TAI AHR #05 - AI x Construction
Location: Floor 12 of the building in the location section below.
The construction industry is undergoing a paradigm shift powered by robotics, AI, and automation. Traditional manual labour is rapidly being replaced by autonomous systems that enhance safety, efficiency, and scalability. Cutting-edge robotic solutions, computer vision, and reinforcement learning enable machines to navigate and operate in complex, high-risk environments with unmatched precision.
Recognizing this transformation, the Tokyo AI Hardware & Robotics team reached out to industry pioneers who are actively working on these challenges. And what better way to dive deeper than bringing them together for an exclusive meetup to explore the breakthroughs and hurdles shaping the future of AI-driven construction?
Agenda
18:00 Doors open
18:30 - 19:30 Speaker Session
18:30 Paul Neculoiu (AI Lead, EARTHBRAIN)
19:00 Amin Safavi (Robotics Control Engineer, DeepX)
19:30 - 20:00 Panel Session
"AI in heavy industries: past, present, future"
Michele Guarnieri (CEO, hibot)
Paul Neculoiu (AI Lead, EARTHBRAIN)
Amin Safavi (Robotics Control Engineer, DeepX)
20:00 - 21:00 Networking & Food
Meet our Speakers:
Paul Neculoiu
Topic: Challenges facing today's construction industry, how AI can be injected to ameliorate these issues, and what steps EARTHBRAIN AI takes on the long winding journey to automate everything.
Bio: With some 15 years working in AI, Paul Neculoiu has witnessed the field transition from a joke nobody took seriously to one of the most transformative technologies today. His background spans applied AI and Research in many fields spanning space, NLP, medicine, industrial production, climate & weather, civil engineering and generative design. He is currently the AI Lead for EARTHBRAIN's freshly established AI department.
Company: Backed by big names like Komatsu, NTT Sony, and Nomura, EARTHBRAIN's mission is to bring to life the digital transformation of a traditional industry: construction. Its products and services focus on optimizing each step of the unimaginably complex civil engineering process through empowering technology. From simulation to digitization to retrofitting old machines to accommodate modern construction methods, EARTHBRAIN works to elevate construction companies' processes to tackle the challenges facing Japan's and the world's future construction needs.
Amin Safavi
Topic: Mainstream Robotics vs. Heavy Robotics: Why Doesn’t My Excavator Do a Backflip?
Bio: M. Amin Safavi is a Robotics Control Software Engineer at DeepX Inc., a construction robotics startup specializing in heavy machinery automation. He focuses on developing advanced motion planning and control systems, creating innovative technologies and algorithms that enable heavy-duty machinery to operate safely and autonomously. Currently, he leads the development of automation and safety features for mobile cranes. Before joining DeepX, he conducted research on multi-agent robotic systems and predictive maintenance for autonomous vehicles using deep learning. His broader interests include embodied AI, safety-critical control, and physics-informed machine learning.
Company: DeepX is a Tokyo-based AI startup founded in 2016 by graduates of Matsuo Lab at the University of Tokyo. The company specializes in automating heavy machinery operations, particularly in the construction industry, to address labor shortages and enhance safety and efficiency on job sites. DeepX develops advanced software solutions for the autonomous operation of construction equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, drum rollers, and mobile cranes. Beyond automation, the company also offers proprietary software products such as GeoViz, a real-time 3D mapping and visualization system. DeepX is committed to understanding the challenges faced by its customers at Genba (現場)—the worksite—and continuously learns from their experiences to deliver innovative solutions.
Michele Guarnieri
Bio: After completing PhD at Tokyo Institute of Technology, Michele co-founded hibot Corporation in 2004. Since 2019, he has served as CEO, expanding "Robot as a Service (RaaS)" business model globally in the field of infrastructure maintenance. For his contributions to engineering, he was awarded the Galileo Galilei Award by Rotary International (2019) and the IEEE Inaba Technical Award for Innovation Leading to Production (2017). As the Asia-Pacific Coordinator for SPRINT Robotics, he also promotes safer, more sustainable practices across the oil, gas, chemical, and energy industries.
Company: Hibot was created at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 2004 by Prof. Shigeo Hirose, Michele Guarnieri, Paulo Debenest, and other members, in order to make some of the cutting-edge technology from the academic world available to industrial applications. Over the years, we have specialized in 3D applications: Dirty, Demanding, Demeaning. We strongly believe that robots should be used as tools for humans where it’s too dangerous, or simply impossible, for people to go. The applications may range from inspection of pipes to maintenance of underground infrastructure, predictive maintenance of bridges, works in nuclear power plants, search & rescue missions, and more!