The contractor who invented a construction robot

The owner of a heavy civil engineering contractor in the United States has invented an autonomous robot that can tie together steel reinforcement bars before a bridge deck concrete pour, thereby cutting labour requirements by up to 50% and doing away with a back-breaking, risky and time-intensive component of the construction process. After investing millions in a proof of concept, Stephen Muck has now attracted $4 million from investors – including from a competitor – to commercialise the technology and sell it worldwide. Here he tells CRI how, and why, he did it.