When most people think of freshly poured concrete, they likely imagine a smooth, flawless surface left to dry. But a new wheeled robot is challenging that convention by driving right over wet concrete, gouging grooves into the material to strengthen it—while also reducing construction costs.

In traditional concrete construction, rebar is used to reinforce the material, providing additional strength to withstand tension. However, rebar is not only expensive but also adds significant weight to the structure. To mitigate the need for so much rebar, construction workers often manually add grooves to the surface of each layer while the concrete is still wet. These grooves increase the surface area for bonding with the next layer of concrete, which improves the shear strength at the interface, allowing for less rebar to be used.

While this technique helps cut costs by reducing rebar, it also comes with the downside of requiring extra labor hours. That’s where the Conit Runner, a new robotic solution, comes into play.

Developed by Korean robotics company Itone in partnership with construction firm Posco E&C, the Conit Runner is an autonomous wheeled robot designed to add grooves to wet concrete surfaces. It speeds across the surface at up to 10 mph (16 km/h), creating evenly spaced grooves with its two 15-inch (381-mm) wheels as it moves.

The key to the robot’s efficiency is its ability to navigate and perform the task with minimal human intervention. Using advanced sensors, including LiDAR, ultrasound sensors, cameras, and an IMU (inertial measurement unit), the Conit Runner can detect and avoid obstacles, such as rebar, while working autonomously on the wet surface.

The robot is designed to ensure the concrete is both firm enough to support its weight (10 kg or 22 lbs) and soft enough to allow for grooves that are at least 0.24 inches (6 mm) deep. By precisely adding these grooves, the Conit Runner increases the bond between layers of concrete, reducing the need for rebar and thus cutting costs.

With the robot handling the groove creation, construction teams can save valuable labor time, reducing the number of workers needed on-site and improving overall efficiency. The Conit Runner can work continuously, without the fatigue and inconsistencies that come with manual labor, making it a powerful tool for large-scale construction projects.

The Conit Runner is a perfect example of how automation and robotics are transforming traditional industries. By streamlining the process of reinforcing concrete, the robot offers a more cost-effective and efficient way to build structures. It’s an innovation that could lead to cheaper, stronger, and faster construction—while also reducing the labor intensity of the process.

As construction technology continues to evolve, robots like the Conit Runner could become a common sight on building sites, working in tandem with human crews to revolutionize the way we think about and build with concrete.

By Impact Lab