Breaking Down Barriers to Technology Adoption
In February 2025, Diverge hosted its first-ever Innovation Day event in Phoenix, Arizona. Innovation Day events aim to highlight the latest technological advancements in the construction industry and foster collaboration among Hensel Phelps employees and partners.
Thai Nguyen, Diverge’s Director of Innovation, opened the event by emphasizing the importance of continuous innovation and collaboration. He encouraged attendees to explore new ideas and consider the impact of implementing advanced technology on jobsites. Following his remarks, representatives from Hensel Phelps, Hewlett Packard, LucidBots, Hilti, Inc., Rugged Robotics, Ken Robotech, Teleworker.ai, Flyability, Exyn and Dusty Robotics provided insights on improving safety, efficiency and productivity across the industry.
Presentations with industry experts highlighted several common challenges faced when introducing new technologies:
- General resistance to new technologies and processes
- Concerns about return on investment
- High upfront costs
- Need for skilled workers and training on new tools
Despite these obstacles, the long-term benefits of implementing construction technology are substantial. The initial investment is often outweighed by savings in labor costs, especially for tasks that are repetitive, hazardous or physically demanding. Additionally, new tools and on-site construction automation lead to improved collaboration, enhanced jobsite safety, reduced rework and better overall quality of life for workers.
Robots Enhancing Safety and Efficiency
Hands-on demonstrations of advanced technologies in construction play a key role when encouraging innovation on jobsites. The opportunity for teams to interact directly with tools builds confidence and understanding of real-world applications. Innovation Day partners showcased the following:
- Flyability: The Elios 3 drone inspects tight or hard-to-reach spaces like ceilings, enhancing worker safety and project productivity.
- HP SitePrint, Rugged Robotics and Dusty Robotics: Robotic layout printers that speed up and improve accuracy in marking construction layouts.
- Jaibot by Hilti, Inc.: An autonomous drilling robot that improves precision, safety and productivity in overhead plumbing, electrical and mechanical installations.
- Sherpa Drone by LucidBots: Designed to perform elevated exterior cleaning and chemical spraying, minimizing worker risk.
- Teleworker.ai: Combines robotics with augmented and virtual reality, allowing remote control for data collection on construction sites.
- Tomorobo by Ken Robotech: A semi-autonomous robot designed to bring safety and automation to tying rebar on jobsites.
Building a Smarter Future
Building on the success of Innovation Day, Diverge envisions a construction industry fueled by collaboration and innovation, with technology leading the way. The event demonstrated how AI, machine learning, drones and robotics are already reshaping the construction industry, making jobsites safer and more efficient. As innovation continues to drive change, the future of construction belongs to those bold enough to lead it.
