Lindsey Elliott, a former engineer and planner at ExxonMobil, has focused on improving infrastructure that transports oil, gas, and petrochemicals. One of her main interests has been bolted flange joints—sections where pipes are connected using bolts. These bolts are often difficult to loosen and tighten, requiring significant physical effort from workers known as pipefitters. This process can lead to injuries and is a major source of fatigue, especially since pipefitters in North America often work 12-hour days for long periods, contributing to low overall productivity in the field. To address this issue, Elliott founded a startup called Nexterity, which was selected to participate in TechCrunch Disrupt's Startup Battlefield 200. Nexterity has developed a remote-controlled robot designed to handle the task of loosening and tightening bolts. The robot has two main components that fit around a pipe and can slide along it once attached. It can quickly loosen and tighten four bolts at a time, significantly reducing the physical burden on workers. The robot is battery-powered and small enough to fit in a Pelican case, making it easy for a single worker to carry and deploy at different job sites. Nexterity plans to offer the robot through a rental model, similar to how construction equipment is typically rented, to provide flexibility for different industries. Elliott’s design was inspired by conversations with members of the Pressure Vessels & Piping Division of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Through these discussions, she learned that 80% of pipes used in industry are between two to eight inches in diameter, known as NPS2 to NPS8. This standardization makes these pipes ideal for automation, as the same tools and techniques can be applied across a wide range of applications. Elliott believes the market for such automation is large and growing, as piping infrastructure is used in various industries, including water and wastewater treatment, food and beverage production, mining, nuclear energy, and green and sustainable manufacturing. By reducing the physical strain on workers and increasing efficiency, Elliott’s robot has the potential to transform how pipe maintenance is done. It represents a step toward modernizing an industry that has long relied on manual labor, and it highlights the growing role of automation in improving both safety and productivity in industrial settings.