Robotic microfactories are helping to rebuild LA’s fire-ravaged homes
11 August 2025 
A US construction company is using mobile robotic microfactories to build new houses to replace some of the more than 16,000 structures destroyed in the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year. Cosmic Buildings says that its system can construct homes three times faster than conventional techniques, and 30% cheaper.
The system can deliver homes in just 12 weeks at a cost of $550–$700 per square foot, compared to the typical cost in Los Angeles of $800 to $1,000 or more. The process also reduces waste, improves build quality, and easies the burden on the owners of destroyed homes, many of whom are facing problems of under-insurance and inflated rebuilding costs.
The end-to-end platform handles the design, procurement, robotic fabrication and assembly pf the new modular homes. The on-site microfactories produce customised structural wall panels with millimetre precision and deliver them just-in-time for assembly. The buildings’ frames cost 70% less than conventional frames, and a building can be completed in four to six months.
At the heart of the microfactories are ABB IRB 6710 robots. Cosmic’s cell software and AI-driven Building Information Model (BIM) work with ABB’s RobotStudio digital twin software to simulate and optimise the building process digitally, before it is deployed.
AI and computer vision systems work with the robots, making real-time decisions, detecting any issues, and ensuring consistent build quality. The homes are built with non-combustible materials and exceed California’s wildfire and energy efficiency codes. They incorporate solar and battery backup systems. They recycle greywater, giving the homes water independence.
Cosmic’s first microfactory is now operating in the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles, and is helping more than 35 families to rebuild homes that they lost during the wildfires. The builder is aiming to complete its first two homes by the end of this year and is hoping to build 100 homes by 2027. For every ten homes Cosmic sells to families recovering from disaster, it is planning to donate another one.
The Los Angeles initiative is part of a global movement to transform construction using automation technologies, with the global construction robotics market predicted to grow with a CAGR of 20% in the period to 2030.
Cosmic Building’s founder and CEO, Sasha Jokic, believes that microfactory marks a turning point for resilient, fast, and affordable housing. “We’ re not just building homes; we’re rebuilding the playbook,” he says. “Our mobile microfactory is fast enough for disaster recovery, efficient enough to drastically lower costs, and smart enough not to compromise on quality. By integrating robotic automation with AI reasoning and on-site deployment, Cosmic achieves construction speeds three times faster than traditional methods, completing projects in as little as three months.”
ABB believes that the Los Angeles microfactories offer a glimpse into the future of affordable robotic housing construction.
“Together, Cosmic and ABB Robotics are rewriting the rules of construction and disaster recovery,” says Marc Segura, president of ABB’s robotics division. “By integrating our robots and digital twin technologies into Cosmic’s AI-powered mobile microfactory, we’re enabling real-time, precision automation, ideal for remote and disaster-affected sites. In the face of labour shortages and rising costs, this shows how automation can transform housing construction, by building faster, safer and smarter.”
