On my way to the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, I stopped in Hong Kong. A colleague had tipped me off about an article that had appeared at Technology & Economy (link, article in Finnish), which features a rebar-tying robot under development there. My interest was piqued, and I began following its progress.
This topic was close to my heart. I had been talking for over a decade about “spider-like” robots capable of tying rebar, and wondering why the technology wasn't yet a reality. A year after that first article, I arranged for myself and a group of developers from Jatke Uusimaa and construction journalist Beoman to visit the site. Hong Kong Construction Robotics Centre (HKCCR) to see if the technology was finally ready.
The visit to HKCCR was fascinating. The center develops a wide range of innovative robots for the construction industry. However, the actual demonstration of the rebar-tying robot was unfortunately a disappointment. The rebar mesh in the demonstration area was already completely tied, which meant the robot could not showcase all its capabilities and kept getting stuck.
The developers assured us that the robot is already being used successfully at several construction sites in mainland China. We agreed that the only way to see the robot's true capabilities would be to see it in action at a construction site. It's easy to arrange, I just need to give two weeks' notice.
The next Canton Fair is in Spring 2026, and I'm already planning to visit in person to see the robot in action in real conditions. Wish me luck!
Were you excited to see the future of construction firsthand? If you are interested in participating in the next site visit and seeing the rebar-tying robot in action, please contact me. tanja@nexpert.fi.
Leave a Reply