Lessons Learned from the “Hack My Robot” Competition and Considerations for Construction Applications

Muammer Semih Sonkor, Borja García de Soto

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The construction industry is going through a digital transformation where automation and robotics are slowly making their way into construction projects. This change brings numerous benefits, such as cost and time efficiency and higher accuracy and quality. At the same time, it raises cybersecurity concerns. Since most construction environments are far from being human-free in the near future, the importance of providing robust cybersecurity when utilizing cyber-physical systems such as robots is augmented. The use of robotics in construction processes has long been under academia’s and industry’s spotlight, but the cybersecurity aspects have not received the attention they deserve. Several surveys have shown low awareness among construction stakeholders about cybersecurity, which increases the need for further studies on this topic. This study provides an overview of the first academic-driven cybersecurity competition in the construction context, Hack My Robot (HMR), as part of CSAW’22, the most comprehensive student-run cybersecurity event in the world. HMR was held for the first time at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD). The competition had two main rounds: the qualification round and the final round, where students presented their ideas to compromise the provided robotic system’s functionality and the collected information. The system used in the competition imitated a construction progress monitoring robot that utilizes Robotic Operating System (ROS). This paper presents how this competition aims to contribute to construction cybersecurity efforts, what main outcomes were obtained, and how it will be improved in the upcoming editions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 40th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, ISARC 2023
EditorsBorja Garcia de Soto, Vicente Gonzalez, Ioannis Brilakis
PublisherInternational Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction (IAARC)
Pages577-584
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9780645832204
DOIs
StatePublished - 2023
Event40th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, ISARC 2023 - Chennai, India
Duration: Jul 5 2023Jul 7 2023

Publication series

NameProceedings of the International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction
ISSN (Electronic)2413-5844

Conference

Conference40th International Symposium on Automation and Robotics in Construction, ISARC 2023
Country/TerritoryIndia
CityChennai
Period7/5/237/7/23

Keywords

  • Competition
  • Construction 4.0
  • Cybersecurity
  • Robotics

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Control and Systems Engineering
  • Civil and Structural Engineering
  • Building and Construction
  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
  • Computer Science Applications
  • Artificial Intelligence

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