW - Built Environment (BE) KW - Construction KW - Construction 4.0 Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2024.105368 VL - 162 PB - Elsevier ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Linner, Thomas T1 - Special issue: Implementation-Oriented Construction Robotics JF - Construction Robotics Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s41693-023-00100-y N1 - Corresponding author: Thomas LInner VL - 7 SP - 1 EP - 2 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Andersen, Henning Boje A1 - Schäpers, Barbara A1 - Krewer, Carmen A1 - Ehrari, Humira A1 - Schlandt, Marcel A1 - Linner, Thomas T1 - Formalised results of pretesting I and II activities BT - Deliverable submitted as part of the EU H2020 research project REACH (Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare), Grant Agreement No. 690425 (Report number: REACH2020 Deliverable 27) N2 - In this deliverable, we present, structure and interpret the formalised results of all testing activities that have been carried out thus far in REACH. We first (Chapter 2) introduce the detailed testing strategy of REACH, which details and brings forward previously described conceptual provisions (see Deliverables D4, D9 and D29) and responds to previous reviewer comments (R5 and R6, second review, November 2017; aiming at the improved emphasis of geriatric and medical aspects and their normalisation across Touchpoints and project activities). In response to the reviewers’ comments, REACH re-aligned some of its resources and formed a medical/geriatric task force (SK, HUG, DTU, TUM), which analyses and streamlines testing activities across Touchpoints, clarifies the common goals and measures, and works towards a normalisation of study designs and tools used across the project. We outline in this context the overall hypothesis for the REACH system along with four well-defined sub-hypotheses for each Touchpoint. Based on this, in Chapter 3, we present our methodological approach with regard to testing in REACH and provide an overview and a classification system for all testing activities carried out. Accordingly, in Chapter 4, we present the results (documentation of the carried-out testing activities), and in Chapter 5, we interpret the testing results. Chapter 6 summarises the state of play regarding testing in REACH and outlines the next steps and upcoming activities. The Appendix contains the full trial reports sorted according to a variety of items. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 690425. Y1 - 2019 UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333324667_Formalised_results_of_pretesting_I_and_II_activities N1 - REACH2020: Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare (Horizon 2020, PHC track) ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Lafhaj, Zoubeir A1 - AlBalkhy, Wassim A1 - Linner, Thomas T1 - “Imagine and make”: teaching construction robotics for higher education students JF - Construction Robotics N2 - The use of robotics in construction projects is still in its infancy despite the opportunities that robots can present for the improvement of construction practices. One of the strategies to effectively increase the reliance on robots in construction is increasing the knowledge and improving the educational programs about robotics for university students. This paper contributes to the ongoing efforts worldwide to improve the teaching methods about construction robotics through the presentation of a novel method called “Imagine and Make”, in which students learn how to integrate robotics in different aspects and practices in construction projects. The method has been applied at Centrale Lille in France since 2018. The results of the application of “Imagine and Make” in the first semester of 2021–2022, evaluation by students, and teaching outcomes are reported in this paper. KW - Robotics KW - Construction management techniques KW - Construction 4.0 KW - Robotics teaching KW - France Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s41693-023-00092-9 SN - 2509-8780 SN - 2509-811X IS - 7 SP - 65 EP - 75 PB - Springer ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Steenbakkers, S. A1 - van den Boom, Camilla A1 - Lu, Yuan A1 - Hu, Rongbo A1 - Zhao, Charlie A1 - Partyga, P. A1 - Kaul, M. A1 - Lingegård, H. A1 - Ricon, F. A1 - Murali, S. A1 - van Zanten, B. A1 - Valk, Carlijn A1 - Sole, M., C., A1 - Andersen, Henning Boje T1 - Business model proposals for the REACH system and sub-systems: Presentation of the outcome of the detailing of business models for system and subsystems BT - Deliverable submitted as part of the EU H2020 research project REACH (Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare), Grant Agreement No. 690425 N2 - This deliverable report focuses on the exploitation of the results and solutions from the REACH2020 research project and subsequent business models, associated with task T8.4. In particular, this report gives an overview of the progress regarding the purpose and planning of a REACH consultancy firm, including business models and marketing strategies for systems and sub-systems. Moreover, this report provides insight into possible market segmentation solutions over the care continuum. Furthermore, status updates are provided with regard to a number of practice cases where REACH achieved external visibility and effects and gathered information on the alignment of its business system. Furthermore, the results for exemplary value chains are presented for specific REACH sub-systems. For the exploitation of the results after the end of the research project, an agreement for future collaboration was signed with the New North Zealand Hospital, reflecting REACH’s capability and aim to become a major player and partner for strengthening the ecosystem around future smart hospitals. Y1 - 2020 UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341357755_Business_model_proposals_for_the_REACH_system_and_sub-systems_Presentation_of_the_outcome_of_the_detailing_of_business_models_for_system_and_subsystems N1 - REACH2020: Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare (Horizon 2020, PHC track) ER - TY - RPRT A1 - Kabouteh, Amir A1 - Güttler, Jörg A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Valk, Carlijn A1 - Lu, Yuan A1 - Kozak, Dominika T1 - Final mock-up version of REACH system BT - Deliverable submitted as part of the EU H2020 research project REACH (Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare), Grant Agreement No. 690425 (Report number: REACH2020 Deliverable D26) N2 - In REACH, WP6 focusses on systems engineering and testing aspects such as system integration, verification, validation, and optimization. The presented Deliverable (associated with Task T6.2) provides a presentation/demonstration of the executed trials including different partner groups in different use case settings. It is worth mentioning that since this deliverable report has a nature of “Demonstrator”, this document tries to show the implemented trials. Therefore, it was tried to integrate as many pictures as possible to prove the trials. This deliverable report targets mainly the Touchpoints TP1, TP2 and TP3. This is decided due to the person months of the partners involved in this task. In these trials the partners addressed a pre-integration of sub modules involved in the future REACH presentation. Additionally, this deliverable discusses the trials from the first step which is the planning and execution, then to the execution/implementation and then to analysis and studying the results. Furthermore, using these trials the deficiencies and shortcomings were identified in these lab experimentations. Early detection of shortcomings and deficiencies will lead to simplified implementation and adjustment before reaching the final testing and integration stages. At the current time, the partners are already planning and preparing for the future tests/trials at the use case settings sites. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 690425. Y1 - 2019 UR - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333324818_Final_mock-up_version_of_REACH_system N1 - REACH2020: Responsive Engagement of the Elderly promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare (Horizon 2020, PHC track) ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pit, Sabrina A1 - Fisk, Malcolm A1 - Freihaut, Winona A1 - Akintunde, Fashola A1 - Aloko, Bamidele A1 - Berge, Britta A1 - Burmeister, Anne A1 - Ciacâru, Adriana A1 - Deller, Jürgen A1 - Dulmage, Rae A1 - Han, Tae Hwa A1 - Hao, Qiang A1 - Honeyman, Peter A1 - Huber, Peter C. A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Lundberg, Stefan A1 - Nwamara, Mofoluwaso A1 - Punpuing, Kamolpun A1 - Schramm, Jennifer A1 - Yamada, Hajime A1 - Yap, Jason C. H. T1 - COVID-19 and the ageing workforce: global perspectives on needs and solutions across 15 countries JF - International Journal for Equity in Health volume N2 - BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has a direct impact on the employment of older people. This adds to the challenge of ageism. The World Health Organization has started a worldwide campaign to combat ageism and has called for more research and evidence-based strategies that have the potential to be scaled up. This study specifically aims to identify solutions to combat the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the global ageing workforce. METHODS: We present 15 case studies from different countries and report on what those countries are doing or not doing to address the impact of COVID-19 on ageing workers. RESULTS: We provide examples of how COVID-19 influences older people's ability to work and stay healthy, and offer case studies of what governments, organizations or individuals can do to help ensure older people can obtain, maintain and, potentially, expand their current work. Case studies come from Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Germany, Israel, Japan, Nigeria, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, South Korea, Thailand, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US). Across the countries, the impact of COVID-19 on older workers is shown as widening inequalities. A particular challenge has arisen because of a large proportion of older people, often with limited education and working in the informal sector within rural areas, e.g. in Nigeria, Thailand and China. Remedies to the particular disadvantage experienced by older workers in the context of COVID are presented. These range from funding support to encouraging business continuity, innovative product and service developments, community action, new business models and localized, national and international actions. The case studies can be seen as frequently fitting within strategies that have been proven to work in reducing ageism within the workplace. They include policy and laws that have increased benefits to workers during lockdowns (most countries); educational activities such as coaching seniorpreneurship (e,g, Australia); intergenerational contact interventions such as younger Thai people who moved back to rural areas and sharing their digital knowledge with older people and where older people reciprocate by teaching the younger people farming knowledge. CONCLUSION: Global sharing of this knowledge among international, national and local governments and organizations, businesses, policy makers and health and human resources experts will further understanding of the issues that are faced by older workers. This will facilitate the replication or scalability of solutions as called for in the WHO call to combat ageism in 2021. We suggest that policy makers, business owners, researchers and international organisations build on the case studies by investing in evidence-based strategies to create inclusive workplaces. Such action will thus help to challenge ageism, reduce inequity, improve business continuity and add to the quality of life of older workers. KW - Aged KW - Aging KW - Communicable Disease Control KW - COVID-19 KW - Humans KW - Quality of Life KW - SARS-CoV-2 KW - United States KW - Workforce Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-021-01552-w VL - 20 SP - 1 EP - 22 PB - Springer Nature ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Chen, Tianxi A1 - Pan, Mi A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Zhong, Honghao ED - Gonzalez-Moret, Vicente ED - Zhang, Jiansong ED - García de Soto, Borja ED - Brilakis, Ioannis T1 - Development of Robotics for Building Exterior Inspection: A Literature Review T2 - Proceedings of the 41st International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, Lille, France, June 3-5, 2024 N2 - The aging of buildings is a global concern, with potential risks to human safety and property. Building inspection and maintenance are crucial for ensuring structural integrity and safety. However, traditional manual methods are time-consuming and pose safety risks, especially for exterior inspection at height. Robotics offer a promising alternative to enhance building inspection efficiency and cost- effectiveness, but still in the early development stage. This paper aims to review and analyze the state-of-the-art design and development of robotics for building exterior inspection, referring to the literature published in the last two decades. Firstly, the review classifies different types of robots for building exterior inspection in terms of locomotion and adhesion modes, and discusses the capability of robots from navigation, obstacle surmounting, wall-to-wall/floor transition, curved wall climbing, grasping, barrier avoidance, and self-protection. Secondly, the paper examines the applicability of robots to various building materials for inspections and summarizes the most typical applications (i.e. glass curtain walls, tile walls, and concrete walls). Thirdly, the paper discusses the typical data collection and analysis methods for building exterior inspection using robots. The paper also explored potential enhancements for robotic inspection through the integration of building information modeling, augmented reality/virtual reality, and the involvement of human-in-the-loop. Finally, the paper summarizes the typical application of robotics in building exterior inspection regarding robot types, inspection applications, data collection and analysis methods, discusses the challenges, and outlines the future directions. KW - Non-destructive testing KW - Adhesion KW - Locomotion KW - Robotics KW - Building exterior inspection KW - Wall inspection Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2024/0139 PB - IAARC ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schmailzl, Marc A1 - Spitzhirn, M. A1 - Eder, Friedrich A1 - Krüll, Georg A1 - Obergrießer, Mathias A1 - Linner, Thomas A1 - Albalkhy, Wassim A1 - Lafhaj, Zoubeir T1 - Towards interfacing human centered design processes with the AEC industry by leveraging BIM-based planning methodologies T2 - 40th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction (ISARC 2023): Chennai, India, July 3–9, 2023 N2 - Digital workflows in the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry have been working with a wide range of software solutions trying to enable a Design-to-Production (DtP) end-to-end data flow. Thereby, state-of-the-art software solutions attempt to streamline the design and production processes accordingly. However, most digital workflows lack in terms of adequate sequential data preparation, agglomeration, and interfacing capabilities for consecutive design phases. These issues result in long, tedious correction loops, a wide range of software solutions and extensions to mitigate the issues. In addition, many digital workflows do not consider or integrate construction, production and machine relevant data holistically (respectively geometry and semantics). In this context, the production relevant data in from of human-centered work process data referring to digital human models (DHM), derived human abilities, safety and ergonomic criteria are often neglected. However, this is essential to interface the construction, human and machine relevant data in a holistic manner. This paper therefore proposes a DtP-workflow which is intended to solve some of the issues by interfacing relevant software solutions incorporating construction, production (including DHM and more) and machine relevant data in a holistic manner using a Building Information Modeling (BIM)-approach (based on the IFC schema). In this regard, the DtP-workflow aims to reverse common top-down digital workflows by considering and integrating the relevant data for consecutive design phases from the beginning. Subsequently, the DtP-workflow should achieve a reduction in planning effort. KW - Architecture Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry KW - Building Information Modeling (BIM) KW - Interoperability KW - Digital Human model (DHM) Y1 - 2023 SN - 978-0-6458322-0-4 U6 - https://doi.org/10.22260/ISARC2023/0045 SN - 2413-5844 SP - 325 EP - 332 PB - I.A.A.R.C. ER -