A new wave of automation is reshaping heavy civil construction as U.S.-based Bedrock Robotics has launched what it calls the industry’s largest supervised autonomy deployment for mass excavation, marking a major step toward fully automated job sites. The startup partnered with Sundt Construction to support earthmoving operations at a massive 130-acre manufacturing development site.
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According to Bedrock, its autonomous excavation systems have already moved more than 65,000 cubic yards of soil, loading human-operated articulating dump trucks while maintaining the same workflow used in traditional manual operations. This demonstrates that autonomy can be deployed without forcing contractors to overhaul existing job methods.
Bedrock’s breakthrough comes through its Bedrock Operator platform, a semi-independent control system that enables excavators ranging from compact 20-ton machines to 80-ton earthmovers to automatically execute repetitive soil loading tasks. This not only increases productivity but helps builders overcome ongoing labor shortages.
“With Bedrock’s technology handling the repetitive truck loading that goes on day after day, our skilled workforce can focus on more specialized and creative problems where their expertise is critical to success,” said Dan Green, Project Manager at Sundt Construction.
A key differentiator for Bedrock’s technology is flexibility. Machines equipped with the system can shift between manual and autonomous modes with same-day reversible installation, preventing slowdowns on fast-paced sites. The program also aligns with existing processes so crews don’t have to retrain or change how they operate.
Beyond automation, contractors can utilize real-time progress tracking, enhanced safety metrics, and reduced operator fatigue, a growing concern as the industry struggles to replace retiring workers.
“Developing our technology on active job sites with experienced contractors and their crews means we’re addressing the exact challenges that limit project capacity today, while ensuring we do it in a way that is intuitive and non-disruptive to our partners and customers,” said Boris Sofman, co-founder and CEO of Bedrock Robotics.
The timing couldn’t be more critical. U.S. reindustrialization is accelerating, with $238 billion invested in manufacturing facilities in 2024, according to Deloitte. Yet the industry faces a growing crisis:
Robotics offer a timely solution to keeping job sites productive without exhausting remaining skilled operators.
Bedrock’s supervised autonomy technology is now active across job sites in Arizona, Texas, and Arkansas, with the company planning to expand testing into fully autonomous systems by 2026. In addition to the Sundt deployment, Bedrock recently completed work at a prototyping and robotics hub in Central Texas, further accelerating commercialization.
By blending existing contractor expertise with autonomous excavation, Bedrock is positioning itself as a catalyst for a more efficient and technologically advanced construction sector—one where humans and machines collaborate rather than compete.
Originally reported by Jijo Malayil in Interesting Engineering.
