Robots could soon be coming to Rifle — with a paint brush and job to do.

During Rifle city council’s regular meeting on Feb. 19, city staff asked the council to submit a mini-grant application to the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District for the purchase of a tiny robot. 

“This is a no-match grant, they actually increased it this year, last year it was $25,000 and this year it’s $30,000,” Procurement and Grant Reporting Manager Iris Trevisano said. 

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The tiny robot in question is a field-painting robot from TinyMobileRobots, a Danish company founded in 2015. This little guy will be used to help restripe sports fields, Parks and Recreation Director Austin Rickstrew said. 

“The reason we’re looking at moving to this is, we paint 14 sports fields throughout the summer, that’s weekly touch-ups…a full-size soccer field, and it takes three to five hours for two guys to line out,” Rickstrew explained. “(Garfield) Re-2 soccer program has 7 fields…that takes a day and a half to two days for two staff to be out there for eight hours a day.”

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The robot, however, can paint a full size soccer field in just 20-25 minutes. 

“Fast little bugger,” commented councilor Joe Carpenter. 

Rickstrew agreed and said they can also use it to paint parking lots and logos. 

“We’re just trying to increase efficiencies within our department, because it’s really hard to have someone paint soccer fields for one day a week, that’s their whole day,” Rickstrew said. “If they just drive to each park, if they just touch up paint lines, this will cut this in more than half.”

Considering the prep time for two people to set up repainting a field every week that’s being used quite a bit in the summertime, Rickstrew said that running string lines and trying to get them square, which doesn’t always happen, they’re excited to hopefully get the robot. 

The city of Glenwood Springs, Glenwood Springs High School, Mesa County Valley School District 51 and the city of Grand Junction have a robot for themselves as well because they’re so efficient. 

“It’s based on GPS?” asked Mayor Sean Strode. 

Rickstrew confirmed it is and that they have a tablet that can zoom into the piece of grass they want to ‘draw’ the field on. 

“If it’s about to run out of paint, it sends you an alert and actually, if it’s going to need more paint than what the tank carries, then it’ll tell you exactly on the field where it’s going to stop and run out of paint,” Rickstrew said. “You can take the bucket and put it where it’s going to stop and then go off and do something else while it paints.”

Councilor Alicia Gresley asked if someone will be there to supervise the robot while it chugs along to make sure no one will vandalise or take it. 

“It’s not taking away a job?” Gresley asked. 

Rickstrew said it wasn’t, just that it would make the job much easier. The employee could be string-trimming the fence or picking up trash. 

The total amount for the robot, training and extras is $43,600, but with the grant covering $30,000, the cost for the city is brought down to $13,600. 

“How big are these things?” asked councilor Clint Hostettler. 

Coming in at around 77 pounds, the robot comes to about knee height and roughly a foot and half wide. 

“It’ll fit in the back of a Gator,” Rickstrew said. “If we’re awarded this grant, we’ll have it in less than five days.”

Carpenter asked if the robots in the other municipalities or schools had tried to revolt.

“Taking over Parks and Rec,” Strode said.