Nexterity aims to automate pipefitting with remote-controlled robot

The company's solution is a battery-powered robot that attaches to a pipe and can quickly handle four bolts at a time. Nexterity has created various configurations to fit different standard pipe sizes, all designed to be portable enough to fit in a Pelican case and be carried by a single worker. This portability is key to Nexterity's business model, which plans to offer the robots as rental construction equipment.

Elliott's design is informed by conversations with industry professionals, including those at the Bolting Symposium and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Pressure Vessels & Piping Division. She learned that a significant portion of pipes, between two to eight inches in diameter, are suitable for automation due to their repetitive nature. Elliott believes the market for such automation is substantial, encompassing not only oil and gas but also water, wastewater, food and beverage, mining, and nuclear facilities.