The public housing construction industry in Hong Kong faces conspicuous challenges of high demands, safety, an ageing workforce, inconsistent quality and stagnant productivity. Compared to the manufacturing industry, the degree of automation in the construction sector lags behind. Based on the on-going consultancy project commissioned by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in Hong Kong, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the current on-site construction operation and to identify the existing bottlenecks that can be enhanced by implementing robotics and automation. In the current housing construction field, the systematic and scientific method to approach this type of undertaking, especially when closely associated with the industry and authorities, has not been comprehensively discussed. Therefore, this paper highlights the activities that signify these objectives, which include five key activities: literature review, industry survey, on-site case study, co-creation workshops and potential pilot project. The key activities forming the backbone of the project and the outcomes will be illustrated. As a result, a range of proposed robotic applications that are tailor-made for Hong Kong public housing industry are recommended and hierarchically categorised. The results will epitomise the applicable methods that are required when executing the similar type of consultation project. In addition, the findings will inspire the construction industry to initiate and explore innovative, compatible as well as feasible solutions to the implementation of the robotic application in the future.     «

The public housing construction industry in Hong Kong faces conspicuous challenges of high demands, safety, an ageing workforce, inconsistent quality and stagnant productivity. Compared to the manufacturing industry, the degree of automation in the construction sector lags behind. Based on the on-going consultancy project commissioned by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) in Hong Kong, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the current on-site construction operation and to identify the existi...     »