RoboTire has installed one of its autonomous tire-changing systems at a Detroit Garage in Plymouth, MI, located at 33939 Plymouth Road in Livonia, MI. This is the company’s first retail operation in its home state of Michigan.
“We take pride in having our headquarters, manufacturing, and assembly facilities located in Michigan,” Victor Darolfi, founder and CEO at RoboTire, said. “Bringing our revolutionary technology to drivers in our home city is a payoff of our mission and further evidence of our investment in the future of mobility innovation coming out of Detroit.”
RoboTire’s system uses advanced robotics, artificial intelligence and high-definition cameras to change four tires in as little as 25 minutes. The system uses an industrial-grade six-axis robotic arm and an end-of-arm tool that houses the robot’s vision system, gripper, and torque wrench. These three systems work to automate the tire process from start to finish.
When changing tires, the system uses a scan of each vehicle’s VIN code to learn the exact specifications of the vehicle. The RoboTire dashboard archives and stores the data for each vehicle and can integrate into a retailer’s point of sale or BI software.
The system also uses an array of safety sensors that monitor bay activity to ensure the safety of service technicians. These sensors tell the robot to slow down, stop and resume activity based on personal proximity.
RoboTire has also recently paired up with Newlab Detroit, a technology collaborative and business hub located in Michigan Central’s Book Depository. The company’s leadership and engineers will offer guidance and mentorship to startups seeking to develop, test and launch new mobility-focused concepts.
“Our cutting-edge technology has earned recognition within the automotive and robotics industries,” Darolfi said. “In the same way, we’re excited to bring Detroit drivers a new way to get their tires changed, we are excited to deepen our ties to Detroit’s startup scene by partnering with Newlab Detroit and emerging companies.”
RoboTire has already installed its system at Discount Tire locations in Arlington, TX and Fountain Hill, AZ. The company has also installed its system at a Creamery Tire in a north Philadelphia suburb.
RoboTire was founded in 2018 and is based in Plymouth, Michigan. The company’s CEO Victor Darolfi was recently a guest on The Robot Report Podcast, where he discussed the technology, the solution and the market for automated tire-changing solutions.
The company was also awarded a 2023 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award from our sister publication Robotics Business Review for its robotic tire-changing system.
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