The contech (construction technology) company RobStruct joined the Odense Robotics StartUp Hub at Danish Technological Institute last week. Co-founder and CEO Philip Vinding Brodersen describes how the startup is developing a module for mobile robot platforms that can improve their navigation in dynamic environments, while also enabling easy integration of task-related tools. Brodersen also explains what RobStruct hopes to achieve as part of the StartUp Hub.
Can you describe your technology and why it’s unique?
As with many other industries, construction is facing a historical labour shortage, which has resulted in limited growth and a productivity reduction. RobStruct aims to alleviate some of these pains while simultaneously improving overall worker health with the implementation of mobile robots.
Specifically, we are developing a module that improves the navigational abilities of mobile robot platforms in dynamic environments, while allowing easy integration of task–related tools. Our team is currently focused on developing a trailer-based tool that can automate the process of internal logistics on construction sites (i.e. moving construction materials such as bricks, tools, waste etc).
Our approach is unique because current mobile robot implementations only aim to tackle single tasks, which is not ideal in an industry as complex as construction.
Why did you apply to join the StartUp Hub and what do you hope to achieve during your stay?
We applied for the StartUp Hub as it gives us direct access to industry experts and the necessary facilities to help us during our ongoing development. During our stay in the Hub, we hope to finish our functional prototype that can be used for pilot projects on construction sites. By the end of our stay, we hope to have a market–ready product that can be implemented on construction sites around the country.
What’s your greatest challenges and opportunities?
So far, we have received a lot of positive feedback and interest from the construction industry, but currently our greatest challenge lies in executing the project properly. Furthermore, we also face challenges when it comes to integrating robots in the complex construction industry.
That said, we feel that our greatest opportunities are the market demand for solutions that help alleviate the worker shortage the industry is facing, as well as our ability to improve the working environment in the construction industry by relieving workers from repetitive and labour-intensive tasks.
How did your company start and who is part of the team today?
The idea for RobStruct came to me during my time as a surveyor helper while I was still in high school. I remember quite vividly how I was tasked with staking out a large residential construction project in northern Zealand, where I quickly experienced physical strain from the repetitive and unergonomic tasks I was executing. I initially thought that there must be a more autonomous solution to carrying out such tasks, but when my online research failed to find any, I decided to try my hand at developing one, which is why I applied to the University of Southern Denmark (SDU) to study robotics.
It was during my studies that I reached out to my now partner and CTO Simon Christian Dockweiler to share my idea, due to his strong robotics skills, and luckily, he was interested in the project right away. Soon after, we started looking into potential business cases and got accepted into SDU’s incubator Cortex Lab. Since then, we have expanded our team with Robert Johannes Pedersen (CPO), who contributes strong mechanical engineering competences.