San Francisco startup PitPro Automation announced on Wednesday that its first automatic tyre-changing system has been installed at a Kal Tire location in Calgary, Alberta. Kal Tire is described as one of Canada's largest independent tyre service chains.
The robotic system, which was first revealed last year, is designed to swap a full set of four tyres in under 15 minutes. PitPro's founder and CEO, Jeremy Conrad, stated that the company aims to address labour shortages in tyre shops, describing tyre changing as "backbreaking" work.
The system features two oven-sized robots that use sensors and a robotic arm to locate and loosen lug nuts, remove wheels, and replace them with new or rotated tyres. PitPro plans to focus on deploying its technology with commercial fleets and tyre chains, noting that chains often have standardised layouts and offer greater potential for wider deployment.