Interview
Driving Teleoperation and automation of construction and heavy machinery using robotics, aiming to update work sites.
CEO
Shiroku Reyes Tatsuru
Q. Why did you focus on construction machinery, and what kind of society do you aim to realize?
While my retrofit autonomous kit for used cars gained attention in the US, commercializing autonomous driving on public roads was difficult.
Then, a construction company asked me to build Teleoperation and autonomous systems for machinery. Research revealed massive needs in the industry, and site visits showed environments more dangerous than imagined.
Since construction machinery lags behind cars in structure, I believed my robotics expertise could ensure site safety.
We must protect infrastructure; especially in Japan, with frequent tunnel work and disasters, there are many opportunities for unmanned machinery to excel.
Q. What kind of career can be gained at ARAV Inc., and what do you expect from employees?
At ARAV Inc., with about 20 people, every employee plays diverse roles.
Engineers engage with society, propose features based on customer feedback, and handle everything from implementation to delivery.
This breadth is a unique startup appeal.
We are almost the only company providing retrofit Teleoperation and automation for machinery, a point of great pride.
I expect employees to work sincerely and continuously toward problem-solving.
While we understand the framework for autonomous driving, technical gaps remain; I want people who find joy in bridging those gaps and overcoming the challenges of being a frontrunner to establish this category.
Q. What is the appeal of the automation ARAV Inc. works on, and what are your future plans?
Engineers love difficult problems, and automation is a thrilling theme.
With the market growing, now is the perfect time to join.
Our efforts to create a safe future for work sites will expand across industries: from civil engineering and plants to logistics, ships, and even space construction.
We consistently focus on large, outdoor, retrofit machinery—constraints so challenging that no other players exist.
We expect steady growth. We are looking for people who can work steadily with teammates toward target quality and who are driven by a desire to contribute to society and experience high-impact work.
Q. Please tell us about your career, the background of founding ARAV Inc., and the company’s philosophy and vision.
I have founded several companies.
First, an entertainment robot company during graduate school.
After working at a major automaker, I founded my second company in Silicon Valley, developing a retrofit autonomous system for trucks. My third startup is ARAV Inc., named after Architectural, Robust, Autonomous, and Vehicles, reflecting our desire to innovate the construction industry through DX.
Our mission is to solve social issues in unexplored territories using innovative robotics.
We aim to become a leading global robotics company and compete with world-renowned corporations.