San Francisco-based Built Robotics has announced the development of the “world’s first fully autonomous solar piling system.” The system, named RPD 35, is capable of constructing foundations for solar panel arrays up to five times faster than the traditional method.

The system was designed for integration into utility-scale solar projects, which require the support of steel H-beams measuring 12-16 feet in length. A typical solar farm requires tens of thousands of piles to be installed, each of which is driven approximately eight feet into the ground and positioned at an accuracy of less than an inch.

According to its creators, RPD 35 uses AI to conduct all steps in the piling process, including surveying, pile distribution, pile driving, and inspection. As a result, the system can enable a two-person crew to install over 300 piles per day.

"Solar piling is a tough, repetitive job, one well suited to automation," explained the company’s CEO and founder Noah Ready-Campbell. "Our piling robots will dramatically improve the efficiency of workers on job sites, which is critical in the chronically tight construction labor market. And just as importantly, they will take people out of harm's way, reducing noise exposure, strain, struck-by, and pinch hazards.”

News of the system comes weeks after Boston Dynamics released a new video of their humanoid robot Atlas assisting on a mock construction site. Last year, meanwhile, research suggested that the construction robotics market could triple by 2030, reaching a value of $164 million.