In The News

Advanced Construction Robotics hosted a tour of their facilities for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (PPG) last week. PPG members met with Co-Founders Jeremy Searock and Stephen Muck to discuss how TyBot and IronBot are being integrated into today’s job sites. During the interview, Steve and Jeremy discussed the rapidly growing demand on local and national construction labor markets and how there are simply not enough workers available to fill the needed construction crews. Discussions were also held on the impact that construction robotics can have on real-world projects and how contractors that are currently utilizing TyBot and IronBot have not only been able to fill in their labor gaps but also achieve higher levels of productivity. To read the entirety of what Steve and Jeremy had to say check out the full article here:

Navigate to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette website HERE.

Equipment Today and ForConstructionPros.com have announced TyBot as one of 2021's  Top 50 New Products Award Winners. Advanced Construction Robotics is proud to add this distinguished award to its trophy case and to have TyBot named among such a distinguished group of innovative new products.

Award Winners were selected based on total page views and inquiries on ForConstructionPros.com. We would like to send a special thank you to Equipment Today, ForConstructionPros.com, and the readers that selected TyBot as one of 2021’s Top 50 New Products! We look forward to continuing to advance the industry with innovative new solutions.

Read More on ConstructionPros.com here: 2021 Contractors’ Top 50 New Products Award Winners

Be sure to stay up to date on the developments at TyBot/ACR by following our social media pages.

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On May 21st, Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise (FTE) opened three new ramps at the heavily traveled Central Florida GreeneWay/SR 417 Interchange in Orlando, FL. TyBot Integration Partner, Shelby Erectors, utilized TyBot to help meet schedule goals while delivering increased safety, savings, and productivity to the project. Thank you to Shelby Erectors, Florida's Turnpike Enterprise, and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Thank you to Beech Construction for bringing TyBot back for yet another project. TyBot joined Beech’s rebar team on the Freedom Road Turnpike Bridge Project in Butler County, PA. As part of PennDOT’s Accelerated Bridge Construction Program, the structure was constructed in sections off-site and moved into final position requiring only short-term closures. TyBot contributed to meeting the project’s enhanced schedule demands by tying continuously for 19 straight hours!

For full project details check out the project listing.

Check out the timelapse below:

More photos of the Freedom Road Project:

The Pittsburgh Robotics Network welcomes the addition of Stephen M. Muck, the Co-Founder & Executive Chairman of Advanced Construction Robotics, to the organization’s Board of Directors.

Muck, who also serves as chairman and CEO of Brayman Construction Corp. and a general partner at Grouse Ridge Capital, founded Advanced Construction Robotics (ACR) in 2016 alongside Jeremy Searock, formerly of Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC). ACR develops innovative robotics and artificial intelligence systems with the goal of enhancing productivity and improving safety at construction sites. Their first product was the autonomous rebar tying robot TyBOT, and they are currently in the late stages of development on the rebar placing robot IronBOT. The company is based in Pittsburgh, which is recognized as the Robotics Capital of the World.

The number of PRN directors grows to 19 with the addition of Muck, who adds his breadth of business and economic development expertise to a board already consisting of a broad set of stakeholders and leaders from industry, nonprofit and academia.

While the Pittsburgh Robotics Network is headquartered in Western Pennsylvania, the impact of the organization, as well as the influence of it’s Board, is felt beyond state lines and within the national and international robotics and machine learning communities. Among the distinguished stakeholders with seats on the PRN Board are representatives of autonomous vehicle pioneers Argo AI and Aurora; world-renowned research institutions such as Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science and the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Computing and Information; robotics leaders such as KAARTA, RE2 and Seegrid; industry leaders such as Dentons and J.P. Morgan; and nationally leading seed-stage investor Innovation Works.

Led by veteran robotics industry executive Joel Reed, the PRN is a non-profit organization formed by regional industry leaders for the purpose of cluster creation and promotion to develop a network of highly engaged stakeholders that fosters business growth and jobs for a diverse pool of talent. The Pittsburgh Robotics Network’s board is committed to fulfilling the PRN vision of making the Pittsburgh robotics ecosystem the largest and most advanced in the world, and it currently features:

‍Kevin Dowling, CEO, Kaarta (President)

‍Jorgen Pedersen, Founder and CEO, RE2 (Secretary)

‍Parag Batavia, Founder, Neya Systems (Treasurer)

‍Marcel Bergerman, COO, Near Earth Autonomy

‍Matt Blackburn, Senior Manager, Government Relations, Aurora

‍Bruce Childers, Interim Dean, School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh

‍Howie Choset, CMU & Co-Founder, HEBI Robotics

‍Mike Embrescia, Chief Development Officer, Carnegie Robotics

‍Martial Hebert, Dean, CMU School of Computer Science

‍David Kalson, National Group Leader, Dentons Venture Technology and Emerging Growth Companies Group

‍Zack Katic, Director of Strategic Talent, Argo AI

‍Afshan Khan, Portfolio Executive, Innovation Works

‍Justin Krauss, Executive Director, Technology & Disruptive Commerce, J.P. Morgan Commercial Banking

‍Louisa Michaels, Chief Financial Officer, The ARM Institute

‍Aaron Morris, Founder and CEO, Allvision

‍Stephen M. Muck, Co-Founder & Executive Chairman, Advanced Construction Robotics

‍Joel Reed, Executive Director, Pittsburgh Robotics Network

‍Jim Rock, CEO, Seegrid

‍Patti Rote, Program Manager, Robotics Institute; CMU & Co-Founder, Girls of Steel

Article courtesy of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network

TyBot once again captured the eyes of the industry by earning one of ConstructionJunkie’s top 10 most read articles of 2020. It's safety benefits and productivity enhancement have become hard to ignore in the industry. Read what Shane Hedmond from Construction Junkie had to say below:

" Last week, I spent some time out in Las Vegas to attend the World of Concrete 2020, which is an immersive experience for all things concrete and masonry related. While there, I was able to catch up with the team from Advanced Construction Robotics, the makers of TyBot, the autonomous rebar tying robot.The TyBot uses a series of cameras and artificial intelligence to identify the intersections of rebar, so no operator or pre-programming is necessary.  Once the machine is setup on the screed rails, it can tie up to 1,000 ties per hour. With its typical uses being in bridge work and manufacturing facilities, the width of the TyBot can expand anywhere from 9 feet to 100 feetAlthough TyBot is pretty hefty, weighing in at a maximum of 8,100 pounds, it can be transported on a 40 foot trailer with the equivalent of a Ford F250. The robot is powered by a Cummings Onan QG 5500 EFI generator with a fuel consumption rate between 0.35 gallons per hour to 0.95 gallons per hour, based upon the size of the load.

There’s no doubt that tying rebar is difficult and repetitive work for rodbusters, which makes it a prime target for robotics in the field. The hand tying process can not only cause carpel tunnel syndrome, but chronic back problems from bending and reaching for several hours a day. TyBot claims a substantial increase in productivity and a decrease in schedule with use of the robot, considering that it can work continuously and in difficult weather, such as extreme heat and heavy rains."

Read the full article and watch the video HERE.

See the full list of rankings HERE:

“The efficiency of the robot was awesome! It was definitely a big help to our schedule.”
Courtney Holman
Owner, Steel Enforcers

TyBot recently completed its first project for rebar subcontractor Steel Enforcers, Inc. on Collins Creek Bridge in Mobile County, AL. This 37,000 square foot bridge deck had a 50% tie requirement for both top and bottom mats. Extreme weather conditions interrupted rebar installation multiple times, making schedule an even higher priority than usual. TyBot was glad to help. Thank you, Steel Enforcers! Check out the full project details on our Projects page HERE.

A big thank you to GLX Constructors (Herzog, Fluor, Middlesex Corporation, Balfour Beatty), H&A Steel and Ironworkers Local 7 of Boston, MA, for a successful TyBot demonstration on the Green Line Extension Project in Cambridge, MA. It was a privilege working with the GLX team, and we look forward to upcoming projects in the greater Boston area!

The Green Line Extension Project will extend the existing Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Public Transit System’s Green Line into the communities of Somerville, Cambridge and Medford, MA.

For more information on the project check out our projects page.

The Gateway Expressway Project in Clearwater, FL is one of the largest Heavy Civil Construction projects in the history of the Tampa Bay region, and TyBot is returning to help enhance productivity, improve safety, reduce schedule risk, and increase profitability.  This megaproject includes adding two new 4-lane elevated tolled roadways and connections from US 19 to I-275 and from the Bayside Bridge to I-275 as well as the widening of I-275 to create express tolled lanes.

Prior to commencing work on Bridge 11 in August 2021, TyBot Integration Partner, Shelby Erectors, had already utilized TyBot to complete 275,000+ deck ties across 880,000+ square feet bridge deck for the project.

TyBot shines again as Steve Muck’s interview earns the most listens of 2020 for JBKnowledge's The ConTechCrew podcast. The interest in cutting edge construction tech continues to grow every year, and we are excited to be a part of it.

Watch the full episode below: