Bedrock Robotics puts fully autonomous excavators to work on live construction sites

Bedrock Robotics has deployed retrofitted autonomous excavators on infrastructure projects in Texas and Nevada, addressing construction labor shortages and safety issues. The company, backed by $350 million in venture capital and led by former Waymo engineers, uses a plug-and-play retrofit system to convert heavy earth-moving equipment into software-driven machines. Initial projects include a water treatment facility in Nevada and large-scale earthwork sites in Texas, with plans to expand to partner equipment by year-end.

Bedrock Robotics' system relies on a retrofit kit that adds sensors and software to heavy machinery, converting standard excavators into autonomous units. The company's timing aligns with a projected wave of retirements, as over 40% of the construction workforce is expected to leave the industry within five years. Current deployments include a Nevada water treatment facility with Sundt Construction and two Texas earthwork projects involving Champion Site Prep and Zachry Construction, with the latter handling 1.2 million cubic yards of material.

Chief technology officer Kevin Peterson noted that safety drives the design, with machines monitoring their own progress and contacting remote personnel if they encounter problems. The company currently operates only new equipment tested at its San Francisco headquarters, but plans to retrofit partner-owned machines by the end of the year. Immediate priorities include expanding customer deployments and broadening the range of tasks the autonomous excavators can perform.