Towards to the Hyperautomation: An integrated framework for Construction 4.0: A case of Hookbot as a distributed reconfigurable robotic assembly system

Abstract

Almost every technological and industrial concept changes the built environment around us and our understanding of the architectural practice. Recently, Hyperautomation, an all-encompassing digital transformation with the help of advanced techniques, has been presented as a game-changing concept that can affect any industry. Despite this promising concept, the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry seems far behind the latest technological breakthroughs and automation of processes compared to other industries. Therefore, this study provides a better understanding of adopting the novel Hyperautomation paradigm in the AEC industry by focusing on Industry 4.0. In this context, the first section introduces the Construction 4.0 concept, its counterpart in the AEC industry, briefly mentions fundamental approaches and indicates the need for a framework. The second section introduces an integrated framework throughout the entire building life-cycle for design and construction processes and exemplifies the stages in an autonomous system and their interrelationships. The third section presents a hypothetical case, a distributed reconfigurable robotic assembly system, and the assembler ‘HookBot’ to understand the relationships in an autonomous system better. The last section discusses the place of the Hyperautomation paradigm in architecture.