Latest news with #MonumentalLabs
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
AI robots can already carve stone statues. Entire buildings are next
Inside a cavernous 1930s-era warehouse on the northern edge of Brooklyn, the ancient and all-but-extinct art of stone carving is having a 21st century rebirth. This is the new headquarters of Monumental Labs, a quirky but audacious startup that is combining the meticulous chisel-and-hammer craft of stone carving with the prowess, speed, and efficiency of robotics and artificial intelligence. Using an $8 million round of venture capital funding, the 2-year-old company is turning this aging warehouse into a modern stonecutting factory capable of quickly producing highly detailed decorative facades, museum-grade marble sculptures, and towering stone monuments. And if founder Micah Springut gets his way, the company will soon be trying its robotic arms at an even grander project: reinventing the way buildings get built. Walking through the warehouse on a recent day, Springut shows off the 30-foot-high ceilings of the main fabrication floor, where more than a dozen seven-axis robotic carving arms will soon be chipping away at massive blocks of granite, limestone, and marble, turning them into towering sculptures and statues. When the 37,000-square-foot facility comes online in the fall, Monumental Labs will begin fine-tuning its stone carving process to quickly and affordably produce structural stone that can be used to build everything from private homes to multi-level apartment complexes. It will be a big step up from the space Monumental Labs currently leases outside of New York City. That's where the company produced its first significant projects, including restorations of decorative stone adorning Carnegie Hall and the Frick Museum, which are mostly cut by robots and then hand-finished by trained stone carvers. It's a process that can cut delivery times for sculptures and decorative facade treatments from months to weeks. But in its current location, Monumental Labs has only been able to deploy two robots, and its monument carving capacity tops out at 12 feet. 'We can't do an entire facade, we can't do an entire building, we can't do a monumental arch,' Springut says of the existing workshop. Behind him in the new factory, SUV-sized slabs of marble sit idly by, waiting for the robotic arms to be installed and activated. 'All of that kind of stuff, large-scale works, both public and private, could be done here now,' he says. The new factory space and capacity is made possible by the $8 million funding round, which was led by Seven Seven Six, Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian's venture capital fund. Founding partner Katelin Holloway, who led the deal with Monumental Labs, says the company offers a perfect blend of technology and humanity. 'They're bringing craftsmanship back to architecture,' she says. 'This technology has massive potential to transform how we build cities, bringing back that artistic magic we almost lost.' Springut says the new space will help the company keep up with growing demand. It's currently working on several large-scale sculpture projects for private clients, decorative stone facades, and a set of gargoyles that will be added to a new building at an undisclosed university in the South. The big goal, though, is getting into structural stone. These are giant, Lego-like blocks of stone that are precisely cut to form thick and strong building bases and walls. With a lower embodied carbon footprint and a much longer lifespan than concrete, structural stone is seen as an environmentally friendly alternative construction method. It's also one humans have relied on for millennia. 'We basically built with stone for all of history until about 110 years ago when industrialization came and changed what became efficient to build with,' says Springut. 'The cost of fabricating stone, cutting it, and shaping it into the form you want became far, far more expensive than doing that with concrete.' Robotics and automation, he says, will dramatically lower that down to as little as 25% of the cost of building with concrete. The future of structural stone Andrew Lane can't wait. He's an attorney and prospective developer based in Austin who has become obsessed with the idea of using structural stone to develop new buildings—partly out of frustration with the aesthetics of modern buildings and partly because stone buildings have such longevity. Standing on his balcony in downtown Austin, he pans his phone's camera from the Renaissance revival-style Texas Capitol Building to the new glass-and-steel office and residential towers a few blocks south. 'America could rise, America could fall, that capitol building ain't going anywhere. That office building right there, that glass, that's gone in 70 years, max,' he says. 'I just don't understand why we want to build cities like that.' He's hoping to change course by building townhouses or apartments in Austin using stone carved by Monumental Labs, but is waiting to learn more about exactly how much it will cost. Springut says that's still an open question. Monumental Labs has other developer clients who are eager to get started, but everyone first wants to see what the company can produce with its new fabrication space. That's why one of the first projects Monumental Labs will work on once its new facility is up and running is a 30-foot-tall observation tower built out of structural stone and constructed right in the corner of its main fabrication hall. Springut says that should be enough to get some of these developer clients to commit to building. 'We've got a number of clients who are just ready for us to be ready,' he says. There's still plenty that's needed before Monumental Labs is actually ready, though. The biggest hurdle is refining the technology behind its stone cutting ambitions, and training its own AI systems to handle the now largely manual process of understanding the cutting paths and the tool heads needed to turn a multiton chunk of limestone into the building blocks of a townhome. 'We'll be using reinforcement learning to effectively come up with the optimal toolpaths to see a 3D model, and based on the curvature and the geometric forms, to choose what are the right tools, or what are the right angles of attack,' Springut says. 'And when we do that, that's what's going to bring the cost of fabricating stone down by 80% to 90%.' The company's proprietary software, he says, will learn from every carving project its robots undertake, getting better over time. This new facility will be part of building that institutional knowledge, using its new fleet of robots to crank out up to 100 life-sized sculptures per year, and possibly a few full-sized buildings. But that will have to wait until the robots can actually move into the building. First, Springut says, the 1930s-era complex needs some upgrades, including a reinforced foundation capable of handling the weight of the stones to be carved. Before Monumental Labs can revolutionize the world of building, it'll have to bring its own headquarters into the 21st century. The super-early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, July 25, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
CNN
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump's recent winning streak
Trump's recent winning streak CNN's Kevin Liptak takes us through President Donald Trump's consequential past two weeks, including the strikes in Iran and the passing of the "big, beautiful bill." 01:38 - Source: CNN How Trump's 'Garden of Heroes' could get made President Donald Trump hopes to create a new national monument called the "National Garden of American Heroes" that would include 250 statues and be unveiled in one year. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty talks to Monumental Labs, a high-tech marble fabricator just outside New York City, about the challenges of making Trump's vision a reality. 02:05 - Source: CNN Trump grapples with impacts of immigration crackdown As the Trump administration has doubled down on its hardline immigration agenda, behind the scenes senior Trump officials and the president himself have grappled with the consequences of that crackdown against a key portion of the workforce: migrant workers. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports. 01:30 - Source: CNN US Cardinal hits out at Trump's immigration deportations In an interview with CNN's Vatican Correspondent Chris Lamb, prominent Catholic Church leader and ally of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert McElroy, strongly criticized the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, describing the rounding up and deportation of immigrants as 'inhumane' and 'morally repugnant.' 01:00 - Source: CNN Corporations are the big winners of Trump's megabill Congress passed President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill. CNN's Annie Grayer looks into who could be affected. 01:03 - Source: CNN House GOP passes Trump's megabill The House voted to approve President Donald Trump's massive package of tax and federal spending cuts, clearing the bill to be sent to the president's desk for his signature. It follows a fierce arm-twisting campaign by GOP leaders to unite a deeply divided party behind his sweeping domestic agenda. 00:50 - Source: CNN House minority leader makes record-breaking speech to defy Trump In a nearly 9 hour speech, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries set a record for the longest floor speech in modern history of the House of Representatives. In protest against President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill, Jeffries used a legislative tool called the 'magic minute,' which allows party leaders in the House to speak as long as they wish on the floor. 01:30 - Source: CNN Paramount settles Trump's '60 Minutes' lawsuit CBS News parent Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to resolve an extraordinary lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a '60 Minutes' news report last fall. CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter explains. 02:07 - Source: CNN Trump's 'two week' Russia deadline is now on week five As the war in Ukraine rages on, CNN's Adam Kinzinger looks back on President Trump's recent promise that he would have an answer to Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to end the war in 'two weeks.' 01:13 - Source: CNN Why your utility bill might increase under Trump's tax bill CNN's Bill Weir explains why your household energy bill will be higher over the next decade if the GOP passes Trump's new tax bill. Red states like Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas could see up to 18% higher energy costs by 2035, according to think tank Energy Innovation. 01:10 - Source: CNN Latino influencers stick by Trump Tony Delgado and Gabriela Berrospi, entrepreneurs and founders of multimedia brand Latino Wall Street, helped rally the Latino vote for President Donald Trump in 2024. As the administration has escalated ICE raids and deportations this year, they visited Washington D.C. and the White House to advocate for their community and immigration reform. 02:27 - Source: CNN NYC Mayor Eric Adams responds to low poll numbers New York City Mayor Eric Adams joins CNN's Jake Tapper to discuss poll numbers that indicate dissatisfaction with his job performance. 01:04 - Source: CNN Minnesota lawmaker and husband lie in state at State Capitol Mourners and lawmakers gather to pay tribute to former Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, who were killed in a targeted attack. The couple is joined by the family's golden retriever, Gilbert, who also died after being shot during the attacks. 00:41 - Source: CNN USNS Harvey Milk new name revealed US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. During Pride Month in June, he ordered the stripping of the name Harvey Milk who was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran. 00:43 - Source: CNN Trump says he'd consider bombing Iran again In a White House briefing with reporters President Donald Trump was asked if he would consider bombing Iran's nuclear sites again if future intelligence reports offered a concerning conclusion on Iranian enrichment of uranium. 00:51 - Source: CNN Hegseth claims CNN spun Iran reporting. Anderson rolls the tape Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alleges that several media outlets, including CNN, are misrepresenting the Iran nuclear program in their coverage. Watch our montage of what he said and what we said. 05:31 - Source: CNN Trump reacts to win at the Supreme Court President Trump thanked conservative Supreme Court justices and explained what he plans to do next after the Court backed his effort to curtail lower court orders that have hampered his agenda for months. 00:46 - Source: CNN Supreme Court backs parents who want to opt out of LGBTQ+ curriculum The Supreme Court on Friday backed a group of religious parents who want to opt their elementary school children out of engaging with LGBTQ books in the classroom, another major legal win for religious interests at the conservative high court. 00:52 - Source: CNN Supreme Court limits ability of judges to stop Trump The Supreme Court backed President Donald Trump's effort to curtail lower court orders that have hampered his agenda for months. However, it signaled that the president's controversial plan to effectively end birthright citizenship may never be enforced. 01:32 - Source: CNN Trump's team credits him with creating a decades-old phrase White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt falsely claimed that President Trump came up with the phrase "peace through strength." CNN's Abby Phillip reports on how the phrase has been used for decades. 01:22 - Source: CNN 'Daddy's home:' Trump leans into NATO chief comment NATO Chief Mark Rutte got the world's attention after referring to President Trump as "daddy" after he used the analogy of two children fighting to describe the conflict between Iran and Israel. In a press conference, Rutte, explained his reason for using the term "daddy." Trump spoke about the moment at a press conference, and the White House leaned into the term in a social media post. 00:50 - Source: CNN Tapper responds to Trump's attack of CNN's coverage of US strikes on Iran CNN's Jake Tapper offers a harsh rebuke to President Trump's attack on media outlets for reporting on a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report from the Pentagon which found US strikes likely may have only set Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon back by a matter of months. President Donald Trump and his administration has repeatedly said that the strikes 'obliterated' Iran's ability to produce a weapon. 04:04 - Source: CNN Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC Democratic mayoral primary New York State assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in a speech as he is poised to win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with his top challenger Andrew Cuomo conceding the race. According to CNN's projection, Mamdani, whose campaign focused on affordability, will garner less than 50% of the vote, meaning the race will formally be decided by ranked-choice votes. 02:35 - Source: WABC
CNN
04-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Trump's recent winning streak
Trump's recent winning streak CNN's Kevin Liptak takes us through President Donald Trump's consequential past two weeks, including the strikes in Iran and the passing of the "big, beautiful bill." 01:38 - Source: CNN How Trump's 'Garden of Heroes' could get made President Donald Trump hopes to create a new national monument called the "National Garden of American Heroes" that would include 250 statues and be unveiled in one year. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty talks to Monumental Labs, a high-tech marble fabricator just outside New York City, about the challenges of making Trump's vision a reality. 02:05 - Source: CNN Trump grapples with impacts of immigration crackdown As the Trump administration has doubled down on its hardline immigration agenda, behind the scenes senior Trump officials and the president himself have grappled with the consequences of that crackdown against a key portion of the workforce: migrant workers. CNN's Priscilla Alvarez reports. 01:30 - Source: CNN US Cardinal hits out at Trump's immigration deportations In an interview with CNN's Vatican Correspondent Chris Lamb, prominent Catholic Church leader and ally of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert McElroy, strongly criticized the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, describing the rounding up and deportation of immigrants as 'inhumane' and 'morally repugnant.' 01:00 - Source: CNN Corporations are the big winners of Trump's megabill Congress passed President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill. CNN's Annie Grayer looks into who could be affected. 01:03 - Source: CNN House GOP passes Trump's megabill The House voted to approve President Donald Trump's massive package of tax and federal spending cuts, clearing the bill to be sent to the president's desk for his signature. It follows a fierce arm-twisting campaign by GOP leaders to unite a deeply divided party behind his sweeping domestic agenda. 00:50 - Source: CNN House minority leader makes record-breaking speech to defy Trump In a nearly 9 hour speech, Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries set a record for the longest floor speech in modern history of the House of Representatives. In protest against President Donald Trump's sweeping domestic policy bill, Jeffries used a legislative tool called the 'magic minute,' which allows party leaders in the House to speak as long as they wish on the floor. 01:30 - Source: CNN Paramount settles Trump's '60 Minutes' lawsuit CBS News parent Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to resolve an extraordinary lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over a '60 Minutes' news report last fall. CNN's Chief Media Analyst Brian Stelter explains. 02:07 - Source: CNN Trump's 'two week' Russia deadline is now on week five As the war in Ukraine rages on, CNN's Adam Kinzinger looks back on President Trump's recent promise that he would have an answer to Russian President Vladimir Putin's willingness to end the war in 'two weeks.' 01:13 - Source: CNN Why your utility bill might increase under Trump's tax bill CNN's Bill Weir explains why your household energy bill will be higher over the next decade if the GOP passes Trump's new tax bill. Red states like Oklahoma, South Carolina and Texas could see up to 18% higher energy costs by 2035, according to think tank Energy Innovation. 01:10 - Source: CNN Latino influencers stick by Trump Tony Delgado and Gabriela Berrospi, entrepreneurs and founders of multimedia brand Latino Wall Street, helped rally the Latino vote for President Donald Trump in 2024. As the administration has escalated ICE raids and deportations this year, they visited Washington D.C. and the White House to advocate for their community and immigration reform. 02:27 - Source: CNN NYC Mayor Eric Adams responds to low poll numbers New York City Mayor Eric Adams joins CNN's Jake Tapper to discuss poll numbers that indicate dissatisfaction with his job performance. 01:04 - Source: CNN Minnesota lawmaker and husband lie in state at State Capitol Mourners and lawmakers gather to pay tribute to former Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, who were killed in a targeted attack. The couple is joined by the family's golden retriever, Gilbert, who also died after being shot during the attacks. 00:41 - Source: CNN USNS Harvey Milk new name revealed US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the USNS Harvey Milk is being renamed to the USNS Oscar V. Peterson. During Pride Month in June, he ordered the stripping of the name Harvey Milk who was a gay rights activist and Navy veteran. 00:43 - Source: CNN Trump says he'd consider bombing Iran again In a White House briefing with reporters President Donald Trump was asked if he would consider bombing Iran's nuclear sites again if future intelligence reports offered a concerning conclusion on Iranian enrichment of uranium. 00:51 - Source: CNN Hegseth claims CNN spun Iran reporting. Anderson rolls the tape Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alleges that several media outlets, including CNN, are misrepresenting the Iran nuclear program in their coverage. Watch our montage of what he said and what we said. 05:31 - Source: CNN Trump reacts to win at the Supreme Court President Trump thanked conservative Supreme Court justices and explained what he plans to do next after the Court backed his effort to curtail lower court orders that have hampered his agenda for months. 00:46 - Source: CNN Supreme Court backs parents who want to opt out of LGBTQ+ curriculum The Supreme Court on Friday backed a group of religious parents who want to opt their elementary school children out of engaging with LGBTQ books in the classroom, another major legal win for religious interests at the conservative high court. 00:52 - Source: CNN Supreme Court limits ability of judges to stop Trump The Supreme Court backed President Donald Trump's effort to curtail lower court orders that have hampered his agenda for months. However, it signaled that the president's controversial plan to effectively end birthright citizenship may never be enforced. 01:32 - Source: CNN Trump's team credits him with creating a decades-old phrase White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt falsely claimed that President Trump came up with the phrase "peace through strength." CNN's Abby Phillip reports on how the phrase has been used for decades. 01:22 - Source: CNN 'Daddy's home:' Trump leans into NATO chief comment NATO Chief Mark Rutte got the world's attention after referring to President Trump as "daddy" after he used the analogy of two children fighting to describe the conflict between Iran and Israel. In a press conference, Rutte, explained his reason for using the term "daddy." Trump spoke about the moment at a press conference, and the White House leaned into the term in a social media post. 00:50 - Source: CNN Tapper responds to Trump's attack of CNN's coverage of US strikes on Iran CNN's Jake Tapper offers a harsh rebuke to President Trump's attack on media outlets for reporting on a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report from the Pentagon which found US strikes likely may have only set Iran's ability to produce a nuclear weapon back by a matter of months. President Donald Trump and his administration has repeatedly said that the strikes 'obliterated' Iran's ability to produce a weapon. 04:04 - Source: CNN Zohran Mamdani declares victory in NYC Democratic mayoral primary New York State assemblyman and democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani declared victory in a speech as he is poised to win the Democratic primary for New York City mayor, with his top challenger Andrew Cuomo conceding the race. According to CNN's projection, Mamdani, whose campaign focused on affordability, will garner less than 50% of the vote, meaning the race will formally be decided by ranked-choice votes. 02:35 - Source: WABC
