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Pittsburgh, PA: Students from the Knoch Middle and High Schools will have the opportunity to participate in hands-on learning with experts in the high-tech “K-STEAM” camps being held this summer in Butler County. Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR) Founder and Executive Chairman Stephen Muck is actively engaging with the community by supporting these camps to help young people learn about the range of opportunities for their futures in STEAM careers across multiple industry sectors.

“Cultivating the interest, excitement and aptitude of the next generation of STEAM experts is a critical path to our nation’s future,” Mr. Muck said. “What will our communities look like? The realities of our infrastructure in particular are bounded only by our ability to imagine a future state, and then move it from idea to engineering to implementation.”

Expert Roboticists from ACR will be teaching camp sessions on the intersection between robotics and construction. “We are really looking forward to engaging with these students,” said Danielle Proctor, ACR President & CEO. “We want young people to know that you don’t necessarily have to be in the tech sector to have a high-tech career. Robotic applications are being integrated into many fields that have not typically been thought of as ‘tech’, like construction and agriculture.”

Stephen Muck’s interest in the workforce of the future is shaped by his long history with economic development and heavy civil construction, as well as his business acumen, which led him to create his own specialized robotics company focused on infrastructure, ACR. With his crews working, especially on bridges, he envisioned an opportunity to save not only time and costs, but also—ideally—a key aspect of human health that is a concern in construction: back injuries. By building a robot capable of completing routine and repetitive tasks, like tying rebar, he could reduce worker injuries that result from humans constantly bending over to do the tying, and also from catching their feet in the intricate mazes created by rebar mats. This gave him the opportunity to up-skill workers into other, more complex tasks and, in effect, prolong their careers in construction due to injury reduction.

“My diverse experience has not only afforded me a unique vantage point but has also laid the foundation for the symbiotic relationship between construction needs and robotic innovation,” said Muck. “Our goal at ACR is not just to lead but to inspire a movement towards a more efficient, safe, and sustainable construction industry through robotics. I foresee a paradigm shift in construction, and we must lay the groundwork for a future where robotics and human endeavor converge to redefine the possible. That’s why I am so proud to sponsor this summer’s K-STEAM Camps—I’m investing in tomorrow’s workforce today.”

Geoffrey White joins Grouse Ridge Capital as Chief Innovation Officer & General Counsel. He will also be serving Advanced Construction Robotics, a Grouse Ridge Capital company. In these roles, he will drive an innovation culture that aligns with intellectual property (IP) strategy to help foster growth and adoption of the countless new technologies being developed within companies connected to Grouse Ridge Capital. He will also assist in identifying and evaluating pre-seed investment opportunities in the $250K to $5M range.

Geoff has been named to IAM Strategy 300: The Worlds Leading IP Strategists multiple times, has spoken in countless venues worldwide on various aspects of value-focused IP strategy (including an upcoming presentation in September in Italy on research with the University of Cambridge, Institute for Manufacturing), and volunteers as an advisor for the Penn State Start-Up Leadership Network and a mentor for the University of Cambridge EnterpriseTech. He volunteers his time to a variety of other organizations, such as, being Board President for Keystone State Musical Theater and Assistant Director for the Pitt Band.

Geoff is involved in a wide variety of disciplines, with a balance between his role as an attorney, an IP strategist, and a manufacturing executive. Geoffrey has a true passion for value-enhancement of patents, with a focus on supporting organizational strategies, whether they be revenue production, licensing, enforcement, or business model innovation. In these roles, he applies his experience and his education, which include an MBA from Cambridge, an IP LLM from George Washington, a JD from Widener, and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.

He brings experience as General Counsel, Chief IP Counsel, and a Director for SilcoTek Corporation, a high-tech materials science company in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. In those roles, he established an intellectual property strategy supporting adoption of their technology for applications throughout the world (as well as in space and other planets). Geoff also practiced as an attorney for McNees Wallace & Nurick, handling matters for startups through multi-billion dollar organizations.

With Geoff’s involvement, expect Grouse Ridge Capital and Advanced Construction Robotics to continue to drive expanded innovation efforts in the near future. Follow us on LinkedIn, if you want to see the release of such innovation.

Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR), the leader in robotics technology and innovation for the construction industry, is pleased to announce that the third generation of its revolutionary product, TyBOT 3.0, is available for purchase. TyBOT, which previously has only been available through ACR’s Robot as a Service (RaaS) model, can be ordered now for Q1 2025 delivery.

"Our success in the pursuit of automating construction equipment is not just an evolution for ACR; it is a transformative step for the entire construction industry,” said Stephen Muck, Founder and Executive Chairman of ACR. “Offering TyBOT for sale represents our commitment to creating disruptive solutions that will redefine how the world builds, driving unprecedented efficiency, safety, and innovation across a wider range of construction applications."

Sporting a wide array of productivity and reliability enhancements, a TyBOT 3.0 capable of up to 64’ widths starts at $425,500. Fully configured to expand as wide as 117’, it sells for $455,500. The sticker price includes comprehensive training by ACR to ensure customers can confidently mobilize, configure, supervise, and maintain TyBOT from day one. ACR’s Service Platform Subscription gives customers access to a live data portal which provides unprecedented insight into their rebar installation operations as well as continued access to the latest software features from ACR’s world-class engineering team. TyBOT 3.0 also has optional accessories to further expand its cost-saving capabilities, including multiple modes of travel for non-bridge projects and a carry function add-on to transport materials efficiently and safely to working crew members.

"With over 65 field deployments nationwide, TyBOT has proven that it provides customers at least 25% savings in their installation operations and is quickly becoming an accepted tool of the trade by rodbusters," said Danielle Proctor, President and CEO of ACR. "We’ve seen a tremendous increase in demand for TyBOT as well as our second product, IronBOT®, the Rebar Placing Robot. Our continued planned evolution from product design and adoption through RaaS to offering our BOTs for purchase reflects our confidence in our team’s ability to quickly provide mature products that reliably solve real-world problems. We look forward to customers fully integrating our solutions into their operations, providing enhanced productivity and safety using modern tools for a modern workforce.”

Advanced Construction Robotics has announced that it is now offering its rebar-tying robot through direct sales in addition to ongoing service arrangements. Training on operating the rebar-tying robot is included in the sale price, as well as future software updates and access to an online portal to track its usage and productivity. Other options include other modes of travel for non-bridge projects and a new carry function for transporting materials around the jobsite.

Read more by Jeff Rubenstone on Engineering News-Record:

https://www.enr.com/articles/59256-rebar-tying-robot-now-available-for-direct-purchase-as-robotics-firm-sees-industry-acceptance

Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR), an industry leader in construction robotics and technology, is proud to announce its selection as a finalist for the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s Tech50 Awards in the Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning/Robotics category. This annual recognition celebrates the top companies in the Pittsburgh region, driving innovation and shaping the future of their respective industries. ACR's recognition as a finalist reinforces its role as a trailblazer in the construction industry, showcasing the company's ongoing development of robotic solutions, including TyBOT®, a rebar-tying robot, and IronBOT®, a rebar lifting, carrying, and placing robot that enhances safety, productivity, and project efficiency.

“Being recognized by the Pittsburgh Technology Council reflects our mission to advance construction through innovation,” said Stephen Muck, Founder and Executive Chairman of Advanced Construction Robotics. “Our team is passionate about developing technologies from concept to commercialization that make a real impact in the field, and this acknowledgment further motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of what robotics can achieve in construction.”

Since its founding, ACR has been driven by a team of construction and robotics experts committed to advancing the future of construction through innovation. What sets ACR apart is its unique ability to access real job sites, allowing the team to test and refine their robotic solutions in real-world conditions. This hands-on approach enables ACR to create groundbreaking automation technologies that tackle the dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs in construction and rapidly respond to unforeseen challenges. Recently, ACR announced that TyBOT is now available for purchase, marking a pivotal shift from its previous Robot-as-a-Service (RaaS) model. This shift from a RaaS to owning the equipment is unique in the B2B robotics industry. By focusing on practical, impactful innovations, ACR has become a leader in the construction technology space, known for introducing autonomous tools of the trade that are transforming the industry and improving safety and quality.

"We are honored to be named a finalist for the Tech50 Awards," said Danielle Proctor, President and CEO of Advanced Construction Robotics. "This recognition is a testament to our team's hard work and dedication to redefining what's possible in construction. The traction we have seen with the shift to commercialization is huge. We believe our products and business intelligence are redefining the industry while providing new job creation and retention opportunities."

The Pittsburgh Technology Council will announce the Tech50 Awards winners at their annual event on November 14, 2024.