Construction & Robotics:Hilti moves ahead and cooperates with US startup
In 2020, Lichtenstein-based construction supplier Hilti unveiled the Jaibot, the world's first semi-autonomous ceiling drilling robot. This is probably the first place where it was reported on outside of construction (link). In the meantime, it found an imitator - Fischer offers a similar vehicle (link). Below is the press release. Preliminarily, the info that Canvas has apparently been funded with just under $30 million so far, already has market-ready products, and so is apparently just cooperating with Hilti, not looking for money. (It would probably be different for a German startup.) It seems that Hilti values cooperation more highly than Canvas. Still, Hilti is one of the most innovative and open companies in its segment. Many another in the industry might suffer the fate of the steel industry. I come from the Ruhr area (but have lived in Munich for over 30 years) and have witnessed the decline of the steel industry.
Strategic partnership with Bay Area startup Canvas.
Schaan (FL), March 13, 2023 - Hilti is entering into a strategic partnership with construction robotics company Canvas (USA). Canvas has developed a drywall robotics solution
that will enable new ways of building. In 2020, Hilti launched the Jaibot, the world's first semi-autonomous ceiling drilling robot. The partnership with Canvas now marks the beginning of a new phase of innovation in robotics. It brings together two leading companies in the field of intelligent construction site robots with a shared vision: to exploit previously untapped potential and usher in a new era of productivity and safety for skilled workers.
US partner relies on cobots
Headquartered in San Francisco, Canvas was founded in 2017 by seasoned experts from Boston Dynamics, MIT, and Stanford University. The company is harnessing advances in collaborative robotics and machine learning to develop a new class of devices that benefit from the potential of AI and machine learning. To date, Canvas has focused on finishing drywall. According to studies, this step is associated with the highest prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, affecting about a quarter of all workers. Canvas' robot automates the plastering of drywall, achieving both Level 5 and Level 4 quality in a fraction of the time and with greater safety and reliability than can be achieved using traditional methods. Unlike manual application, the robot applies a single consistent layer of joint compound over wet tape. It can extend up to 4.7 meters, allowing it to do the vast majority of the work at greater heights. It also reduces the risk of injury from repetitive motions and captures 99.9 percent of the dust generated by sanding.
Under the partnership, Canvas will expand the application they have developed on the certified and tested Jaibot platform. With Hilti, Canvas has a reliable industrialization partner to meet the huge demand for its robots for finishing. "We want to make the construction industry better. That's why we focus our resources on innovative hardware, software and services that increase contractor productivity , improve worker health and safety, and provide greater sustainability," said Thomas Hillbrand, member of the Hilti Executive Committee. "Hilti and Canvas share common values. We look forward to helping Canvas rethink ways of working through the far-reaching capabilities of robotics and AI."
High demand for drywall robots
"We are extremely pleased that demand for our drywall robot has exceeded our production capacity in a very short period of time this year," said Kevin Albert, Canvas CEO. "Construction companies continue to struggle with rising costs and labor shortages. The demand confirms the urgent need for new equipment in the industry to address these challenges and support skilled workers. We are even more pleased to announce this partnership. It gives us the opportunity to continue to push the envelope and enable Canvas to meet current and future demand for our machines worldwide."
The partnership between Canvas and Hilti allows the construction robotics company to grow globally in an industry ripe for change. In doing so, Canvas is helping to solve the drywall industry's chronic labor shortage, helping to increase cleanliness and safety on job sites while reducing the stress on construction workers.
Are we networking? LinkedIn
-> Go to the Cobot group on LinkedIn (link). The author is also a consultant (robotics, tech & finance). Hardly anyone is likely to have a comparable market overview.