Welcome to the 2020 Machines 50 List!

Emerging technology trends and recent development are transforming the built world – both in the shop and in the field. So, we’re highlighting the companies that are pushing the boundaries of product – through automation, IoT, and more – and process – by applying a manufacturing-like, factory approach to construction.

CHECK OUT THE 2020 MACHINES REPORT FOR MORE IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS ON THE SOLUTIONS BELOW

 

This year’s list features innovative solutions advancing equipment, robotics, and automation across five categories:

• Autonomous Heavy Equipment
• Robotics
• Management & Monitoring
• Offsite Construction
• 3D Printing

Read on to learn more about how the equipment we use to execute our projects is evolving – from 3D printers to modular construction solutions, fleet management apps to crane-mounted cameras, autonomous dozers to brick-laying robots, global leaders to year-old startups, and beyond. The list appears in alphabetical order by category type, and includes other helpful BuiltWorlds resources related to the category.

To learn more about these companies and other similar companies, click their company name to see their directory page and our complete coverage of them. If you and they are BuiltWorlds members, you can find and connect with their member representatives. You can also search the directory by company type to find other, similar companies.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE 2019 MACHINES 50 LIST AND SEE OTHER BUILTWORLDS TOP LISTS

Autonomous Heavy Equipment

Utilizing autonomous construction equipment and machinery can be impactful in a number of ways. Here’s 10 companies accelerating the autonomous equipment movement in construction:

READ THE FULL ANALYST BRIEFING ON HOW AUTONOMOUS EQUIPMENT LEADERS ARE CHANGING CONSTRUCTION

 

Built Robotics – Silicon Valley based company transforming heavy, earthmoving equipment such as excavators, bulldozers, and CTLs into autonomous robots.

CAT Command – Provides remote control, semi-autonomous or fully autonomous mining equipment systems, which offers unprecedented improvements in operator safety, equipment availability and site productivity. Cat Command is currently available for dozing, excavation, and loading.

Cooper Gray Robotics – Oakland, CA based technology company focused on the design and engineering of heavy equipment through innovative applications of electric drive and Smart Control systems.

Doosan Concept-X –  A comprehensive control solution that can be used to survey worksite topography via 3D drone scanning, establish operational plans based on the topographical data, and operate construction equipment such as excavators and wheel loaders without human intervention. 

Cyngyn – Develops and offers autonomous mobility solutions for commercial and industrial machines that move people and goods in real world environments.

INTSITE – Employs AI and Deep Learning to optimize and automate the machinery at the center of a worksite, transforming the performance of industries focused on heavy machinery, amongst construction, mining and container ports.

Komatsu Frontrunner – An Autonomous Haulage System (AHS) that uses GPS navigation to allow large electric mining trucks to operate to a complex plan rather than an operator significantly increasing productivity. In 2018, Komatsu set the world record for autonomous haulage with more than two billion tons of surface material moved autonomously.

SafeAI – Retrofits autonomous solutions for heavy equipment in construction and mining.

Scania AXL – Scania’s fully autonomous truck, AXL, does not have a cab and operates on an intelligent logistics system based on the task it is to perform. The truck leverages cameras, radar and lidar sensors, and GPS to navigate the job site in a safe and efficient manner. 

Torc Robotics – Develops highly automated trucks to improve the safety and efficiency of transporting goods, and provides self-driving technology in safety-critical environments like defense, mining, and agriculture.

Robotics

Here’s 10 robotic solutions taking care of the dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs in construction:

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO ON HOW CONSTRUCTION ROBOTICS' BRICK-LAYING ROBOT IS CHANGING CONSTRUCTION

 

Advanced Construction Robotics – Develops a wide range of autonomous solutions for the construction industry, including Ironbot (carries and places rebar on horizontal concrete applications) and Tybot (a rebar tying robot) to accelerate productivity, reduce schedule risk, increase profits, and improve safety.

CivDrone – Offers commercial drones that autonomously perform land surveying markings in construction sites while digitizing and automating the entire process for general contractors.

Construction Robotics – Develops robotics and automation equipment for the construction industry, including the SAM (Semi-Automated Mason) a brick laying robot and MULE (Material Unit Lift Enhancer) a lift assist device designed for handling and placing material weighing up to 135lbs.

Dusty Robotics – Brings important BIM information out into the field and eliminates manual workflows by providing automated, robotic layout services to the construction industry

FBR – FBR’s Hadrian X bricklaying robot measures movement caused by wind, vibration and inertia and counteracts it in real-time using advanced algorithms for precision and accuracy.

KEWAZO – Offers smart robotic elevators for industrial and construction sites, with the first application focus being scaffolding assembly.

Plus One Robotics – Provides advanced vision software that integrates with off-the-shelf high performance manipulators to create scalable, flexible, and fault tolerant robotics systems.

Rebartek – Offers RaaS (Rebar-as-a-Service) to deliver prefabricated, high-quality rebar cages to construction projects. 

Scaled Robotics – Provides a site monitoring robot that helps track the progress of construction projects and provide actionable information for site managers to verify quality, localize mistakes, and prevent costly errors.

Toggle – Offers full stack robotics and automation solution for rebar fabrication and assembly that multiplies labor productivity by 2x and increases overall production 5x over traditional assembly methods.

Management & Monitoring

Here’s 10 companies providing key insights into equipment use, maintenance, and analysis:

READ MORE ABOUT EQUIPMENT MANAGEMENT & MONITORING SOLUTIONS IN THE BW 2019 CONTECH REPORT

 

Clue Insights – Tracks your heavy equipment, crew, and machines all in one app to figure out what’s important, send key recommendations directly to your phone, and more.

Digital Fleet – A GPS asset tracking company providing truck tracking software that integrates seamlessly with existing software to increase visibility, communication and workflow management in your operation.

Einsite – Building AI to track and boost productivity in the mining and construction Industries using cameras and sensors to automatically capture real-time data from the jobsite.

EquipmentShare – Provides a range of equipment management solutions, from renting equipment to purchasing fleets to tracking assets with their proprietary advanced telematics platform.

GuardKnox – Offers vehicle cybersecurity solutions protect the users of connected vehicles against cybersecurity threats – both to their person and to their data.

MachineMax – Live reports of any machine, owned or rented, that helps finish projects on time with minimal overrun costs.

Netarus HoistCam – A rapidly deployable camera system that eliminates blind and distance lifts for crane operators and managers, improving productivity and workplace safety.

ProperGate – Addresses the challenges of logistics coordinators at construction sites by automating delivery requests, synchronizing equipment & unloading spots, monitoring traffic of loaded vehicles, and offering smart hands-free communication.

Soil Connect – Combines technology and social networking capabilities to serve as a one-stop shop for all things dirt-related. Users have the ability to post listings and requests for soil, aggregates and other materials, and can upload supplier-certified analysis and geotechnical reports.

TruckIT – Cloud based application for scheduling, payment, and coordination of dump truck services that increases efficiency in the marketplace by providing customers real time information as to what trucks are available in their marketplace when they need them.

Offsite Construction

Applying a manufacturing-like approach to construction has a number of benefits. Here’s 10 companies fueling the offsite construction movement:

READ THE FULL ANALYST BRIEFING ON WHY CONTRACTORS ARE TURNING TOWARD OFFSITE CONSTRUCTION PRACTICES

 

BLOX – Designs and manufactures medical modules and building components utilizing a Design-Manufacture-Construct model, and assists in implementing lean construction through use of modular and factory built assemblies.

Boxabl – A reimagined housing system that mass produces standardized room modules in a factory that can stack and connect to build most any custom home.

eVolve – Offers a platform that facilitates prefabrication through a smooth transition from AutoCAD, reducing overhead while increasing productivity.

Full Stack Modular – Provides turnkey modular solutions for developers of new multifamily buildings, hotels and dormitories.

Katerra – Katerra is a technology-driven offsite construction company that delivers a comprehensive suite of products and services made possible through technological and design innovation, and unlocks higher productivity by pushing as much component completion as possible to the factory environment.

ManufactOn – Collaborative, cloud, and mobile solution for prefab production, material and supply chain management.

Offsight – A factory-ready project management software for the modular and offsite construction industry. solving the delivery, quality, traceability and communication challenges of custom and project based manufacturing.

Prescient – Prescient’s digital design-build system is an efficient, collaborative, turnkey approach used to plan, design and build multi-unit housing and hospitality structures.

Project Frog – Offers a comprehensive suite of design and construction automation, including software products, physical building components, and process and implementation services.

Vertex Systems – Vertex BD uses digital automation to seamlessly translate information about a project across all disciplines within a project, so all the plans, schedules, material reports, shop drawings, and manufacturing data can be automatically generated and saved within the software.

3D Printing

Here’s 10 companies transforming construction through 3D printing:

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO OF INDUSTRY EXPERTS DISCUSSING THE REALITIES OF 3D PRINTING

 

Apis Cor – Develops a number of technologies for concrete 3D printing, including specialized equipment for 3D printing in the construction industry capable of printing wall structures entirely on-site without extra assembly required.

BetAbram – Brings additive manufacturing to the construction industry. Using concrete and other special additives, BetaAbram has printed 10mx8m houses and other structures.

Constructions-3D – Transported by 20ft container, Constructions-3D’s robust, cost-effective, and mobile hydraulic machine is the largest on-site printer on the market.

CyBe Construction – A tech company for the construction industry redefining traditional approaches through far-reaching automation and digitalization, enhanced through enabling 3D concrete printing and parametric design tools which are made accessible for all clients. 

Mighty Buildings – A stealth-mode startup working on making housing more affordable with 3DP tech and automation.

MudBots – The first company in America to offer concrete printers from small 6’ x 6’ models to large 100’ x 100’ models capable of printing custom homes, MudBots first premiered their line of printers at the 2019 Vegas World of Concrete.

COBOD – Designs robotic 3D construction printers and automated processes for the building site, including the BOD2 – the only second generation construction printer on the market, which is 3x faster than the first generation, with a 18 meter/minute print speed.

WASP – Composed of a main printer unit that can be assembled in different configurations depending on the printing are, Crane WASP The Infinity 3d printer is a modular collaborative 3D printing system that reinterprets the classic building cranes from a digital manufacturing point of view.

Winsun – Specializes in 3D printing architecture and D&R and production of building new materials more than 16 years.

XtreeE – Develops advanced large-scale 3D printing technology for the AEC sector, and offers 2 types of service: 1. Access – Help clients discover and quantify the benefits of large-scale 3D printing 2. Systems – Rental options of large-scale 3D printing systems.