In keeping with the theme of the assigned reading for this week, I found two further online resources relating to robotics. The first item we discussed was the robotic construction of the architectural tower.  This video, while interesting in showing the technological capabilities of robotics on construction, does not take many factors in account that are unique to the AEC field. The first of these is that our structures are being created outdoors not in a factory controlled environment where there is no wind or rain. The aircraft manufacturing field or high end vehicle factories do not have to contend with these factors. The second issue unique to the AEC field is that nearly all of our structures are one off creations.  This means that the robots must be reprogrammed for each unique structure.  That being said as robotics hardware and software increases in capabilities and decreases in cost it will be increasingly used in our field.

The reading from access science was excellent in describing and defining robots and some current applications that this technology has. The different components and design considerations necessary for an AEC robot would be very different from those present in the factory based manufacturing robots.  I watched a youtube video of Precise Path RG3 Robotic Greens Mower found here http://youtu.be/5CwFwUBhwOw . This relates more to the operations and maintenance of a constructed building.  The Consumer Electronic Show presents with both new and more affordable technologies such as the additional article I found from the LA Times found here http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2012/01/ces-2012-ava-robot.html . This robot combines a robot with the sensors from an xbox Kinect and Apple IPad to make a robot that can follow a specific user through a crowd. The key innovation here is the ability to do this with relatively cheap commercially available existing technologies. As these technologies progress I believe more and more of a robotic presence will be felt in the AEC field.