The construction industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation, with activity driven by an increased focus on environmental sustainability and workplace safety, and the growing importance of technologies such as the Internet-of-Things (IoT) and robotics. In the last three years alone, there have been over 248,000 patents filed and granted in the construction industry according to GlobalData’s report on Robotics in Construction: Concrete conveying safety equipment.  Buy the report here.

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Data Insights Robotics in Construction: Concrete conveying safety equipment

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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilising and reaching maturity. 

Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have. 

80+ innovations will shape the construction industry 

According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the construction industry using innovation intensity models built on over 179,000 patents, there are 80+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry. 

Within the emerging innovation stage, robotic water surface cleaner is a disruptive technology that is in the early stage of application and should be tracked closely. Intelligent motor controllers, building finishing techniques, and sensor-integrated door wings are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing. Among maturing innovation areas are heavy equipment monitoring systems and electric hydraulic excavator, which are now well established in the industry.   

Innovation S-curve for robotics in the construction industry 

Concrete conveying safety equipment is a key innovation area in robotics 

Robotic concrete safety equipment can significantly improve the safety of conveying concrete. Systems that use data to monitor the conveying process and feedback information to the operator in real time can help prevent the occurrence of accidents. Moreover, many types of robotics allow the operator to control the machine remotely, limiting the potential for injury due to exposure to hazardous materials and proximity to working machinery. 

GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 30+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established construction companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of concrete conveying safety equipment. 

Key players in concrete conveying safety equipment – a disruptive innovation in the construction industry  

  ‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent and broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators. 

‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in and reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’. 

Patent volumes related to Concrete conveying safety equipment

A leading company in the concrete conveying safety equipment space is Sany, which provides a range of concrete conveying machinery such as truck-mounted concrete pumps, placing booms and line pumps with robotic safety systems, which accurately relay information to operators during the conveying process, including warning and fault signals. In addition, the machines can be operated remotely, allowing operators to limit health risk by remaining at a safe distance from hazardous materials and dangerous machinery. Other leading companies in the concrete conveying safety equipment space include Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, XCMG, and Zoomlion Heavy Industry Science and Technology. 

In terms of application diversity, leading companies include FBR and Eaton. The leading companies in terms of geographic reach are Nippon Shuppan Hanbai, Atlantia, and MSA Safety. 

To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the construction industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Robotics in Construction. 

GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article. 

 

GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.