Masonry seemed like the perfect candidate for mechanization, but a hundred years of limited success suggests there’s some aspect to it that prevents a machine from easily doing it. This makes it an interesting case study, as it helps define exactly where mechanization becomes difficult—what makes laying a brick so different than, say, hammering a nail, such that the latter is almost completely mechanized and the former is almost completely manual?
I’m guessing you’re referring to Brian Potter’s post Where Are The Robotic Bricklayers?, which to me is a great example of reality being surprisingly detailed. Quoting Brian:
Yes, that one! Thanks for finding and quoting.