Tile and Stone Setters

Tile-setting has traditionally been a hands-on craft, but new robots are beginning to take on some work. For example, a Chinese firm’s robot now “lays tiles fully automatically” and has already covered nearly 100,000 square meters of flooring ^[1]. These AI-driven robots use cameras and sensors to apply mortar, position tiles, and keep gaps even (about 0.5 mm precision) ^{[2] [3]}.

In practice, one robot can place a tile in about 1.5 minutes versus 4–5 minutes manually ^[2], giving roughly four times the output ^[3]. However, not every step is done by machines yet. Humans are still needed to cut tiles for edges or odd shapes, plan the overall pattern, and do fine work like cleaning grout.

In short, big or repetitive parts of tiling (mixing mortar, laying large tiles) are starting to be automated, while detailed finishing and design tasks remain mainly human.

Whether more AI gets used depends on cost, labor, and attitudes. High-tech tile robots cost on the order of \$100,000 each ^[2], so many builders weigh that against hiring labor. In regions with labor shortages (like Singapore), officials are encouraging robotics to fill gaps ^[2].

For instance, Singapore will cover up to 70% of a construction company’s robot costs to boost productivity ^[2], and Hong Kong even gives extra credit in public contracts for using robots on “floor finishing” tasks ^[4]. The main advantages are safety and speed: robots can do hard, risky work (like kneeling to spread mortar) more safely and quickly ^{[4] [3]}. But since robots can’t handle every job (like fitting odd corners or creative layout), skilled tile setters remain valuable.

Over time, most expect machines to handle the heavy lifting while people focus on tricky cuts, pattern design, and quality checks ^{[2] [4]}.