Insider Brief
- Shimizu Corporation has invested in Noble Machines and launched a collaboration to develop humanoid robots for construction sites, with initial applications including material transport, site navigation and patrols.
- Shimizu plans to use its BIM/CIM data and construction expertise in virtual simulations beginning by year-end, followed by tests with physical robots at actual construction sites starting next spring.
- Noble Machines develops the MOBY series of construction humanoids along with control systems and application software, while Shimizu sees the technology as one way to address labor shortages and reduce reliance on workers for physically demanding or hazardous tasks.
Shimizu Corporation has invested in Silicon Valley startup Noble Machines and launched a collaboration to develop humanoid robots for construction sites.
According to the Japanese construction company, the collaboration will combine Noble Machines’ robotics hardware and software with Shimizu’s knowledge of construction and job-site operations to develop humanoid systems capable of assisting with or replacing workers in physically demanding and hazardous tasks.
Shimizu plans to feed its construction knowledge into Noble Machines’ robot hardware, control systems and applications. Shimizu plans to begin virtual simulations by the end of this year using its building information modeling and construction information modeling, or BIM/CIM, data. Initially, the robot work will be focused on tasks such as moving materials, navigating job sites and conducting patrols, with physical robot tests at actual construction sites scheduled to begin next spring.
Financial terms of the investment were not disclosed.
Noble Machines, based in Sunnyvale, Calif., develops the MOBY series of humanoid AI robots for construction, along with operating systems, control technology and application software. The company, founded in May 2024 and led by CEO Wei Ding, develops both robot hardware for demanding environments and AI software intended to handle different construction tasks.
Shimizu noted that the construction industry is facing longer-term labor pressures caused in part by an aging workforce and fewer younger workers entering the field. The company said it sees robotics as one way to maintain construction capacity with fewer workers while continuing to improve productivity.
