A Japanese robot that can pick up and drill in a drywall all by itself could provide a glimpse into the future of construction.

The smart robot, HRP-5P, uses object detection* and motion planning to perform its construction tasks, but very slowly. It can use small hooks to grab the board, carry it across the room and then drill it in the desired spot.

Tokyo-based developers from Japan’s Advanced Industrial Science and Technology Institute (AIST) say the robot could replace workers assembling ships and aircraft who are often carrying out dangerous work.

They want to use HRP-5P as a development platform for collaboration between industry and academia*.

The robot is 182cm tall, weighs 101kg and can lift things that are “rug-sized,” according to its developers.

The robot relies on sensors to take 3-D measurements of their surroundings in real time. It also relies on augmented reality* markers so it knows what object it is picking up.

The robot, which walks using baby steps and moves cautiously, is set to go on show at the World Robot Expo 2018 later this month.

Earlier this year Japanese construction company Shimizu Corporation showed off several worker robots that can weld, lift and bolt things together.

The Robo-Welder and Robo-Buddy will be deployed at construction sites later this year, the company said.

Robotics are common in manufacturing sites, such as auto plants, but those machines are stationery and carrying out the same task over and over, often in sterile and enclosed environments. Although much of what they may do is repetitive, they still have to respond to uneven floors and zigzagging* routes, depending on a building’s design.(SD-Agencies)