Daiwa House Industries Shows Off Its New Construction Spraying Robot

A prototype construction robot that can spray on coatings at more than twice the speed of humans has been unveiled in Tokyo adding to hopes such robots could help compensate for Japan’s shortage of construction manpower in the future. Osaka-based Daiwa House Industry Co. unveiled the robot at a construction site in Tokyo's Koto Ward in April. The robot which sprays a fireproof coating on the frame of the building in place of humans a task the company's technical headquarters describes as one of the toughest in construction. They estimate it could provide a labour cost saving of 30 percent compared with conventional human work. Officials envisage it being used indoors. It consists of an extendable robot arm placed on a movable trolley. Following inputted construction site data, it can spray on coatings at more than twice the speed of humans. The main task it is designed to perform is to spray fireproof coating on a building, something which is said to be one of the most difficult parts of construction. Daiwa House, plans to put it into operation sometime next year. Head of technology Kazuto Tsuchida said: “It is expected the construction industry will face a shortage of 1.12 million workers in 2025.”