Wikipedia

Built Robotics

Built Robotics Inc. is a San Francisco, California, based vehicular automation startup that develops software and hardware to automate construction equipment. The company was founded in San Francisco in 2016 by Noah Ready-Campbell and Andrew Liang.[1] The company's primary product is the "Exosystem", an aftermarket kit that adds autonomous robotic capabilities onto existing heavy equipment through a combination of GPS, cameras, and artificial intelligence technology.[2]

Built Robotics, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryRobotics
Founded2016
FoundersNoah Ready-Campbell, Andrew Liang
Headquarters
San Francisco, California
ProductsFully autonomous construction equipment
Number of employees
11-50 employees
Websitebuiltrobotics.com

Technology

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Exosystem

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The Exosystem began development in 2018 and was first brought to market in 2021. The technology is marketed as a means to enable autonomous excavation, earthmoving, and pile driving.

The Exosystem is installed on the tail of excavators. The company claims the Exosystem can be installed on machinery from Caterpillar, Hitachi, John Deere, Volvo, and other major manufacturers. The Exosystem advertises itself as consisting  of an all-weather enclosure that houses the hardware and software needed to enable autonomous operation. Additional sensors such as cameras, GPS, and IMUs are mounted at various points on the piece of heavy equipment.[3]

The Exosystem controls the heavy equipment through the electric-over-hydraulic (EH) systems for autonomous operation or remote control. The Exosystem can be turned off, which  allows the heavy equipment to be manually operated by a person inside the cab.

As with factory robots, human robotic operators, referred to by Built as "Robot Equipment Operators" (REOs), must still start the system's initial operation before autonomous activities take control. REOs use a proprietary web-based platform, Everest, to supervise and control the robot. The REO can switch from autonomous to remote control mode, which allows an operator to move the robot through a remote interface.

 
Everest is the cloud-based command center that monitors, manages, and operates the Exosystem.

RPD 35

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The RPD 35.

Built Robotics entered the utility-scale solar market in 2023 with the announcement of a new product called the RPD 35, or Robotic Pile Driver. The RPD 35 is advertised by the company as an excavator-based robot that can  automate multiple steps in the solar piling process.[4] The company claims that the robot can autonomously perform surveying of pile locations, distribution of piles, driving of piles, and generation of as-builts.[4] Built utilizes a modified  Caterpillar 335 by adding various main components: an Exosystem, pile-carrying sleds, and a custom-engineered hammer.[5]

History

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The ATL-74R is the first autonomous construction vehicle from Built Robotics.

Proof of Concept

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Built Robotics began attracting attention in 2018 as one of several new companies bringing automation to the construction industry, which had been relatively slow to adopt technical innovations compared to related industries.[6]  Commentators noted that a dearth of skilled workers available to fill construction and heavy equipment operator positions,[7] coupled with a need for infrastructure renewal and housing,[8] were likely driving forces behind the industry's adoption of new technologies.[7]

Built Robotics claims to be the first of these companies to commercially deploy fully autonomous heavy equipment[9] in construction settings.[10]  Founder Ready-Campbell, a former Google product manager who studied software engineering and had previously founded another startup, Twice, got his inspiration for Built Robotics from his father, who worked as a carpenter.[11]

AI Guidance System

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The company's first product was called the "AI Guidance System", which began development in 2016 and was first brought to market in 2018. The technology was marketed as a solution in the excavation and grading to enable skid-steers, CTLs, excavators, and bulldozers to function autonomously.[12][13]

The company started out by expanding its market to other business areas on the functionality that the AI Guidance System can be installed on different types of existing construction equipment, including dozers and skid-steers in addition to excavators.[14][15]  Built initially focused their AI system on heavy civil, wind, energy, residential housing, solar, and utility work. In 2023, Built narrowed their focus on the solar industry by developing a pile driving robot for utility-scale solar projects.[16]

Company

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Financing

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Built Robotics is currently a Series C startup company, having been financed through three rounds of fundraising from private venture capital funds.  The company has raised a combined total of US$112 million through its Series A, Series B, and Series C financings. Investors who have contributed to the financings include Tiger Global, Next47, NEA, Founders Fund, Building Ventures, Presidio Ventures, Lemnos, and other investors.  Notable advisors of the company include Carl Bass, Jeff Immelt, and Justin Kan.[17]

Patents

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Built Robotics has a number of patents issued by the US Patent and Trademark office, including "Excavating earth from a dig site using an excavation vehicle;”[18] "Obstacle detection and manipulation by a vehicle within a dig site;”[19] and "Checking volume in an excavation tool".[20]

Markets

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The technology developed by Built has been deployed on job sites in multiple US states,[21][8] which do not require regulatory approval for autonomous equipment used on non-public roads.[7]  In March 2020, the company announced that it would be expanding internationally with the onboarding of its first Australian client, MPC Kinetic.[22]  Notable customers and business partners include Black & Veatch, MPC Kinetic, Mortenson, and Sunstate.[23]

Labor Relations

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In March 2020, the International Union of Operating Engineers announced a formal partnership with Built Robotics through which the union will train its members to use the Built Robotics automation platform, citing a steady growth rate in jobs for heavy equipment operators coupled with an industry-wide shortage of workers.[6][7]

In 2023, Built renewed their partnership with the IUOE, extending their strategic partnership through 2026. James Callahan, general president of the IUOE, stated,'' Our partnership with Built has and continues to receive very positive feedback, and we are excited to renew this agreement to provide our over 400,000 members with the advanced training that keeps them at the forefront of the industry".[24]

Roin Technologies

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In 2023, Built robotics acquired Roin Technologies, a company claiming to be the makers of the first automated concrete power trowel.[25] Roin Technology focused on automating tasks within the concrete industry. Jim Delaney, Founder and CEO of Roin Technologies, joined the company. In the company's announcement, it was stated that the technologies underlying Roin's automated power trowel and shotcrete robot would be integrated into Built's software and hardware systems.

References

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  1. ^ Gershgorn, Dave (October 19, 2017). "Construction is as far from a Silicon Valley darling as you can get—and that's why it's ready for automation". Quartz. Uzabase. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  2. ^ Berreby, David (August 18, 2020). "The robot revolution has arrived". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 18, 2020. Retrieved 22 November 2020.
  3. ^ "Exosystem™. The World's First Fully Autonomous Upgrade for Heavy…". Built Robotics. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  4. ^ a b Wessling, Brianna (2023-03-15). "Built Robotics develops autonomous solar piling robot". The Robot Report. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  5. ^ "North American Clean Energy September/October 2023 Issue". issuu. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  6. ^ a b Chea, Terence (March 19, 2018). "Productivity boost? Robots break new ground in the construction industry". USA Today. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d Simonite, Tom (March 10, 2020). "Construction Workers Embrace the Robots That Do Their Jobs". Wired. Wired.com. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  8. ^ a b "Could this new tech help us build more houses?". The Mercury News. 2018-04-22. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  9. ^ "Built Robotics releases 1st fully autonomous construction machinery in US". Construction Dive. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  10. ^ "Autonomous Vehicles May Become More Common at Construction Sites". CBS Local. 2018-04-02. Archived from the original on 2018-04-03. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  11. ^ Levy, Ari (October 19, 2017). "This ex-Googler is bringing self-driving excavators to construction sites". CNBC. CNBC LLC. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  12. ^ Nichols, Greg. "Retrofit: The $15.5 trillion industry undergoing a robotic remodel". ZDNet. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  13. ^ Hawkins, Andrew J. (2017-10-19). "Watch this autonomous bulldozer excavate dirt without a human operator". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  14. ^ Group, Marisa Kendall | Bay Area News (2018-04-22). "Could this new tech help us build more houses?". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2023-10-16. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  15. ^ "Built Robotics releases 1st fully autonomous construction machinery in US". Construction Dive. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  16. ^ Wishart-Smith, Heather. "Built Robotics Unveils Autonomous Pile Driving Robot, Expediting Solar Rollout". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  17. ^ "About – Built Robotics". builtrobotics.com. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  18. ^ US 10801177, Ready-Campbell, Noah Austen; Liang, Andrew Xiao & Chou, Linus Page et al., "Excavating earth from a dig site using an excavation vehicle", issued 2018-01-22, assigned to Built Robotics Inc. 
  19. ^ US 10761537, Ready-Campbell, Noah Austen; Liang, Andrew Xiao & Wawrzonek, Christian John et al., "Obstacle detection and manipulation by a vehicle within a dig site", issued 2018-06-01, assigned to Built Robotics Inc. 
  20. ^ US 10662613, Ready-Campbell, Noah Austen; Liang, Andrew Xiao & Chou, Linus Page et al., "Checking volume in an excavation tool", issued 2018-01-22, assigned to Built Robotics Inc. 
  21. ^ "Robots Are Poised To Transform The Construction Industry". Bisnow. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  22. ^ "Autonomous excavators on site in Queensland". Industry Queensland. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  23. ^ "Built Robotics Announces International Expansion, Partnership with Leading Australian Contractor MPC Kinetic | RoboticsTomorrow". roboticstomorrow.com. Retrieved 2020-11-22.
  24. ^ "International Union of Operating Engineers and Built Robotics renew training partnership". Robotics & Automation News. 2023-03-08. Retrieved 2023-10-16.
  25. ^ Robotics, Built. "Built Robotics Acquires Y Combinator-Backed Roin Technologies to Expand beyond Autonomous Earthmoving". PR Newswire. Retrieved 2023-10-16.

Further reading

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