US Startup Origin Raises $20M to Deploy Non-Humanoid Robot OG-1 for Automated Wall Finishing

For the past century, mechanization in construction has largely occurred outside buildings, with excavators and cranes handling foundations and materials. However, interior finishing—specifically applying joint compound, sanding, and priming drywall seams—remains heavily manual. These indoor processes account for over 65% of total project time. Origin, a US startup founded in early 2025, recently announced a $20 million funding round to change this landscape with its renovation robot, OG-1.

OG-1 is not a humanoid robot but consists of a tricycle base, counterweight structure, lift platform, and robotic arm. This design stems from site requirements: the body must be narrow enough to pass through standard door frames, while the lift must reach heights of about 4.3 meters (14 feet). The tricycle base offers greater stability than humanoids, saving power otherwise used for balance. To handle cluttered, poorly lit sites, OG-1 features 360-degree vision and can identify 200 common objects, allowing it to work alongside electricians and carpenters without needing a closed-off zone.

The core software behind OG-1 is called the "Construction Action Model" (CAM), operating in three layers. The reasoning system plans the sequence, such as applying compound before sanding; the action policy determines the robot's position, alignment, and tool angle, checking surface flatness upon completion; and the controller translates these decisions into physical movements, adjusting in real-time for wall irregularities. Since online data on wall sanding is scarce, Origin collected its own training data, including 3D scans, video, depth information, and force logs from live sites, expert demonstrations in labs, and high-fidelity virtual environments. This allows OG-1 to operate in new sites without retraining.