Gravis Robotics
Zurich-founded ETH spin-off that retrofits excavators and wheel loaders with the Gravis RACK so they can run terrain-aware autonomous trenching, excavation, and truck loading.
Definition
Gravis Robotics is an ETH Zurich spin-off with offices in Zurich, Austin, and Oxford that retrofits conventional earthmoving machines for autonomy. The Gravis RACK is a modular rooftop kit with LiDAR, multi-sensor fusion, and edge computing that fits excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to over 100 tons; machines need electro-hydraulic pilot controls, and older mechanical-pilot models can add a retrofit valve. The system builds a live 3D model of the terrain as material moves, giving cut/fill visualization and as-built insight, and runs tasks such as trenching, bulk excavation, and truck loading. Operators can stay in the cab with Gravis Copilot for guidance and people detection, operate remotely from the Slate tablet, or let the machine work autonomously. Gravis reports installs on machines from Caterpillar, John Deere, Volvo, Hitachi, JCB, and other brands, and won a 2026 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Next Level Award. In August 2026 it raised a $200 million Series A from SoftBank at a reported $1 billion valuation. It sells a hardware installation plus an annual software license, with rental options through dealers.
In Depth
Most earthmoving automation to date has meant machine control: GPS guidance that tells the operator where grade is. Gravis Robotics goes further by letting the machine do the digging, but with a range of modes so a contractor can adopt it gradually. With Copilot, the operator stays in the seat and gets live cut/fill and people detection. From the Slate tablet, the same machine can be run remotely, and for repetitive tasks like trenching or truck loading it can work on its own.
What distinguishes the approach is terrain awareness. The RACK's LiDAR builds a 3D model of the ground as it changes, so the system adapts to soil that behaves differently from bucket to bucket, and the same scans give as-built information. The kit spans 10 to over 100-ton machines across many brands, which matters for fleets that are not all one make, though machines need electro-hydraulic pilot controls to be compatible.
For an equipment manager, the evaluation points are fleet compatibility (which of your machines have EH pilots today), which tasks on your upcoming work are repetitive enough to benefit, how productivity is measured on your material, and whether buying, leasing, or renting a Gravis-equipped machine through a dealer fits your utilization.
Examples
An operator runs Gravis Copilot from the cab to see live cut/fill against the design surface while trenching
A quarry team sets an autonomous truck loading task where the system detects each truck's position before dumping
A contractor rents a Gravis-equipped excavator through a local dealer for a bulk excavation package
Frequently Asked Questions
Gravis Robotics is an ETH Zurich spin-off with offices in Zurich, Austin, and Oxford that retrofits conventional earthmoving machines for autonomy. The Gravis RACK is a modular rooftop kit with LiDAR, multi-sensor fusion, and edge computing that fits excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to over 100 tons; machines need electro-hydraulic pilot controls, and older mechanical-pilot models can add a retrofit valve. The system builds a live 3D model of the terrain as material moves, giving cut/fill visualization and as-built insight, and runs tasks such as trenching, bulk excavation, and truck loading. Operators can stay in the cab with Gravis Copilot for guidance and people detection, operate remotely from the Slate tablet, or let the machine work autonomously. Gravis reports installs on machines from Caterpillar, John Deere, Volvo, Hitachi, JCB, and other brands, and won a 2026 CONEXPO-CON/AGG Next Level Award. In August 2026 it raised a $200 million Series A from SoftBank at a reported $1 billion valuation. It sells a hardware installation plus an annual software license, with rental options through dealers.
An operator runs Gravis Copilot from the cab to see live cut/fill against the design surface while trenching. A quarry team sets an autonomous truck loading task where the system detects each truck's position before dumping. A contractor rents a Gravis-equipped excavator through a local dealer for a bulk excavation package.
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