Looking toward the future: the role of Advanced Technology in Housing

Jonathan D. Linton, PhD, PEngDirector, Emerging Technology Supply Chain Management Research Centre, University of Sheffield

Foreign Head of Laboratory, Science and Technology Studies Laboratory, Higher School of Economics Moscow

Why Technology Now?

•Reduce Risk

•Reduce Cost

Putting Technology Into Place

• Problem identification

• Solution Search

• Solution Selection

• Adoption

• Implementation

• Routinizaton or Abandonment

Different Challenges/Different Solutions

• Adapt to New Regulations• Safety

• Environmental

• Improve quality• Precision

• reliability

• Reduce reliance on external factors• Labour

• Imports

But What About Risk?

https://www.gamechangers.technology/technology-readiness-levels/

Unanticipated Value from Technology

https://www.miss-thrifty.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/sell-your-mobile-phone.jpg

3%

Improving Technology Vocabulary & Awareness

• Additive Manufacture

• Artificial Intelligence

• Augmented reality

• Block chain

• Close loop construction

• Drones

• Internet of things

• Micro grids

• Modular build

• Non-traditional materials

• Robotics

• Sensor Arrays

• Virtual reality

Additive manufacture

• Building-up versus taking away

• Self-assembling structures

https://www.3dnatives.com/en/3d-

printing-construction-310120184/

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/02/

27/gaia-wasp-3d-printed-house-

biodegradable-video/

https://www.bbc.co.uk/ne

ws/technology-44709534

Artificial Intelligence

• Software that processes tremendous amounts of data quickly • Finds useful patterns

• Finds outliers

• Decision Making and Over Time Learning

http://www.waldeckconsulting.com/artificial-intelligence-transforming-construction-industry

Augmented reality

• Addition of visuals to the existing world

• Overlaying information onto what we currently see

https://beyonddesign.typepad.com/posts/2016/10/augmented-

reality-the-next-interface-for-design-and-making.html

https://www.theconstructionindex.co.uk/news/view/augmented-reality-

coming-to-a-construction-site-near-you

Block chain

• A ledger/documentation that is stored in many places at the same time

• Any addition happens in all places simultaneously

• Ensures that everyone can trust the accuracy of the information

https://enstoa.com/blog/can-blockchain-fix-construction-industrys-productivity-problem

Close loop construction

• Design and operation so that components and materials can be used in a high value application at the time of disposal

http://betonika.lt/en/about-us/kokyb-ir-aplinkosauga

Drones

• Driverless vehicles used to collect information via sensors

https://www.google.com/search?q=drones+construction&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi

799mSj6HjAhX4QUEAHWxaDJ8Q_AUIESgC#imgrc=aO8udutpgA8s_M:

Internet of things

• Connecting things with people and each other using the internet

• Can be used for monitoring, control and is an enabler for AI

https://www.bachly.com/the-internet-of-things/

Micro grids

• Management of electrical supply and demand locally

https://www.totemcontracting.com/service/microgrids/

Modular build

• Use of manufacturing techniques to build either components or complete structures

https://www.google.com/search?q=modular+build+construction&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved

=0ahUKEwjpoN-5j6HjAhX3QUEAHfs0CEAQ_AUIECgB#imgrc=X4Zt7iVt6d7_2M:

https://www.memerycrystal.com/articles/modular-construction/

Non-traditional materials

• Use of engineered materials to obtain properties not available in with traditionally used construction materials

Robotics

• Electro-mechanical machines that follow a set of instructions to automatically achieve one or more tasks

https://www.google.com/search?q=robotics+construction&s

ource=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi8rfHCj6HjAhW

Qi1wKHQw8DTsQ_AUIECgB#imgrc=PQX6uCGXQqqlgM:

https://www.design-engineering.com/construction-robots-

1004029539-1004029539/

Sensor Arrays

• Inexpensive sensors that are used to collect information that can be used for provision of data for monitoring or decision making purposes

https://www.idtechex.com/de/research-report/printed-and-flexible-

sensors-2017-2027-technologies-players-forecasts/504

Virtual Reality

• Computer simulation of a three-dimensional image and/or environment.

• Provides a user with an interactive experience

https://pocketsizedhands.com/blog/howwillvirtualand

augmentedrealityimpacttheconstructionindustry/

https://www.urbanrealm.com/news/6801/University

_of_Strathclyde_demonstrate_augmented_and_virt

ual_reality_construction_tool.html

5G

• More responsive than 4G - less time for data to travel and be reacted upon

• About two orders of magnitude faster

https://tryupdates.com/how-evolution-of-5g-networks/

Parting Words…

• Technology is neither good nor bad

• Many technologies low risk as they have been developed

and applied in other fields

• Need experience to figure out exactly what value a specific

technology can offer you

• Best place to start is to consider a current problem and look

for a technology solution to assist you with this problem

Comments & Discussion

j.linton@sheffield.ac.uk