DALE, the autonomous downward drilling robot from DEWALT and August Robotics, has been named to TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 list in the Robotics category. DEWALT announced the recognition on October 16, 2026. TIME editors and correspondents picked 300 innovations for the list, judging them on originality, efficacy, ambition and impact.

It is the second honour for the robot this month. On October 7, DEWALT said DALE had won in Fast Company’s 2026 Next Big Things in Tech Awards, in the Enduring Impact category for companies with 15+ years in business. DEWALT says it was the only tool maker recognised in that program, which drew over 1,000 applicants across more than 30 categories.

What DALE does

DALE is not a handheld tool. It is a self driving machine that drills holes straight down into concrete floors, built on August Robotics’ fleet capable autonomous platform. DEWALT says it is designed for high volume work on data center sites, where crews need large numbers of holes for server rack stops and supports for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) systems.

According to DEWALT, the robot includes:

  • Fast swap batteries to keep it drilling with little downtime
  • Remote monitoring
  • Automatic dust extraction, so floors are left clean for the next trade
  • Automated quality assurance checks

The company positions DALE alongside its PERFORM AND PROTECT tools and ICC anchoring products as part of a wider data center offering.

The numbers so far

DEWALT’s performance claims have grown as the robot has logged more site time. When it was shown at World of Concrete in January, Electrek reported that DEWALT credited it with 80 weeks saved across 10 data center projects and over 90,000 holes drilled. At the commercial launch on July 9, 2026, Stanley Black & Decker cited 190 weeks saved across 26 construction phases, 99.97% accuracy and more than 230,000 holes.

The latest figures from DEWALT, which it says come from live data center jobsites, are:

  • Drilling speeds up to 10 times faster than conventional methods
  • Project timelines cut by more than 300 weeks across 44 phases of data center construction
  • Over 99% accuracy across more than 385,000 holes

These are the company’s own figures. TIME and Fast Company have not published independent test results for the robot.

What it means for you

For most tradespeople and DIYers, DALE is not something you will buy or rent any time soon. It is sold for commercial orders to contractors working on large data center projects, and DEWALT has not published a price. Its significance is in where DEWALT is heading: the company is pairing its tools with robots for repetitive, dusty tasks such as downward drilling in concrete.

“This is about bringing new capability to the jobsite and helping customers meet rising demands with greater productivity and improved safety,” said Bill Beck, President, Tools & Outdoor at Stanley Black & Decker.

If you work for a contractor on large concrete slab projects, DEWALT directs enquiries about the robot to dewalt.com, and August Robotics lists its construction robots at augustrobotics.com. Anyone curious about the other winners can find the full list on TIME’s website.