I recently caught up with Alex Wyatt, CEO of August Robotics, to learn how robotic automation has transformed Exhibition floor marking, as well as his vision for the future of show layouts and design.
How did you get started in the Events Industry?
We started August Robotics with a mission to automate dirty, dangerous and dull jobs that aren’t fun for people. My team knew little about the Exhibitions industry initially but after months of research it was clear that exhibition floor-marking needed the benefits of automation. Fast forward a few years and Lionel, our floor marking robot, is now being deployed weekly by exhibition customers all over the world. It’s been an absolute pleasure serving this industry and we have learned a lot on the journey thus far.
What advantages do robots bring to floor marking?
One of my fondest memories was deploying our Lionel robots on their first overnight job at Messe Dusseldorf. Our team had set up a fleet of 4 robots and pushed “run” at around 5pm in the evening and went home for the night.
Our team returned the next morning to 25,000 sqm of halls all marked and ready for show building. Of course, we were proud of this milestone but more importantly, the floor marking teams were absolutely elated! Through Lionel, floor marking transformed from a time-consuming and challenging task to something that happened overnight. The client could avoid the hassle and stress of floor marking and focus on the other tasks required to build amazing exhibitions. Lionel is helping save hours on every show build, reducing stress and fatigue for show builders and eliminating rework thanks to its amazing marking precision.
Did you get it right from the start? Tell me about your robot’s evolution in exhibitions.
Our first version of Lionel only marked booth corners, which was fine at the time. But most of the shows we now mark include rigging, modular framing systems and service connections that need floor marks too.
To keep up with the industry, our team have upgraded Lionel’s capabilities several times, experimenting with stamps, pens, and paint spraying mechanisms. Lionel’s current flexible marking solution allows it to cover the full scope of any show’s floorplan.
Another major challenge is the divergent paint requirements for different markets. For example, some of our European customers prefer durable paint options that can be stepped on or driven over for months and still be visible. While customers in the US need paint that can be wiped away quickly, facilitating rapid clean-up. We’ve had to make paint a large focus of our product development and we now offer a wide range of colours and durability options to suit any requirement.
Is it difficult to operate the Lionel robots?
I’m so proud of the fact that Lionel is simple enough for anyone to operate, regardless of age or experience – from new apprentices to 60+ year-old hallmasters. Client operators only require a day or so of training before they’re certified to deploy and maintain Lionel themselves, making automated floor marking accessible to anyone who needs it.
On another futuristic note, Lionel does not only benefit the teams who perform floor marking, but also the supervisors who no longer need to spend time checking mark accuracy – Lionel’s in-built AI enabled mark-checking feature reviews and captures each mark for them. Teams no longer need to cut strips of carpet to fill gaps created by inaccurate marking. In fact, some shows have chosen to forego carpeting altogether in favour of Lionel’s neat and uniform booth corners. Project managers also no longer need to spend hours ahead of shows preparing deployment plans for tough shows. They can just feed the CAD plans into Lionel and hit “go”. Lionel is saving hours on every show and radically simplifying the floor marking process.
Is automation changing the shows themselves?
Floor marking used to be a technical limitation for show designers. But Lionel has effectively removed this and we’re now seeing organisers create some really exciting layouts.
One recent highlight was a show in Vegas that comprised multiple circular booths in a wagon wheel arrangement. Marking these by hand would usually require multiple days and be financially unfeasible. In comparison, Lionel marked the entire show in 5 hours! We hope more event organisers start to unshackle themselves from the usual box layouts and enjoy the freedom to create designs that they’ve always dreamed of.
What’s next for you and for Lionel?
I’m delighted by the enormous positive impact Lionel has had in such a short time. We are focused on continuing to help customers build faster and bigger shows, and to make the benefits of automation more accessible to all, no matter where you are or how large or small your venue.
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Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
