RoboTire's tire-changer aims to evolve service bay

PLYMOUTH, Mich. — In a warehouse and production facility in Plymouth, Mich., Will Mapes, chief operating officer of RoboTire, stands in front of a black SUV holding up a smartphone.

RoboTire's tire-changing robot can change four tires in 20 minutes or less. It starts with a technician opening an app, answering a series of prompts and entering vehicle data.

Then, the magic starts.

The black Nissan Rogue — owned by Founder and CEO Victor Darolfi — is driven onto a platform. Large display screens indicate when the vehicle is in the correct position and keep technicians appraised of the robot's progress during the tire change. RoboTire's twin robotic arms whir at each wheel — removing lug nuts, picking up the wheel assembly for mounting and balancing — using sophisticated imaging and other technology to ensure precision. When the new tire has been balanced and is ready for mounting, the robot does the same operation in reverse.

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The entire process is done in tandem with a technician trained to work with the technology.

"If you can use an app, if you can follow directions, you can use the RoboTire system," said Benjamin Wilson, senior manager of operations.

RoboTire isn't designed to replace technicians but rather to make technician's job easier and safer.

Changing tires is physical, sometimes dangerous work, the robot mitigates that, Wilson said. "Worker safety is important."

It also can help shops offset staffing issues. The system can be designed so only one technician is needed to work with the robot. Shops can pay one person at a higher salary, rather than hiring three or four techs to do a job, he said.

RoboTire can be an investment in a shop's core personnel, giving them "another tool to do their job better and safer and more efficient," he said.

Wilson started in the auto industry as a tire tech.

"For me, it's a super personal thing. I want to make sure that those people that are entry level technicians and are just getting into the industry can see a future in this industry," he said, adding that the tire industry is a great field with good people.

It's also about supporting independent tire shops and regional operators and allowing them to continue to compete and run viable businesses, he said.

The robots are an affordable way to grow their business and shops can see a return on investment in the first year, he said.

RoboTire was founded by entrepreneur Darolfi in 2018, inspired by his irritation of being stuck at a shop for hours waiting for new tires.

The vehicle used in RoboTire demos is the same car, driven by Darolfi's wife, that inspired the company, Darolfi said.

RoboTire started in the Bay Area. The company moved to the Detroit area, where Darolfi is from, in March 2021.

In October 2021, the company had a successful $7.5 million Series A investment round with Reinalt-Thomas (d.b.a. Discount Tire/America's Tire), Automotive Ventures, Detroit Venture Partners, 640 Oxford Ventures and several other "angel" investors backing the company.

They also caught industry attention at the 2021 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where RoboTire did a demonstration of the technology.

Earlier this year, Discount Tire announced they would start testing the technology in shops this year. That partnership is ongoing and RoboTire is having discussions with Discount Tire about scaling regionally and hopefully nationally.

"We're excited to continue to grow that partnership," Wilson said.

RoboTire also is being used by Burt Brothers Tire & Service, a 14-location dealership based in Utah.

RoboTire is investing in Michigan.

"We want to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. In particular, Michigan and Detroit," Darolfi said.

He added that the hope to bring some of the Silicon Valley startup culture to the region.

"We have great talent and we have great startups," he said, adding that he hopes RoboTire can be a catalyst for that development.

The company manufactures most of the RoboTire components in-house — they don't make the cameras — with plans to continue to expand manufacturing on site.

The company also is hiring. They have about 20 employees right now and plan to double that.

"If you're looking for a job with a startup that is transforming the industry and using cutting-edge tech, come work here," he said.