Automation in tower cranes over the past two decades (2003–2024)

Tower cranes play a vital role in modern construction for transporting material, yet the persisting issue of crane-related accidents, often attributable to human error, underscores the urgent need for automated crane operations to enhance safety on construction sites. Despite active research in this area, a gap exists in systematically examining and categorising advancements in tower crane automation and identifying key trends and limitations. This paper aims to address this gap by employing a mixed-methods approach, encompassing scientometric and systematic analyses. The scientometric analysis sheds light on key researchers, institutions, journals, and global research networks. Also, the systematic analysis delves into four primary research areas: crane operations, motion control, layout planning, and transport path optimisation. This paper identifies critical knowledge gaps and limitations in tower crane automation, suggests future research directions, and offers industry insights into current methodologies and global trends.