In a landmark agreement for automated construction technology, Human Friendly Robotics (HFR) has signed a three-year, $4 million robotic tiling contract with Morganville-based commercial subcontractor Flooring Concepts of NJ.
Under the agreement, HFR will deploy its flagship autonomous tiling robot, Tyler, to work alongside Flooring Concepts’ installation crews across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and the greater New York City metropolitan area. Industry experts note that a contract of this magnitude for robotically installed flooring represents a historic first for the trade.
The partnership addresses a critical pain point in the modern construction sector: severe labor shortages and an aging workforce. According to recent September 2026 reports from the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and NCCER, 42% of surveyed construction firms have experienced project delays due to worker shortages.
Flooring Concepts—led by President John Pilot—anticipates that Tyler will cover between 15% and 40% of the company’s luxury vinyl tile (LVT) installation work over the next three years, helping clear a robust project pipeline stretching into 2028.
Rather than replacing human workers, Tyler is designed to handle repetitive, physically taxing placement—such as constant kneeling, bending, and heavy lifting—while skilled tile setters focus on precision cuts, edges, finishing, and quality control. HFR notes that the technology allows professional crews to complete flooring buildouts up to 8 times faster while maintaining consistent output as shifts progress.
“Growing our business starts with supporting our people,” said John Pilot, President of Flooring Concepts of NJ. “Tyler will help us expand capacity, improve scheduling and reduce some of the hardest physical demands on our crews. Thankfully, I can just pay per square foot of install instead of purchasing the equipment. It’s an investment in our workforce and our customers without undue capital expenditures.”
Operating on a pay-per-square-foot service model rather than requiring massive equipment purchases, HFR’s deployment model makes advanced robotics accessible to commercial subcontractors.
“Tyler multiplies a tile setter’s efficiency and output,” said Shamoon Siddiqui, founder and CEO of Human Friendly Robotics. “Our customers have more work than their crews can fulfill. We give skilled professionals a tool to complete their work 8X faster, and without tiring. Ultimately, we’re reducing physical strain and helping tile setters build longer careers in the trade.”
The milestone agreement follows HFR’s recent inclusion as a robotics service provider within the Starnet Commercial Flooring network, whose roughly 200 member subcontractors generate over $4 billion in annual sales. Tyler has already seen successful deployments across dozens of demanding jobsites—including schools, malls, and government facilities—in the New York metropolitan area and Puerto Rico.
