Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have been utilized as an alternative medium to human workers in data collection processes in various industries. The capabilities of UAVs are now being extended from passive tasks of data collection to active tasks of interacting with the environment by equipping them with manipulators and robotic arms to function as Unmanned Aerial Manipulators (UAMs). Research on UAMs has been growing in the last few years. The applications of UAMs have been studied including sensor installation, inspections, door opening, valve turning, pick and drop, etc. for the oil and gas industry and civil applications. However, there is a lack of studies in understanding the potential applications of UAMs and their capabilities in construction and in augmenting construction activities. The goal of this research is to identify potential opportunities and challenges of the application of UAM in construction projects. The study undertakes a literature review followed by semi-structured interviews with industry experts to identify the potential areas for the UAM application and possible challenges towards the adoption of technology in the field. This study contributes to the introduction of a new research area in contact-based UAV-guided technologies in construction processes.
