The average age of an equipment operator is almost 50 years old now and it tends to be trending up over time. So there's a significant economic incentive for our customers to try to bring some technology to bear here. The cost of running sort of a production excavator on a large solar front can be close to $300,000 or $400,000 a year in California from a labor standpoint. And then on top of that, you generally have an operator who's paired with a spotter. That type of work is the more complex work where you'd like to allocate your human labor.
Robotics are both deeply tied to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and also somewhat distinct in their practicality and material application. Built Robotics is a great example of this duality, and in today’s conversation with the CEO and Co-Founder of the company, Noah Ready-Campbell, we hear about how the company is positioning itself in relation to current construction industry needs and also for the wave of possibilities in the near future. Noah talks about the process of transition to autonomy, comparing other related sectors such as transportation, the strong bonds Built Robotics has created with the burgeoning solar power space, and also his belief in the capability of automation to aid us in constructing a better world. We discuss the refining of machine learning models, safety and security at Built Robotics, the need for supervision, and other sectors that the company might move into in the future. So to hear it all from Noah in this insightful chat, make sure to join us.
Key Points From This Episode:
- The history of Built Robotics, the initial hypothesis, and their focus in the last few years.
- Noah talks about what they offer their clients in the construction business.
- Renewable energy and solar power; why Built Robotics has found a good fit in this space.
- Unpacking the usual costs of construction and how Built Robotics’ prices compare with this.
- The sensor suite at Built Robotics; computers, cameras, GPS, and more.
- Noah’s perspective on the question of autonomy and the trajectory of the construction industry.
- Thoughts on safety and regulation, and the eight-layer safety system in place at Built Robotics.
- Considering the limits on how fast and efficiently the machine is and will be able to operate.
- Necessary supervision and the possibility of the complete removal of human involvement.
- The skills involved in the utilization of machine capabilities.
- Noah shares the comparisons of efficiency and work hours between human labor and robotics.
- The vision for Built Robotics, and Noah’s ambitions around longevity.
- Factory integration of machines and where Built Robotics system is headed.
- The elements of Built Robotics that make sense to outsource.
- Noah’s expectations for the company to move into sectors beyond construction.
- The influence and impact of the latest wave of AI advancements on the company.
- The importance of the Inflation Reduction Act on the construction industry.
- Noah talks about the robotics possibilities he is most excited about currently.
