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Flywheel AI vs Gravis Robotics

Two retrofits that add remote and autonomous operation to excavators a contractor already owns. Flywheel AI, a two-person Y Combinator company, sells remote teleoperation of existing excavators from a laptop and joysticks and is training autonomy on that operating data. Gravis Robotics sells the Gravis RACK rooftop kit and the Slate tablet, with tap-to-dig autonomy on excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to 100-plus tons, in-cab, field or remote control and truck loading. Vendor pages and Flywheel AI's YC profile read Oct 21, 2026; desk research, not tested, no winner.

DESK RESEARCH, NOT TESTED. Compiled from vendors' public websites (accessed Oct 21, 2026). Vendor claims are not verified by Means & Methods Lab. No scores or rankings.

In short: Flywheel AI (Remote operation for existing excavators; no public prices (quote / sales)) vs Gravis Robotics (Autonomous earthmoving; no public prices (quote / sales)). Facts last checked Oct 21, 2026. No winner declared; not tested.

Side by side

Flywheel AI vs Gravis Robotics: vendor-published facts side by side
Sheet rowFlywheel AIGravis Robotics
CategoryRemote operation for existing excavatorsAutonomous earthmoving
AI role (our label)AI-firstAI-first
What it doesConverts existing excavators for remote operation. Its YC profile says the retrofit lets contractors run machines remotely for safety and productivity and that the robotics data collected is used to train autonomous policies. The company site (read Oct 18, 2026) is a single short page: remotely operate excavators, remotely control multiple machines or sites, increased safety and predictable costs, and monitoring of operator performance, with a contact form and demo booking. It gives no list of supported machines and no technical details. Y Combinator batch: Summer 2025 (YC company profile). Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the site is unchanged. The YC launch post on its profile adds that the retrofit is machine-agnostic for hydraulic equipment, installs in a few hours and does not block manual operation; that its low-latency teleoperation platform can turn machines on and off remotely, lets a supervisor take over at any time and runs from a laptop and joysticks; and that it uses operating data to train models for tasks such as dig and dump, trenching and grading, so one operator could manage more machines (stated as the goal, not a shipped feature). The profile lists a team of 2, founded 2023, in San Francisco. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: the company site is unchanged (remote excavator operation, control of multiple machines or sites, operator performance monitoring, contact form and demo booking; no supported-machine list). Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: the company site and YC profile are unchanged (remote excavator operation, control of multiple machines or sites, operator performance monitoring; team of 2, Summer 2025).Retrofit kit that turns existing construction machines into autonomous, terrain-aware excavators that crews direct from a touchscreen. It adds the Gravis RACK (compute and control hardware), sensors, and a touchscreen control. Vendor claims up to 30% higher throughput (vendor claim, not verified). Site news reports a $200M raise for construction autonomy. Re-checked Oct 19, 2026: the Series A post (Aug 17, 2026) says SoftBank is investing $200 million. The RACK page says the rooftop kit fits excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to 100-plus tons and has been installed on a dozen brands (the post names Caterpillar, Case, Develon, John Deere, JCB, Hitachi, Sumitomo, Yanmar and Volvo); machines need electro-hydraulic pilot controls, and legacy mechanical pilot valves can take a retrofit EH valve. It lists a forward camera and LiDAR, edge compute that keeps working offline, GNSS RTK masts with cameras and 3D LiDAR, and truck detection for loading; trucks, dozers, forklifts and graders are not supported. The Slate tablet offers in-cab copilot, field command and remote orchestration of one or more machines, tap-to-dig jobs defined from CAD/BIM geometry or on-site reference points, live cut/fill coloring and AR overlays of georeferenced models. The post also says Gravis leads an $8 million UK government-backed CAM Pathfinder project with Flannery Plant Hire. The 30% figure is stated against peak manual operation (vendor claim). Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unchanged in substance; the RACK page also describes surround-view cameras with low-latency video for supervision and remote control, autonomous tasks that dump into a spoil pile, hopper or truck, and an integrated wireless stop on Slate; the homepage's latest news item is still the Aug 17, 2026 raise. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: homepage, RACK and Slate pages unchanged in substance; the latest news item is still the Aug 17, 2026 raise.
Who it's forContractors that run excavators (per its YC profile and site).Earthmoving contractors with existing excavator fleets.
Pricing (as publicly stated)No public prices found (checked Oct 18, 2026; unchanged Oct 19 and Oct 20, 2026): the site offers only a contact form and demo booking. Confirm with Flywheel AI. Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: unchanged (contact form and demo booking only).No public prices found (checked Oct 16, 2026; unchanged Oct 19, 2026, /pricing still not-found; the RACK page mentions turnkey rental and purchase options for Gravis-equipped machines through local dealers and rental providers, with no figures): the vendor site has no pricing or plans link in its navigation or footer, and /pricing and /plans return a not-found page. Confirm current pricing with the vendor. Re-checked Oct 20, 2026: unchanged (/pricing still returns a not-found page; turnkey rental and purchase through dealers and rental providers mentioned with no figures). Re-checked Oct 21, 2026: unchanged (/pricing returns a not-found page; turnkey rental and purchase through dealers and rental providers, no figures).
User reviewsNo reviews yet. Read or writeNo reviews yet. Read or write
Vendor links
Sources

Facts last checked: Oct 21, 2026. Prices change; check the vendor page before relying on them.

Where the vendor descriptions differ

  • Machines: Flywheel AI's YC launch post says its retrofit is machine-agnostic for hydraulic equipment, installs in a few hours and does not block manual operation; its site names excavators and lists no supported models. Gravis says the RACK fits excavators and wheel loaders from 10 to 100-plus tons and has been installed on a dozen brands; machines need electro-hydraulic pilot controls, legacy mechanical pilot valves can take a retrofit EH valve, and trucks, dozers, forklifts and graders are not supported.
  • Autonomy today: Flywheel AI describes low-latency remote teleoperation, remote machine on/off and supervisor takeover at any time, and says it uses operating data to train models for dig and dump, trenching and grading so one operator can manage more machines (stated as the goal). Gravis describes tap-to-dig autonomous excavation with jobs defined from CAD/BIM geometry or on-site reference points, dumping into a spoil pile, hopper or truck, and an AI perception stack that detects dump trucks for loading.
  • Remote work: Flywheel AI's site says remotely operate excavators and control multiple machines or sites, with operator performance monitoring. Gravis Slate offers in-cab copilot, field command and remote orchestration of one or more machines over low-latency augmented video, with optional joystick and pedal peripherals and an integrated wireless stop.
  • Sensing and grade: Gravis lists a forward camera and LiDAR, offline-capable edge compute, GNSS RTK masts with cameras and 3D LiDAR, surround-view cameras, live cut/fill coloring (Grade-Vis) and AR overlays of georeferenced models. Flywheel AI's pages give no sensor or hardware details.
  • Company stage: Flywheel AI is a Y Combinator Summer 2025 company founded in 2023 in San Francisco, with a team of 2 on its profile and a one-page site with a contact form and demo booking. Gravis lists offices in Zurich, Austin and Oxford and says SoftBank is investing $200 million in its Series A (Aug 17, 2026 post).
  • Pricing (checked Oct 21, 2026): neither publishes prices. Flywheel AI offers a contact form and demo booking. Gravis's /pricing returns a not-found page; its RACK page mentions turnkey rental and purchase of Gravis-equipped machines through local dealers and rental providers, with no figures.
  • Not used here: Gravis's up-to-30% throughput figure and Flywheel AI's YC launch-post industry statistics (vendor claims). Neither tool has been tested by Means & Methods Lab.

Paraphrased from the sources listed above. Vendor claims are reported as claims.

What users say

The facts above come from vendor websites. Whether either tool is any good for your work is something only people who use them can say. These are member reviews, all ratings shown, never edited or removed for being negative.

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Questions to ask in your review

  • Whether either retrofit supports the excavator makes, models and control systems in your fleet
  • What connectivity a remote operator needs on your site, and who supervises the machine when it is not
  • What a pilot, kit or rental costs for each
  • Who carries liability for a remotely operated or autonomous machine under your insurance and site rules
  • What did you use it for, on what kind of work and project size?
  • How long did setup and training take, and who on your team did it?

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