Global Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Robotics funding for February 2023 totaled $620 million as the result of 36 investments. See Table 1 below or download Table 1 here . The February investments bring the 2023 total to approximately $1.14B. Investments in January 2023 totaled $521 million . Companies offering unmanned aerial drones, usually coupled with drone-enabled data and analytics services, were particularly strong in February 2023, with firms receiving sizable mid- to late-stage funding rounds. These providers typically focus on surveying and inspection applications, with construction, agriculture, utilities and energy sectors as the target markets. Examples include Skydio ($230M Series E), Fulfil Solutions ($60M Series B), Garuda Aerospace ($22M Series A) and i-KINGTEC ($20M Series C). UK-based DRONAMICS landed $40M in Seed funding. Table 1: February 2023 Robotics Funding and Investment COMPANY AMOUNT TYPE COUNTRY TECH, PROD & SERVICES DESCRIPTION AirGo $2,700,000 Seed Oman Operator Servic...

On the left, Autostore’s ASRS, and on the right, Ocado’s ASRS. | Source: Autostore, Ocado Yesterday, the UK High Court ruled that Autostore’s patents, which have been the subject of a patent infringement case against Ocado , were invalid, and that Ocado did not infringe upon them. Both Autostore and Ocado operate automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) that operate on similar principles. Autostore filed the lawsuit in October 2020, when it asserted that Ocado infringed upon six of its patents. The European Patent Office invalidated two of these patents before judgment was made on the case, and two other patents were withdrawn by Autostore before the hearing started.  Judge Hacon invalidated the remaining two patents because AutoStore had disclosed its technology publically in a business deal with the Central Bank of Russia before the company filed its patents. Halcon ruled that even if the patents were valid, the Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) did not infringe on the...

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and UC Berkeley want to give quadrupeds more capabilities similar to their biological counterparts. Just like real dogs can use their front legs for things other than walking and running, like digging and other manipulation tasks, the researchers think quadrupeds could someday do the same. Currently, we see quadrupeds use their legs as just legs to navigate their surroundings. Some of them, like Boston Dynamics’ Spot, get around these limitations by adding a robotic arm to the quadruped’s back . This arm allows Spot to manipulate things, like opening doors and pressing buttons, while maintaining the flexibility that four legs give locomotion. However, the researchers at CMU and UC Berkeley taught a Unitree Go1 quadruped, equipped with an Intel RealSense camera for perception, how to use its front legs to climb walls, press buttons, kick a soccer ball and perform other object interactions in the real world , on top of teaching it how ...

Bill Gates recently had the opportunity to take a ride in London inside a Wayve autonomous vehicle (AV) and gave his thoughts on the future of driving in a new Gates Notes blog post . While most AVs work by extensively mapping out the areas they drive in, Wayve uses deep learning techniques to allow its cars to drive anywhere humans can. To train its software, Wayve uses hundreds of millions of data samples of real-world and simulated driving.  Last year, Wayve announced it was working with Microsoft, which Gates co-founded, to leverage the supercomputing infrastructure needed to support the development of AI-based models for AVs on a global scale. Microsoft also participated in the company’s $200 million funding round in January 2022 .  The Wayve AV was able to safely navigate the busy streets of downtown London with a safety driver present behind the wheel.  In his blog post, Gates seemed cautiously optimistic about the future of AVs. He predicted that it’s likel...

Times Microwave Systems , a leading brand in innovative RF and microwave interconnect assemblies, cables, and connectors, released its XtendedFlex 178 continuous flex coaxial cable. Designed for plastic cable drag chains, the XF-178 cable is built for applications requiring constant motion and flexibility, such as robotics and industrial automation technologies in large distribution centers. Constructed with a unique combination of materials, including a stranded silver-plated copper-clad steel center conductor, FEP dielectric, tin-plated copper braid, and a rubber jacket, the cable is both flexible and durable to survive the rigors of millions of flexures. Here is a datasheet (PDF) about the new cable. Additionally, Times Microwave Systems’ performance testing has proven the XtendedFlex 178’s reliability. Using a rolling flex tester robot, the cable was subjected to one million flexes and maintained low insertion loss and VSWR specifications while preserving mechanical flexibilit...

What is the best architectural approach to use when developing medical robots? Is it ROS, ROS 2 or other open-source or commercial frameworks? The upcoming Robotics Summit & Expo (May 10-11 in Boston) will explore engineering questions concerning the level of concern, risk, design controls, and evidence on a couple of different applications of these frameworks. In a session on May 10 from 2-2:45 PM, Tom Amlicke, Software Systems Engineer, MedAcuity will discuss the “Keys to Using ROS 2 and Other Frameworks for Medical Robots.” Amlicke will look at three hypothetical robotic systems and explore these approaches: 1. An application based on the da Vinci Research Kit through regulatory clearance 2. ROS as test tools to verify the software requirements for a visual guidance system 3. Commercial off-the-shelve robot arm used for a medical application If you attend his session, you will also learn how to create trade-offs with these different architectural approaches and how to v...

German Robotics and Automation global turnover. | Source: VDMA Robotics + Automation German robotics and automation experts expect the industry’s gross revenue to grow by 9%, reaching 15.7 billion euros (over $17 billion) by the end of 2023, according to the VDMA Robotics + Automation Association .  “Demand for robotics and automation remains high and the transformation of many customer industries requires innovative automation solutions. The easing in supply chain disruptions is now putting the industry in a position to successively work off the enormously high order backlog,” Frank Konrad, Chairman of the VDMA R+A Association and CEO of Hahn Automation GmbH in Rheinböllen, Germany, said.  The VDMA R+A Association is a trade association that is made up of more than 370 member companies. These companies include suppliers of components and systems from the fields of robotics, integrated assembly systems and machine vision.  Germany was the fourth most automated count...

Gecko Robotics , a creator of wall-climbing robots for asset inspection, announced that it’s expanding its work with the US Navy. Gecko’s robots will now be inspecting the US Navy’s first amphibious assault ship and an additional Arleigh Burke Class destroyer.  Gecko’s AI-powered robots gather data and build digital models of the Navy’s vessels to increase the speed of maintenance cycles and reduce the amount of time Navy vessels spend in dry dock.  Since being deployed with the Navy, Gecko’s robots have been able to reduce the lead time required for a ship rudder inspection from 11 days to one. Gecko’s inspections are also much more thorough than manual ones, for example, for one Navy asset, Gecko’s robots found more than 4.2 million data points on its inspection, while traditional methods found only 100 data points.  “We built Gecko Robotics to solve the hardest physical problems facing the world’s most important organizations,” Jake Loosararian, CEO and Co-Founder ...

Neubility mobile robots operate on the sidewalk to fulfill last-mile delivery services from a retailer or restaurant. | Credit: Neubility Korean sidewalk delivery robotics company Neubility announced that it has secured a $24.2 million (30 billion won) investment from Samsung Venture Investment. The company is ready to expand its automated delivery service to new overseas markets, including Japan, Europe, and the United States. Neubility was founded in 2017 and since that time, the company has developed a functional autonomous sidewalk delivery robot in South Korea. The robot operates in the public space on sidewalks, to deliver goods from a restaurant or retailer to the end customer. The company was awarded the CES 2023 Innovation Award-winning self-driving robot, Neubie, and the Robot as a Service (RaaS) platform , Neubiego. Neubility CEO Sangmin Lee said, “We are honored and pleased to attract an investment from Samsung Venture Investment.” He also added, “Neubility will stri...

Destaco has launched a portfolio of end-of-arm tooling solutions for collaborative robot arms (cobots). The variety of tooling solutions are designed for gripping, palletizing, machine tending, tool changing, and tool extension applications for up to 10 kg payloads. All of the new tooling solutions are compatible with cobots that have an ISO 9409-1-50-4-M6 end-of-arm mounting pattern. Blank robots and tool plates are offered for those who wish to use their own mounting patterns. Destaco highlighted its Microtool End Effectors, which it said enable cobots to perform palletizing functions. Users that know the length, width and weight of the packages to be lifted and transferred can select the palletizing kit type and pre-determined vacuum cup size necessary for the application, eliminating tool design work with off-the-shelf kits. Destaco’s other cobot tooling solutions include: CB-200 Quick-Move Base: Allows the cobot to be moved from one workstation to another without the need ...

Collaborative robots (cobots) are one of the fastest-growing types of industrial robotics. The cobot market is moving so fast it is often difficult for current and potential end-users to keep up with the latest developments. Collaborative Robotics Training Days is here to help. The educational series will provide a snapshot of the current state of the sector, including new capabilities, powerful enabling technologies, and real-world case studies about emerging and established cobot applications. Hearing from some of the best minds in the market, attendees will learn how to select, program, deploy, and manage collaborative robots. A detailed agenda can be found below. Again, interested attendees can register here for free . Collaborative Robots and Intelligent Motion Control Speaker: Prabh Gowrisankaran, VP of Engineering & Strategy, Performance Motion Devices March 29 at 2 PM Eastern This session will focus on servo actuators that function as end effectors. Understanding th...

Amazon recently gave more information about how Astro , the company’s multip-purpose home robot, is able to move smoothly through its environment with limited onboard computational capabilities.  Astro’s sensor field of view and onboard computational capabilities aren’t nearly as powerful as other autonomous robots, like autonomous vehicles. This makes it a much more affordable option for consumers, but it also means it’s more challenging for Amazon to deliver a high-quality of motion.  Amazon counteracts Astro’s lack of computation capabilities with algorithms and software designed to allow the robot to move more gracefully.  Predictive planning is a key aspect of Astro’s navigational abilities. Astro’s limited computational capabilities mean it struggles with a large sensing-to-actuation latency. To combat this, Astro makes predictions about the movements of the objects around it, like people. The robot predicts where those objects will be and what its surroundings...

Berkshire Grey produces ecommerce fulfillment automation systems that autonomously bring inventory to sorting and picking stations to assemble customer orders. | Credit: Berkshire Grey Berkshire Grey, Inc. said that it has reached a final agreement to merge with SoftBank Group Corp. and its affiliate, which are both known as “SoftBank.” Under the terms of the agreement, SoftBank will buy all of the company’s outstanding capital stock that it does not already own for $1.40 per share. This is a cash deal worth about $375 million. SoftBank is a strategic investment holding company with investments in AI, smart robotics, IoT, telecommunications, internet services, and clean energy technology providers. In January 2020, Softbank participated in Berkshire Grey’s $263 million Series B financing round . “After a thoughtful review of value creation opportunities available to Berkshire Grey, we are pleased to have reached this agreement with SoftBank, which we believe offers significant valu...

Last Thursday, March 23, 2023, a Cruise robotaxi, operating autonomously and with no driver or passengers in the vehicle, was involved in a minor accident with a San Francisco Muni bus. No one was injured in the incident. Both the Cruise vehicle and Muni bus received some damages, with the robotaxi seeming to take the brunt of the impact, according to Forbes . While there aren’t many details about the accident, Cruise tweeted the following brief statement after the incident: “Yesterday, one of our vehicles made contact with the rear of a Muni bus. No injuries were reported, and there were no passengers present in the Cruise AV. We are investigating the incident and will take follow-up actions if appropriate.” Robotaxi companies are typically quick to clear things up if their vehicles aren’t at fault in incidents. So many are assuming the Cruise robotaxi rear-ended the bus, based partly on Cruise saying in the statement one of its vehicles “made contact with the rear of a Muni bus.” ...

Celera Motion , a business unit of Novanta Inc., launched its Summit Designer tool that delivers standard market-ready printed circuit board (PCB) designs for robotic applications. Celera Motion, headquartered in Bedford, Mass., is a provider of motion-control components and subsystems for OEMs serving a variety of medical and advanced industrial markets. Celera Motion said it offers precision encoders, motors and customized mechatronic solutions. Celera Motion will be exhibiting in booth 335 of the Robotics Summit & Expo , the world’s premier commercial robotics development event that takes place May 10-11 in Boston. Summit Designer is an open-source PCB design library featuring a diverse and vast offering of market-ready application-specific PCBs that are designed, supported and updated by experts. It is a new way to develop compact robot joints, multi-axis mobile robotics systems , industrial end-effectors and surgical robots, among many others. “Summit Designer allows ...

Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation (Sarcos), a company working to design, develop and manufacture advanced robotic systems that redefine human possibilities, is collaborating with Jabil Inc. , a manufacturing solutions provider, to expand Sarcos’ production capacity for its robotic systems and sub-systems. Under the terms of the agreement, Sarcos will utilize Jabil’s broad manufacturing services to produce a variety of leading-edge robotic systems and sub-systems. The company also will be able to leverage Jabil’s global footprint, strategic supplier relationships, and state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to accelerate volume production while benefiting from advanced supply chain, procurement, and component-sourcing solutions. “We expect that our relationship with Jabil will advance Sarcos’ manufacturing capabilities tremendously, helping to augment our overall production capacity and enabling us to scale much faster than we could without their support,” Kiva Allgood, p...

The first 3D-printed rocket called GLHF from Relativity Space was successfully launched this week. | Credit: Relativity Space Relativity Space successfully launched a 3D-printed rocket on Wednesday March 24, 2023. The first Terran 1 rocket called “GLHF” (Good Luck Have Fun) lifted off from launch complex 16 at Cape Canaveral. The Terran 1 is the largest 3D-printed object to be launched as a rocket. After two prior scrubbed launch attempts over the last week, GLHF successfully lifted off from the launch pad, and reached two goals during its brief flight: Max-Q: the point of greatest aerodynamic pressure on the rocket body Main engine shut off: the completion of the main engine burn The rocket failed to reach orbit in what appears to be a secondary rocket engine failure. As of press time, there is no news on the exact failure. Without the secondary engine ignition, the rocket did not have enough power to reach orbit. Relativity Space uses industrial robots to 3D print the robo...

Wendy Tan White, the CEO of Intrinsic, a robotics software and AI company at Alphabet, will be keynoting the Robotics Summit & Expo on May 10-11, 2023, in Boston.  Intrinsic aims to unlock the creative and economic potential of industrial robotics for businesses, entrepreneurs and developers by making industrial robots easier to use and train. Intrinsic became an Alphabet “Other Bet” in July 2021. In December 2022, Intrinsic acquired the Open Source Robotics Corporation (OSRC) , the for-profit arm of the Open Source Robotics Foundation, which is the developer of the Robot Operating System (ROS). When the acquisition was announced, Intrinsic said that long-term support for developers of the global ROS community was key to its mission to democratize access to robotics.  Tan White will give her keynote talk, titled “Future of Open-Source Robotics Development” on the first day of the Summit at 9:30 AM.  Prior to becoming CEO at Intrinsic, Tan White was a Vice Presid...

Editors from The Robot Report attended the 2023 ProMat event in Chicago. In episode 109 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss the news and stories from the event. Also in this week’s episode, Mike highlights news related to the future of AI and robotics from the recent Nvidia GTC event. ProMat 2023 Review New robotics companies at the show included: Mushiny Multiway Robotics Quiktron SEER Tuskrobots Slip Robotics Pickle Robots The most interesting robotics solutions at the show: Autonomous forklifts were everywhere on the show floor Agility Robotics demoed the latest iteration of Digit robot RightHand Robotics’ demoed a new suction cup switcher Boston Dynamics Stretch trailer unloading demo worked well Slip robotics had a new, novel trailer-loading/unloading AMR-based solution Locus One Interoperability was a key new feature of LocusOne software Verve Motion exosuit is a solution to warehouse worker fatigue For a complete sum...

ProMat brings together some of the world’s leading manufacturing and supply chain equipment providers. This year’s show had 1,000-plus exhibitors, and as a first-time attendee, I had plenty of robotic systems to learn about during my three days at the show.  Here’s a recap, in no particular order, of some of the best robots at ProMat 2023.  Agility Robotics’ Digit https://www.therobotreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Agility.mp4 The Agility Robotics booth was packed for most of the show, and for good reason. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to see a bipedal robot in action. According to Agility, Digit’s demo was based on a real customer use case, and it was running during all four days of the show. Digit was the winner of ProMat’s Best New Innovation Award. Digit is the product of over two decades of research and development. While the company may have started its journey by looking at various use cases for a bipedal robot, anything from running into bur...