What if a robot could make construction safer, more efficient, and help solve labor shortages?

Enter Jaibot, a semi-autonomous mobile drilling machine. Hilti, a construction technology, tools, software, and services company based in Liechtenstein, announced the new team member in a statement from their North America Corporate Office in Plano.

Using building information modeling (BIM) for precision and steered by a worker using a remote control, the robot drills holes in the ceiling for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) installations. The robot uses BIM for the precise drilling of holes, controlling dust with an added mechanism, and marking the spot according to the trade.

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

“We looked at which routine work on the construction site is among the most stressful, and that is primarily overhead work,” Julia Zanona, a product manager for Robotics at Hilti, said in a statement. “From the beginning, it was important to us to develop a robotic solution that supports our customers where it is most needed. The Hilti Jaibot takes over the most strenuous and exhausting tasks, working alongside the installation team.”

In addition to improving safety, the robot makes construction more efficient. With time and budget overruns common in large construction projects, BIM-enabled robotics use digital plans to improve speed and reduce errors. Jaibot uses reference date from a robotic total station, the Hilti PLT 300.

Daily progress can be reported from the site to the project office via cloud computing for status updates that can eliminate potential conflicts between trades operating in the same spaces. The robot also helps compensate for the shortage of skilled labor, Hilti officials said.

“With Jaibot, and in close collaboration with our customers, we are further stepping toward realizing the efficiency that digital transformation can and will bring to construction sites,” Jan Doongaji, a member of Hilti Group’s Executive Board, said in a statement. 

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

Hilti Jaibot is a semi-autonomous overhead ceiling drilling robot for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP), and interior finishing installation work.

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

[Image: Courtesy Hilti]

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