Let’s be honest. For decades, if you were a developer looking at a project over five stories, wood wasn't even part of the conversation. You were talking concrete and steel. Wood was for single-family homes and low-rise apartments, the "stick-frame" world. It was flammable, structurally limited, and frankly, viewed as "small time." That view is now obsolete.

CIV’s flagship solution, the CivDot and its high-precision sibling, the CivDot+, is an autonomous rover that acts like a Roomba for construction sites—if a Roomba were rugged, waterproof, and equipped with high-precision GPS.

John Deere has announced plans to acquire construction technology firm Tenna. By integrating Tenna’s software and sensor-based systems with John Deere’s existing connected equipment portfolio, the combined offering aims to give construction companies deeper visibility into fleet utilization, maintenance needs and project progress.

A Los Angeles-based company is rewriting the rules of metal fabrication. Machina Labs, a pioneer in advanced manufacturing, is delivering on a promise that sounds almost impossible to traditionalists: turning digital CAD files into physical, industrial-grade metal parts in a matter of days, not months.

While the headline-grabbing stories of 3D printing in construction have largely focused on extruded concrete homes, a quieter but perhaps more revolutionary shift is occurring in the sector. High-performance materials—specifically fiberglass composites, carbon fiber, and printed metals—are moving from aerospace and automotive labs onto the job site, promising structures that are lighter, stronger, and far more geometrically complex than their concrete counterparts.

The Canvas drywall robot is gaining attention across the construction industry as a practical response to one of the most labor intensive and schedule sensitive scopes on interior projects. Drywall finishing has long depended on skilled labor, repetitive manual work, and tight sequencing with other trades. Canvas is applying robotics and automation to this phase of construction with a system designed to perform drywall finishing tasks on site with consistency and precision.

JLG is introducing a new generation of elevated work platforms that blend traditional access equipment with advanced robotics and artificial intelligence. The company’s latest concept uses an electric EC600AJ boom lift outfitted with a robotic end effector capable of performing complex tasks at height, including AI-assisted automated welding, precision inspection and installation work. This system represents a significant leap toward autonomous elevated operations on construction sites.

In the world of construction, repetitive overhead tasks are common and they take a toll on crews. Installing drywall, running conduit, hanging sprinklers, sanding ceilings and setting metal framing all require workers to hold their arms above shoulder level for long periods. To address fatigue and strain in these scenarios, Hilti’s EXO-S Shoulder Exoskeleton is gaining attention on jobsites as a wearable support solution that helps reduce shoulder and neck load while crews work above shoulder height.

The Home Depot has expanded its reach in the professional construction supply market through its acquisition of GMS Inc., a move that effectively brings the legacy of Westside Building Material into Home Depot’s growing pro distribution network. While Home Depot did not purchase Westside directly, Westside became part of GMS in 2021, and GMS is now operating under Home Depot’s subsidiary SRS Distribution.

Meet Dusty Robotics.The construction industry is hitting a pivotal inflection point as robotics move from futuristic prototypes to practical, market-ready tools. This shift is driving rapid adoption. We are entering an era where the cost of the robot is no longer an obstacle, but a strategic advantage for increasing jobsite output.

Lowe’s Companies has completed its acquisition of Foundation Building Materials (FBM) in a transaction valued at approximately $8.8 billion, marking one of the largest recent moves in the building materials distribution space. FBM is a major North American supplier of interior construction products, including drywall, metal framing, ceiling systems, doors, hardware, insulation, and related materials. FBM operates more than 370 branches across the United States and Canada.

Robotic layout is no longer a future concept. With tools like HP SitePrint becoming easier to deploy and easier to justify financially, precision automation is quickly becoming part of the modern construction toolkit. The chalk line will always have its place, but the jobsite is clearly entering a more digital, more efficient era.

In the prefab and modular space, Cover has carved out a solid niche by treating small homes like precision-built systems instead of one-off backyard projects. Their work is less about flashy architecture and more about repeatable construction logic that actually works in the field.

The Armet Pro Smart Helmet is part of a growing push to bring real time safety awareness to the jobsite. Unlike traditional hard hats, the Armet Pro Smart Helmet integrates sensors and connectivity that monitor environmental conditions and worker status in real time.