ABB Robots Power Cosmic’s Fire-Safe, Sustainable Housing Solution

ABB Robotics has announced its entry into a pioneering collaboration with Cosmic Buildings, a company specializing in the automated construction of modular, fire-proof, sustainable homes for communities amid wildfire disasters incurred by changing global temperatures. ABB will lend its RobotStudio platform and heavy-duty (yet lighter) IRB 6710 robots to Cosmic, becoming integrated into the latter company’s building design process.

Using AI and robotics, ABB and Cosmic lead the way in modern, agile, sustainability-focused construction. Image used courtesy of Cosmic

Catastrophic Wildfires in California

According to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, 200,000 residents from Southern California’s county of Los Angeles were forced from their homes (between January and February, 2025) due to catastrophic wildfires. According to Cal Fire, over 16,000 residences and businesses have been destroyed to date. A study by researchers from the University of Helsinki and Boston University’s School of Public Health brought to light the tragic toll that these wildfires brought with them, contributing to at least 440 deaths.

ABB and Cosmic Unite

ABB is teaming up with a pioneer in automated on-site building construction, Cosmic Buildings, to help build sustainable, fire-resilient homes in critical disaster-response scenarios. Cosmic provides end-to-end permitting through its land experts, customized building design, procurement, fixed pricing with no hidden fees, and automated, robot-led construction and assembly. Cosmic sets up microfactories and organizes the shipment of third-party bots (such as those from ABB) to the desired location to build fabrication panels onsite, eliminating unnecessary travel and associated travel costs. On-site, automated home construction like this also cuts down on move-in times. Cosmic donates one home for every ten built. The company has established its first microfactory in Los Angeles, helping rebuild homes for over 35 families devastated by wildfires.

ABB’s Robot Studio and IRB 6710 robots

The innovative ABB-Cosmic Construction Framework is founded upon ABB’s RobotStudio Digital Twin software, IRB 6710 robots, and Cosmic’s AI-backed Building Information Model and Robotic Workstation Cell platform. The perks of using ABB’s innovative RobotStudio include simulating the entire build process behind Cosmic’s bespoke pop-up homes. The build process can be analyzed and optimized virtually before construction plans and materials are finalized for rapid onsite construction.

The RobotStudio Suite includes RobotStudio Cloud for global collaboration and robot programming capabilities from any device in any location, making program development and work cell processes accessible and flexible. Customers can also harness RobotStudio AR Viewer for testing robot reach in any given work cell configuration (using the joint jog functionality), taking 3D scans of the environment to optimize virtual setup and evaluation, as well as visualize and engage with multiple robots working together as part of one workflow.

Cosmic Buildings is teaming up with ABB robotics to deliver a more agile, climate- and budget-friendly way of rebuilding wildfire-demolished homes in Los Angeles. Video used courtesy of ABB

Cosmic will leverage ABB’s 175 to 210 kg payload IRB 6710 robots, which offer customers a hard-wearing and energy-efficient robotics solution across construction, electric vehicle, food and beverage, electronics, logistics, and automotive. The heavy-duty IRB 6710 bots feature RobotWare and OmniCore technology for optimum control and energy-saving power grid feedback. The IRB bots also offer customers a position repeatability of 0.03 mm, path repeatability of 0.08 mm, and rapid cycle times for improved productivity.

More Agile, Climate-Conscious Construction

According to ABB and Cosmic, automating building design and construction based on their combined approach can help cut construction time by 70% and costs by 30% in conjunction with providing safer, more environmentally conscious homes for the communities that need them most. Cosmic’s residential builds use non-combustible materials, factor in greywater collection and recycling, and offer solar and battery backup systems. The joint vision is to innovate in modern, sustainability-focused, and on-demand construction, while balancing the needs of communities facing the detrimental effects of global climate change.