Autonomous scanning robot targets jobsite scanning and safety

Built for muddy, dusty, and unpredictable terrain, IRIS MK2 is an autonomous robot equipped to carry various sensor payloads. Image: Optimotive construction.

Built for muddy, dusty, and unpredictable terrain, IRIS MK2 is an autonomous robot equipped to carry various sensor payloads, automating 3D scanning, 360° photo capture, and remote inspections on complex job sites.

The robot is produced by Optimotive, a Canada-based robotics startup that works specifically in the field of automation.

Optimotive describes IRIS MK2 as the most capable and cost-effective outdoor generalist data collection robot on the market.

“We designed IRIS from the ground up for the real world, not the lab. IRIS MK2 is rugged, flexible, and powerful enough to work in environments where others fail,” said Scott Fairley, CEO and Founder of Optimotive. “It’s not just a robot, it’s a force multiplier for digital transformation on industrial job sites.”

The company says that the autonomous robot was born from a real-world problem: construction firms sending highly paid engineers into the field to perform manual data capture using traditional tripod-mounted scanners that too often produced low quality data.

Initially built as a passion project in 2016, Optimotive’s first commercial opportunity came in 2018, when a construction company approached the team to pilot their robotic platform. Today, IRIS is moving into small-batch production, with active deployments across Canadian construction sites and expansion plans for the US, Japan, and the Middle East.

Optimotive says it is working with major general contractors and innovation teams to scale across hundreds of job sites.

“Surveying firms aren’t our primary customers, big contractors with BIM teams are,” said Fairley. “They don’t want their high-paid engineers stuck in mud taking scans.”

Technical specifications of IRIS MK2 

• Modular Payload System: Customisable to carry LiDAR, thermal imaging, 360° cameras, and more
• Autonomous Navigation: Optimised for complex, outdoor environments
• Robot-as-a-Service Model: Flexible leasing with no monthly minimum. Setup from $10,000, with recurring costs starting at $3,500/month
• Fully Integrated Base Station “The BOX”: Provides charging, data upload, Starlink connectivity, and solar power, enabling near-total autonomy
• PointPerfect RTK GNSS by u-blox: Enables 1–3 cm accuracy using L-band and IP correction data, ideal for remote and urban deployment without needing a base station