Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 2005.Page 140 blank.Includes bibliographical references (p. 130-132).Substandard productivity and the lack of skilled workers in the construction industry have led major corporations all over the world aiming to produce various types of automated construction technologies. During the process, novel ideologies of design and construction techniques have been realized and the push for these applications has never been greater. This thesis will look to answer the question of benefit and effectiveness of automated construction technology. It will focus on three basic concepts: 1) Analyzing existing automated construction technology; 2) understanding of automated machine design and components; 3) proposal of a multi-purpose pick-and-place machine for the automated construction process. In the end, the intention will be to promote a design intensive approach to automated construction technology in order to advance the conventional methodologies of design and construction.by Han Hoang.S.M
