Urban Machine develops mobile robotic systems that remove nails, screws and staples from construction lumber so the wood can be reused. Its system combines vision, custom end effectors, gantries and metal verification.
About
Urban Machine was formed in Oakland in September 2021 by Eric Law, Andrew Gillies and Alex Thiele. The company targets dimensional lumber that is normally downcycled or landfilled after building demolition. Rather than operating as a conventional wood recycler, it deploys a purpose-built robotic processing system at job sites and material-recovery facilities.
The Machine uses computer vision to locate metal, high-speed gantries and patented end effectors to extract nails, screws and staples from multiple faces of each timber, followed by metal detection to confirm the output is ready for reuse. Urban Machine offers the system through deployment and rental arrangements and is developing a distributed operating model for North American construction markets. A Zivid 3D camera supports the perception stack, while the company retains responsibility for the overall robot and reclamation workflow.
Comparable profiles and adjacent companies connected by shared workflow, capability, or stack position.