Robot Plotter

Summary

The Robot Plotter is a 21 kg wheeled robot that autonomously marks lines and survey points on road surfaces, airport pavements, and tunnel floors from pre-loaded digital drawings. It covers layout and measurement within the roads and pavements job, using RTK-GNSS or Total Station positioning to execute marking patterns while one operator supervises from outside the active work zone. The Robot Plotter has shipped since 2018 from the Netherlands, with 18 documented customers across four countries and distributors in seven.

Layout and Measurement

How it works on your site

Layout and Measurement

The Robot Plotter loads a DXF drawing, locks onto RTK-GNSS or Total Station positioning, and drives the marking pattern autonomously while the operator stays off the road surface. A drilling module (optional, launched February 2023) handles borehole reference marking on concrete; the base unit handles paint lines on asphalt and tunnel floors. The survey crew's exposure to active traffic is eliminated for premarking tasks.

How it worked on other sites

Road construction · Sunbury, Victoria, Australia · Ongoing (project completion target 2025)

Production deployment for line marking and survey point marking on a state road upgrade.
One operator marked 1 km in 15 minutes, against 2 hours by the traditional survey method.

Road construction · A12, Utrecht, Netherlands · 4 weekends

Steering line layout and road marking premarking across approximately 10 km of markings.
Five Road Profilers operated simultaneously during the deployment.

Tunnel construction · Rotterdam, Netherlands · Multi-phase

280,000 boreholes marked and drilled using Total Station mode and the drilling module.
Scope included borehole marking, rebar placement marking on underwater concrete, and 3D laser scanning integration.

Robot also used by

Will it work on your site

Surface Asphalt, concrete (including underwater-concrete tunnel floors) Vendor claims 'variety of ground surfaces' but independent sources confirm only asphalt and concrete

Throughput 3 to 5 km/h marking speed Heijmans reports 3 km/h in field use; distributor spec sheets cite the 3-5 km/h range

Positioning RTK-GNSS or Total Station RTK requires correction service or base station

Footprint 90 x 63 x 44 cm 21 kg; fits in a car trunk

Power Rechargeable battery, 6-8 hr runtime Approx. 3 hr recharge (distributor sources); Li-ion chemistry not independently confirmed

Site prep DXF drawing required Optional GNSS surveying extension can create field drawings (vendor-stated, not independently confirmed in use)

Connectivity Tyker Civil web app or USB Drawing transfer and real-time progress monitoring

Input format DXF (standard CAD exchange) No BIM or IFC integration stated

Crew size One operator replaces a 3-4 person survey crew Operator supervises from outside the active work zone via handheld controller

Accuracy Centimeter-level marking accuracy in RTK-GNSS mode Total Station mode used where higher precision is required; sub-centimeter tolerance not quantified

Summary

How it works on your site

Layout and Measurement

How it worked on other sites

Winslow at Sunbury Road Upgrade

Heijmans on A12 Highway Major Maintenance

Ballast Nedam / DIBEC at A24 Blankenburgverbinding Tunnel

Robot also used by

Will it work on your site

Talk to Tyker