sensmore announces partnership with Heidelberg Materials to automate wheel loader operations in sand and gravel extraction
- sensmore and Heidelberg Materials are partnering to automate wheel loader operations at a sand and gravel extraction site in northern Germany.
- sensmore provides the full automation system for the wheel loader, including Physical AI, functional safety, network infrastructure, and vertical integration into the extraction process.
- The deployment is supported by Schlüter Baumaschinen, the official Komatsu machinery dealer in Germany.
Berlin/Potsdam, April 30, 2026: sensmore today announced a partnership with Heidelberg Materials to automate wheel loader operations at a sand and gravel extraction site in northern Germany.
The partnership brings sensmore’s full automation system and Physical AI to one of the most important machine categories in raw material extraction. sensmore equips wheel loaders with its complete automation technology and vertically integrates them into the extraction process — from the machine and functional safety infrastructure to the network and operational interfaces required for real production environments.
At Heidelberg Materials, sensmore is automating a high-volume material extraction process. At this scale, automation creates the foundation for the next generation of material extraction: more consistent output, higher machine utilization, and safer, healthier daily site operations. “This partnership aims to support the gradual introduction of automated material extraction in Europe” said Maximilian Rolf, CEO and co-founder of sensmore.
sensmore focuses on production site use cases where raw materials are extracted, moved, and processed before entering downstream production — from factories and quarries to industrial material handling sites. In these environments, Physical AI connects machine behavior with production targets, infrastructure, and site constraints.
Bjarne Johannsen, CTO and co-founder of sensmore, added: “We are transforming 25 tonnes of steel into an intelligent, automated robot that can reason and act in the production process. This requires Physical AI that is vertically integrated with the machine, safety infrastructure, network, and operational interfaces. Our AI learns as it operates, adapting to the environment and optimizing machine behavior to meet Heidelberg Materials’ production targets.”
sensmore is deploying Physical AI that learns over time and adjusts to the environment. Its models learn from site conditions and optimize operational behavior to deliver stronger, more stable production outcomes in harsh and dynamic extraction environments.
The partnership between Heidelberg Materials and sensmore combines the operational expertise of one of the world’s leading building materials companies with the speed, technical depth, and robotics expertise of a venture-backed automation company from Germany.
The deployment is further supported by Schlüter Baumaschinen, the official Komatsu machinery dealer in Germany, contributing machine expertise and service capabilities to the project.
About sensmore
sensmore is a Berlin/Potsdam-based robotics startup delivering production-proven automation for the industries where the world’s raw materials are extracted, moved, and processed. Its automation system transforms heavy machines into intelligent, automated robots powered by Physical AI and vertically integrates them into the full production environment — from the machine and safety infrastructure to network infrastructure, site processes, and operational interfaces. Co-developed with customers, sensmore is backed by Point Nine Capital, leading industry investors, the State of Brandenburg, and the European Union.
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