Robots on the construction site: the future of construction begins now!

Robots on the construction site: the future of construction begins now!

On October 8, 2025, an extraordinary campus day for schools took place at the Bauhaus University Weimar, which not only thrilled students but also offered an insight into the future of the construction industry. Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Melzner and his colleagues Ronny Helbing and Friedrich Schrödter held interesting lectures about the diverse tasks of civil engineers. This day enabled the children to experience the technical side of construction up close.

One of the most impressive demonstrations of the day was the appearance of the four-legged robot SPOT, also known as “BauWau”. The students were able to watch live as this robot dog confidently climbed the lecture hall and impressively demonstrated the performance of modern construction robots. A lecture that was given for a school fund from Mellingen on October 1st was prepared for the students as part of the campus program.

Innovations and sustainable materials

Dr.-Ing. In her lecture, Larissa Daube presented new approaches to using environmentally friendly building materials, especially those made from natural materials such as clay. The focus on sustainability is a central theme in today's civil engineering and plays a crucial role in the education of future engineers.

Additionally, Dr.-Ing. Silke Beinersdorf and Christian Kaufmann from the Seismic Center of the Bauhaus University on the safety standards of buildings. They explained the dangers of natural disasters such as floods, storms and earthquakes and reported on possible protective measures. Another lecture on earthquake safety will be offered on October 29, 2025 specifically for students at the Goethegymnasium to raise awareness of these important topics.

Construction robots in use

Parallel to the development of civil engineering, the digitalization of the construction industry has begun to progress slowly. Robots have become more important in recent years and can now take on many tasks on construction sites. This includes bricklaying, drilling, plastering and 3D printing of buildings. These technologies increase efficiency and productivity and offer solutions to the existing skills shortage in many regions.

How bau editor.de reported, are robots like thatHadrian X, who builds walls with CAD data, or whoOkibo, a plastering robot capable of carrying out tasks autonomously. These innovations result in faster, higher quality construction work and greater safety on construction sites.

Future developments

The future of construction robotics looks promising. The combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and technologies such as 5G is expected to further advance the use of construction robots. Challenges remain the high acquisition costs and the unpredictability of construction sites, which can make it difficult to integrate these new technologies.

Overall, the campus day at the Bauhaus University Weimar illustrates how important it is to get young people excited about the topic of construction and to offer them insights into the technologies of the future. Information about this and other events is available on the Website of the Weimar Children's University available.