Koersel (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Wally, a wall‑building robot by Limburg startup Wally Automation, founded by 29‑year-old Jente Van Genechten, is being tested in Koersel to aid construction, not replace workers—prototype offered as service.
As VRT News reported, in Koersel, a robot named Wally is working on a local construction site. The robot is made by Wally Automation, a Limburg startup started by 29-year-old Jente Van Genechten from Genk and his cousin.
They mentioned that Wally can build interior walls faster and more accurately than humans. Van Genechten has years of experience in construction.
“I’m a contractor myself. While working, I wondered if that heavy, repetitive work on interior walls couldn’t be done smarter,”
he says
“Although an operator always remains nearby for safety, in practice the robot works independently. It’s mainly Wally who does the heavy lifting.”
Van Genechten laughs.
What could Wally robot by Van Genechten change in the Koersel construction?
The creators of Wally Automation say the robot is not meant to replace human workers.
“I understand some masons may have questions, but that is not our goal,”
says Jente Van Genechten. He explains that the construction industry faces a shortage of skilled workers. Wally is designed to help with this problem. The robot can take on repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
For now, Wally is not being sold. It is offered as a service, so companies can use it without buying it.
“Most construction companies aren’t yet willing to purchase and maintain such a robot themselves. That’s why we’re working with a fixed price per square meter,”
they say.
The robot is still a prototype and is being tested on-site. Even so, the developers have high ambitions. They plan to improve the technology, expand its capabilities, and make it more widely used on construction sites.
“There are still a few teething problems we want to iron out. We’ll focus on that in the coming months. After that, we’ll definitely consider expanding,”
concludes Van Genechten.
Belgium has previously had some construction robots being utilised in projects. One project called BrickieBots 2.0, which included Belgian universities and companies such as BESIX and began operations in 2024. The project allowed the development of robots that have the capability to create walls from large blocks by using a mobile base and a robotic arm to accurately place each block.
Another initiative, ConstrucThor, was initiated by the Belgian company AUAR in conjunction with ABB Robotics at Thor Park, located in Genk. ConstrucThor is being used as a way of displaying how to automate the creation of buildings as well as developing eco-friendly methods.
