TODAY, HILTI held a new product event where they unveiled their most ambitious product to date. A brand new semi-autonomous robotic platform that’s literally picking up Hilti tools and getting the job done.
THIS, is the all new Hilti JAIBOT, a semi-autonomous tank tread rollin robot with an arm strong enough to hold a 22lb tool, and reach waaaay over your head. In this first iteration, it’s holding a HILTI TE 6-A22 and precisely drilling holes overhead in concrete, marking them with spray paint is relevant patterns, and meticulously documenting the depth, width, time and location of every hole it drills.
So we’re guessing your first question is WHY? Well, Hilit points to several motivating points, including safety, accuracy, and of course, labor shortage. Turns out there are not a ton of you guys that want to drill hundreds of holes overhead in concrete all day.
The current system is an all in one unit that holds a couple drills, various bits, and a PLT 300 laser system that helps the JAIBOT know exactly where it is, and where it’s drilling, at all times.
The whole thing is powered by an internal battery system that lasts a full 8 hour work day, with a 4 to 6 hour charge.
Now if you’re like us, you’re wondering what other tools it can hold in that robotic hand. While the Hilti team wasn’t ready to give specifics, we found their JAIBOT trademark (https://trademarks.justia.com/792/59/jaibot-79259209.html) entry, that notes drilling, slitting, grinding, screwing, measuring, cutting and sanding. Naturally when submitting a trademark you’re going to try and cover all your bases, but during the event, the Hilti team admitted that the JAIBOT system is a platform, and it will indeed expand with the additional of new tools.
We asked them if the current version should be considered modular, ready to upgrade to a cutter or sander, and they said yes. They went on to suggest that when a project planner meets with the Hilti team to plan a project, they would likely customize a JAIBOT to that job.
So yeah, we’ve had robots running around on the jobsite already taking pictures, but this is going to be the first one that picks up a drill, so you don’t have to. The HILTI JAIBOT is already being tested on jobsites right now, and if you’re interested in one of your own, you’ll have to talk to HILTI.