Proposal of a roadmap for the implementation of robots in buildings: The case of Peru

In recent years, researchers developed the concept of Construction 4.0, which seeks to integrate Industry 4.0 technologies within the construction sector; one of the critical technologies is the use of robots; thus, different studies have documented the design of robots for certain specific tasks achieving benefits such as improved productivity and safety. However, the literature is scarce on strategies for implementing robots in companies under a specific and local context, especially in developing countries where barriers limit their adoption. The following study proposes a roadmap to initiate the implementation of robots in construction companies in developing countries, taking the Peruvian construction sector as a case study. Based on previous research developed by the authors, the first stage identified barriers and benefits of adopting robots in the Peruvian context. After that, the authors proposed a roadmap based on previous studies, and with a proposal, Peruvian 6 experts validated the roadmap in two rounds to see its feasibility. As a result, the proposal roadmap consists of four phases divided into 11 processes: phase 01, which includes the alignment of the company with the need to implement robots; Phase 02, where the company evaluates the technology and construction process to implement robots; Phase 03, where the company plans the implementation in construction site; and phase 04, where the company implements robots and evaluates good practices and opportunities for improvement. The study's novelty consists of proposing steps that involve adopting robots from conception to project closure in developing countries, where adopting this type of technology is still limited due to factors such as lack of knowledge of the benefits, among others. The following study contributes to professionals and companies in the construction sector who wish to implement robots in their projects, maximize the benefits of implementation, and minimize the risks of adoption.