The Pulse
Procon deploys camera-equipped robot at Port Canaveral terminal
A four-legged robot is documenting construction at Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 5 after a pilot. Procon and Teleworker AI are using repeatable 360-degree capture walks as the terminal undergoes a $78 million expansion and renovation.
A four-legged robot is making repeatable 360-degree camera walks through construction at Port Canaveral’s Cruise Terminal 5, following a pilot of the technology. Construction management firm Procon Consulting said it is working with the Canaveral Port Authority to expand robotic documentation at the site.
The robot, nicknamed Sparky, is being used while the terminal undergoes an expansion and renovation. The $78 million project is intended to increase the facility from 90,000 to 170,000 square feet and accommodate larger cruise ships.
Recording the site
Teleworker AI developed components of the camera payload used for the robotic capture. Its team also worked with Procon on assembly and setup, preparing the robot for deployment with limited hands-on intervention.
Procon says the system gives the port and project teams more frequent visual records of construction progress while reducing time spent on routine site walks. The company says the records can help teams compare conditions over time, monitor work between in-person visits and document questions about schedules, change orders or construction claims.
Stephen DeVito, Procon’s director of technology, said daily capture can provide a clearer record of what happened and when, potentially helping resolve questions about progress or conditions before they become larger issues. The work is testing those potential benefits under operating conditions.
Procon is evaluating capture frequency, reliability and usefulness to the project team. The company says the findings will help inform future uses of robotics on complex capital projects.
Roots in university research
The pilot grew out of Procon’s construction robotics research with Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction. The Multi-Agent Robotic System for Inspection On Site, or MARIO, initiative examines how robots and remote monitoring can help project teams gather and use information from the field.
Virginia Tech said in March that its researchers and Procon were developing a coordinated team of robots and drones, alongside technology including AI sensing and computer vision, for continuous remote monitoring of construction sites. The university described MARIO as a system in development, rather than a completed deployment.
In that broader research, DeVito described a possible arrangement in which an inspector supervises multiple robots across multiple sites and reviews visual data from one location. Virginia Tech associate professor of construction engineering and management Kereshmeh Afsari said remote site presence could also broaden the pool of people able to work in construction.
A working terminal
The terminal has remained operational during its renovation, supporting multiple sailings weekly, according to a July update from Port Canaveral. The port said the finished facility would include expanded luggage, seating and security screening areas, as well as a refreshed entrance and interiors.
In July, the port gave a target completion date of December 2026. The port identified BEA architects of Miami as the designer and Ivey’s Construction as the firm leading construction.
Procon’s robotics work is scheduled to feature at the port’s State of the Port presentation on November 19. Sparky is to appear ahead of the introduction of Port Canaveral CEO Capt. John Murray.