"Technological change is happening now, not at some point"

Hunziker Betatech AG, headquartered in Winterthur, is venturing into the future with the humanoid robot Plix . Managing Director Benjamin Lüthi explains in an interview why the civil engineering company is looking into the use of robotics - and why humans are still irreplaceable on the construction site.

Mr. Lüthi, Plix is not just any show robot, but part of your team. What exactly is its task?
Benjamin Lüthi: Plix is one of very few commercially available humanoid robots currently undergoing training at the Swiss Cobotics Competence Center in Biel. Its aim is to learn how to move in space, avoid obstacles and respond to commands - and to do so as autonomously as possible. Our idea is not simply to have a technical gimmick, but to experience live what is possible with robotics today - and what is not yet possible.

What can Plix already do today?
It walks over different surfaces, can follow people in a targeted manner, reacts to uneven terrain and learns to communicate. At first glance, it looks simple, but it is technically highly complex. It is not a remote-controlled car that performs precisely defined actions at the command of the controller. The degrees of freedom of a humanoid robot are much greater. For example, carrying heavy loads changes the body's center of gravity in such a way that movements have to be "trained" again.

Benjamin Lüthi is Managing Director of Hunziker Betatech AG.

What role will Plix play in the future?
Today, it mainly supports us in the research and development environment. In the future, it could take on tasks that require people to enter places that are difficult to access, unhygienic or dangerous: inspecting underground structures, documenting damaged areas, carrying out cleaning work or collecting measurement data. Of course, this is still a dream of the future, but this practical relevance is important.

As a civil engineering company, why are you investing in such a project that sounds more like IT?
Technological change is happening now, not at some point. And it will also change the construction industry. If we don't gain experience today, we will be left behind tomorrow. By that I don't just mean robotics, but also areas such as digitalization, data management, machine learning and AI.

How are such technologies changing the construction industry?
My optimistic view is that in the long term, it will become more efficient, data-driven, more visual and safer. But it will also become more technologically networked and complex. In order to avoid becoming more vulnerable, the digital foundations need to be right: structured data, standardized interfaces, reliable processes. There is still a lot of untapped potential, to put it more or less positively.

Will Plix one day replace people on the construction site?
No. At least not in the foreseeable future. Plix shows us every day how important human thought, action and improvisation continue to be. And that won't change any time soon. Collaboration between humans and robots is indeed possible today for various applications. In the field of humanoid robotics, it will take even more time.

Interview: Linda Stratacò, August 2025