A robot has taken its first turn in the Canadian cold, with PitPro’s automated tire-changer making its debut in Calgary. The startup, based in San Francisco, claims its system can change all four tires in under 15 minutes, a task traditionally backbreaking for human workers. With a labour shortage plaguing tire shops, PitPro sees a significant opportunity to automate this part of the car maintenance process.

Founder Jeremy Conrad highlighted the challenges of deploying the robots, noting that tire shops often operate with bay doors open, exposing the tech to dust and debris. However, he was quick to laugh off the unexpected obstacle of dandelion seeds, which had covered the robots in Calgary. 'It’s not going to be a problem for us,' he said, 'but it’s just like… I had never thought about that we might need to deal with a dust cloud of dandelions.'

Despite focusing on commercial fleets, PitPro is also eyeing larger tire chains, which present a more standardized layout and a greater potential for wider deployment. The startup believes there's a significant opportunity in tire changes, particularly in regions like Canada where seasonal tire changes are a yearly necessity.

Conrad sees tire chains as a major opportunity not just for their labor issues but also for the consistent demand for tire changes. The system is designed to integrate seamlessly into existing maintenance bays, featuring two robotic arms that use a mix of sensors to locate and loosen lug nuts, store them, and replace wheels with new or rotated tires.