CivDot is designed to automate surveying on construction sites. Source: Civ Robotics.
While the construction industry has been slow to adopt automation, technology is emerging to serve its needs. Civ Robotics Inc. today announced that it has raised $7.5 million in Series A funding, bringing its total funding to date to $12.5 million. The company said it will use the investment to continue developing its construction robots and expand into new global markets, with an emphasis on renewable energy and solar power.
“We got so frustrated with inefficiency in construction,” stated Tom Yeshurun, co-founder and CEO of Civ Robotics. “We’re very happy to be joined by Bobcat and others to support this mission to bring robotics to an area that has long lagged behind technologically.”
Founded in 2018, Civ Robotics said its flagship CivDots are unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) that mark thousands of coordinates per day precisely and efficiently for large construction projects. The San Francisco-based company added that it is dedicated to enhancing efficiency and modernizing the $3 trillion infrastructure construction industry, including solar farms, roadways, data centers, power plants, and industrial development.
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CivDots mark millions of points
While the construction is a significant contributor to the U.S. economy, productivity has lagged, with a backlog of 8.5 months and 88% of firms reporting that they are having difficulty finding specialist workers, explained Fernando F. Suarez. The Northeastern University professor spoke at a recent MassRobotics event on robotics in construction.
The CivDots can carry out construction surveying up to eight times faster than traditional methods, claimed Civ Robotics. With an accuracy of up to 3/100 in. (8mm), the robots reduce errors passed downstream into the build phase, it said.
CivDot requires no expertise to operate, enabling workers of all backgrounds to carry out key surveying tasks, the company asserted. Working across challenging terrain and through all weather conditions, CivDot can mark up to 3,000 points per day.
Civ Robotics also said it is developing new autonomous systems for other areas of construction. It noted that its technology supports a wide range of engineering and construction projects, from renewable energy to large-scale infrastructure.
The company cited its role in the construction of more than 20 gigawatts of solar farms worldwide, as its robots have marked over 10 million coordinates to date.
CivDot, shown here in Canada, can work in challenging terrain. Source: Civ Robotics
Civ Robotics has deployments worldwide
Civ Robotics has deployed more than 100 surveying robots to job sites around the globe. It said that partners including Bechtel, Signal Energy Constructors, Trimble, and Cupertino Electricals show that trust in automation is increasing in a sector that has been slow to adopt new technologies.
“On the utility-scale solar projects we work on, being able to save time while maintaining high standards is a godsend,” said Kelley Brown, principal vice president for U.S. renewables at Bechtel. “By improving our survey time sixfold, Civ Robotics has helped us keep our projects on schedule. We’ve relied on CivDot for four years so far and will continue to implement the bots across our organization.”
Civ Robotics has scaled rapidly, expanding into new regions including Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), with additional markets planned. The company said its commitment to bringing more efficiency to renewable energy projects is a key focus of its strategy.
Civ Robotics is developing technology for new construction applications and markets. Source: Civ Robotics
Investors recognize automation’s potential
This year, Civ reached profitability, which it said proves demand for more efficiency and precision in major infrastructure projects.
AlleyCorp led Civ Robotics’ Series A round, with participation from Bobcat Co., ff Venture Capital, and previous seed investors.
“We recognize the immense potential of automation to propel our industry forward. As we accelerate our development in this area, Civ Robotics has demonstrated a proven value proposition, validated in real-world environments,” said Joel Honeyman, vice president of global innovation at Doosan Bobcat. “Through our investment and partnership, actionable solutions are being created, reshaping how work is completed.”
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