Last January 11, 2024, The Bay Area SCL Group held its first in-person meeting for the new year at Urban Machine’s headquarters with the goal to explore the intersection between robotics, artificial intelligence, and sustainability within the construction industry.
BASCL takes a look at the workings of the nail-removing machine.
Led by CEO and co-founder Eric Law, Urban Machine aims to build the future by salvaging the past through developing technology-based solutions for reusing construction wood waste. Their developed solution — “The Machine” — uses AI and robotics to efficiently extract metal bulk fasteners from dimensional lumbers. Armed with nail and staple pickers, metal detectors, as well as brushes, the Machine ensures that salvaged wood is metal-free and ready to be reused for new construction with precision, efficiency, and quality assurance.
BASCL members during this visit were not only treated to a live demonstration of The Machine’s capabilities but also engaged in a discussion with Law and his team regarding a range of sustainable construction concerns and opportunities from job site logistics to collaborations with waste recycling services.
According to Law, "Working with BASCL’s sustainability focused AEC leaders is a great opportunity to advance sustainability in construction and share Urban Machine's mission to reclaim lumber so it can be used to build again. Construction is one of the largest generators of solid waste and carbon emissions. Incorporating reclaimed lumber into projects reduces both waste and carbon emissions."
Urban Machine provides innovations and solutions for redirecting wood waste which compared to concrete and steel, does not have the same recycle paths set in place. Over the next eighteen months, Urban Machine plans to deploy their first 12 machines across North America to begin reclaiming millions of tons of lumber from Construction and Demolition Waste. This will dramatically increase the availability of reclaimed lumber at a price competitive to with its virgin counterpart. This will allow the construction industry to use reclaimed lumber, resulting in reduced solid waste and carbon emissions overall.