VIDEO: Haulotte tests robotic construction arm on MEWPs

Haulotte has entered into a strategic partnership with Builder Assist — a deeptech startup specializing in construction robotics. Together, the companies will develop the integration of Surface Assist, a robotic arm designed to perform several complex applications in the construction sector, when mounted on mobile elevating work platforms. 

Surface Assist addresses key challenges on construction sites 

With Surface Assist, Haulotte and Builder Assist aim to address key challenges in the construction industry, including a shortage of skilled labour, exposure to risks, task repetitiveness, and access constraints.

Integrated onto several Haulotte MEWP models, the robotic arm is currently being tested in real job site conditions, where constraints related to repetitiveness, physical strain, and accessibility are particularly high — especially for overhead drilling operations and facade treatment applications like painting and coating. 

This exploration phase relies on a pilot fleet, with the objective of assessing market interest and the operational value of robotic solutions integrated onto access equipment.

"A construction robot only makes sense if it operates where work is most demanding and exposed. We are delighted to collaborate with Haulotte to combine working-at-height expertise with robotics innovation, serving real construction use cases," shared Alban BRISY, co-founder and CEO, Builder Assist.

Solutions in robotics create new possibilities in construction

This partnership fully aligns with Haulotte's innovation strategy, which aims to expand the role of MEWPs beyond access by exploring new use cases driven by robotics, automation, and digital technologies.

Following an initial collaboration with Autonomous Mobile Blast Paint (AMBP) for cleaning, blasting, and painting applications in shipyards, Haulotte reaffirms its ambition to develop a strong ecosystem of innovative partners capable of addressing complex, high-risk, or hard-to-reach applications. 

"The collaboration between AMBPR and Haulotte since 2020 has led to the development of a unique robotic solution dedicated to cleaning, blasting, and painting large vertical surfaces in the naval and industrial sectors. Thanks to the strong cooperation between AMBPR and Haulotte teams, as well as the reliability of Haulotte equipment, this solution enhances operator safety and reduces the environmental impact of operations carried out in particularly demanding environments," said Stéphane RENOUARD, founder, AMBPR

"Embedded robotics opens up new perspectives for working-at-height applications. With Builder Assist, we are exploring solutions that can deliver tangible value on job sites, by combining access expertise, automation, and a deep understanding of field operations," commented Philippe LUMINET, innovation director, Haulotte