Okibo is moving forward with the national launch of its EG7+ autonomous finishing robot. The robot made a strong impression at Hensel Phelps’ Innovation Day, and the event really put it in the spotlight—it wasn’t just some fancy new tech being shown off in a lab or demo space. Instead, the robot was tested in real-world conditions in the field, in front of general contractors who live and breathe drywall and painting work. Industry feedback, which primarily focused on whether it could perform on a worksite, gave them the reassurance they needed to begin pushing the EG7+ to a broader audience across the United States.
From pilot demo to national rollout
At the Hensel Phelps event, the EG7+ robot handled drywall finishing tasks with ease, cranking out consistent results time and time again. Contractors on site watching the demo paid attention to the surface quality, how often they had to intervene, and what the robot could manage independently. Okibo says the robot checked all the boxes in those areas, which is music to the ears of firms that are under pressure to meet tight deadlines and keep costs down. But Okibo won’t be flooding the market with the EG7+ all at once. Instead, they want to partner with large contractors and regional players so they can deploy the robot where it can make a real difference—places where labor shortages are already causing scheduling headaches.
The timing for drywall and painting crews couldn’t be better, as crews across the country are struggling to find skilled workers and are under increasing pressure to finish interiors faster than ever. A robot that can automate repetitive finishing tasks might be the key to freeing up more seasoned hands to focus on tasks that still require some know-how and old-school judgment. It’s not a case of robots replacing humans; instead, they may change how crews are assembled and scheduled.
As automation becomes more common on jobsites, tools like the EG7+ robot offer a glimpse at how interior work might be handled in the near future.
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