Reviewed by Lexie CornerMar 17 2025
A study published in Engineering reviewed and summarized significant scientific advancements and research developments in construction robots designed for extreme environments.
Construction robots in extreme environments encounter various application scenarios, including hazardous work environments, polluted and harmful environments, as well as extreme conditions in deep underground, deep sea, and deep space. These robots can be evaluated across four dimensions: mechanism, perception, planning, and control. Image Credit: Ke You, Cheng Zhou, Lieyun Ding, Yuxiang Wang
Scientific research is expanding across macroscopic, microscopic, and extreme environments as part of the ongoing technological and industrial transformation. These developments are becoming central trends in global science and technology.
China is facing new challenges in construction under extreme conditions, driven by national goals for high-quality green and low-carbon development.
Among these challenges, construction robotics for extreme environments is recognized as a key focus. These robots are designed to perform high-risk tasks, highly repetitive labor, and precision operations while improving construction efficiency and safety. This area is becoming a priority in many countries' robotics strategies.
Construction robots designed for extreme environments can perform complex engineering tasks autonomously, without human assistance, in hazardous situations. These environments include dangerous work conditions such as blasting, demolition, post-disaster rescue, and confined space operations, as well as hazardous environments like those with dust, solid waste, and nuclear contamination, and extreme natural conditions such as deep underground, deep sea, and outer space.
The academic community has focused significant attention on the major scientific and technological challenges associated with building robots for extreme environments. Key areas of concern include designing biomimetic mechanisms, real-time environmental perception, autonomous motion planning, and intelligent decision-making. These challenges have become a key research frontier in both robotics and construction fields.
The research team identified four primary technical performance aspects of construction robots in extreme environments: mechanisms, perception, planning, and control. They also examined typical application scenarios for these robots, including hazardous work settings, polluted and harmful environments, and harsh natural environments.
This comprehensive study reviewed and summarized the key scientific technologies and research progress in the field of construction robots operating in extreme environments, spanning from Earth to space.
The findings emphasize the pressing scientific and technological challenges that construction robots currently face, such as ensuring efficiency, safety, and reliability when operating in unstructured environments, dealing with limited observational tools, and managing multi-objective constraints.
Additionally, the study proposes developmental patterns for advancing intelligent robotics and intelligent construction, while identifying future research areas for construction robotics in extreme environments.
Journal Reference:
You, K., et. al. (2025) Construction Robotics in Extreme Environments: From Earth to Space. Engineering. doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2024.11.037