Tilbury Douglas has begun using a humanoid robot to carry out administrative and data-collection tasks on a live construction site. The contractor says the deployment is a UK first among tier one firms.
The robot, named Douglas, navigates the site autonomously. It captures 360-degree imagery and compiles progress reports, with the data also used to support health and safety monitoring.
The company estimates the robot will save around 40 hours of staff time each month by handling routine reporting work.
Mark Buckle, Technical Director at Tilbury Douglas, said the move was a response to workforce pressure. “The construction industry continues to face a skills shortage and ongoing resource challenges,” he said. Automating admin tasks, he added, would allow site teams to focus on technical and operational work.
Tilbury Douglas is a UK building, infrastructure, engineering and fit-out contractor. The firm works across sectors including health, education, defence, justice, commercial, and aviation, delivering projects for public and private clients.
The deployment forms part of Tilbury Douglas’ wider digital transformation programme.
