Goodbye to the hydraulic version of Atlas and hello to the electric model designed for commercialization. That’s the message from Boston Dynamics Inc., which yesterday retired the older version of its humanoid robot after 15 years of development and today showed a preview of its successor.

“The next generation of the Atlas program builds on decades of research and furthers our commitment to delivering the most capable, useful mobile robots solving the toughest challenges in the industry today: with Spot, with Stretch, and now with Atlas,” said the company in a blog post. Spot is a quadruped used in facilities inspection and other tasks, and Stretch is designed to unload trucks.

Boston Dynamics began with humanoids by sawing one of its pneumatically powered quadrupeds in half back in 2009. By 2016, the Waltham, Mass.-based company showed that its robot could walk, open a door, and maintain its balance while being shoved by a person holding a hockey stick, all without a tether.

Roboticists continued to improve Atlas, giving it a smaller form factor and more sensors, training its artificial intelligence, and enabling it to do increasingly impressive feats. They ranged from parkour and dancing to taking tools through a mock construction site.

In fact, it was that demonstration of Atlas manipulating a plank, picking up a bag of tools, and taking it to a worker that earned Boston Dynamics an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award. The company will be exhibiting at the RBR50 Showcase at the Robotics Summit & Expo on May 1 and 2.

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Boston Dynamics evolves with the times

As capable as the YouTube darling was, the older version of Atlas still had limitations, both in range of motion and in terms of size and power usage. Boston Dynamics noted that it designed its legged robots to operate in unstructured environments, and it acknowledged that Atlas was initially a research and development project rather than a commercial product.

In the meantime, the company itself changed owners, from Google in 2013 to SoftBank in 2017 and most recently to Hyundai in 2020. Along with those changes came an increasing focus on robots such as Spot and Stretch serving industrial needs. To continue pure research, Hyundai founded the Boston Dynamics AI Institute in 2022.

“The AI Institute recently launched a new version of Spot with an API [application programming interface] designed for researchers,” said Robert Playter, CEO of Boston Dynamics. “We’re talking about how to jointly solve some big challenges — the diversity of manipulation tasks we need to do with this robot [Atlas] is huge, and AI is essential to enabling that generality.”

Playter told The Robot Report that Boston Dynamics needs results within two to three years, while the AI Institute has more of a five-year timeframe.

Robot lessons apply to fleets, new Atlas

“It takes a solid year from a clean sheet to a new robot,” said Playter. “We wanted to know that we could solve essential dexterous manipulation problems before releasing the product.”

Boston Dynamics learned numerous lessons from commercializing Spot and Stretch, he said. It has improved control policies, upgraded actuation, and minimized joint complexity. The new Atlas has three-fingered grippers.

The Orbit fleet management software, which initially applies to indoor deployments of Spot, could also help supervise Stretch and Atlas.

Atlas gets ready for mobile manipulation in industrial settings. Source: Boston Dynamics

“Everything we understood, from the time of launching Spot as a prototype to it being a reliable product deployed in fleets, is going into the new Atlas,” Playter said. “We’re confident AI and Orbit will help enhance behaviors. For instance, by minimizing slipping on surfaces at Anheuser-Busch, we proved that we can develop algorithms and make it reliable.”

“Now, 1,500 robots in our fleet have them running,” he added. “It’s essential for customers like Purina to monitor and manage fleets as a vehicle for collecting data. As we develop and download new capabilities, Orbit becomes a hub for an ecosystem of different robots.”

Safety and autonomy are basic building blocks

Boston Dynamics has considered safe collaboration in its development of the new Atlas. ASTM International is developing safety standards for legged robots.

“We recognized early on that Atlas is going to work in spaces that have people in them,” said Playter. “This sets the bar much higher than lidar with AMRs [autonomous mobile robots].”

“We started thinking about functionally safe 3D vision,” he recalled. “We started with Stretch inside a container, but ultimately, we want it going everywhere in a warehouse. Advanced, functionally safe, remote vision and onboard systems are essential to solving safety.”

While Spot and Atlas are often teleoperated, Playter said this is a necessary step toward greater levels of autonomy.

“Making the robots knowledgeable about different types of objects and how to grasp them, teleoperation is just a tool for providing examples and data to the robot,” he explained. “It’s not a useful way of building intuition, but it’s easier if you can operate robots at a higher and higher level. Like you don’t need to tell Spot where to plant its feet, you don’t want to tell Atlas where to grasp.”

In the new video below, the previous version of Atlas handles automotive parts and real products weighing up to 25 lb. (11.3 kg).

Atlas ready for rivals in the humanoid race

Over the past two years, the number of humanoid robots in development has rapidly grown. It now includes Agility Robotics‘ Digit, Tesla’s Optimus, and Figure AI‘s Figure 01. In the two past weeks alone, Rainbow Robotics, Sanctuary AI, and Mentee Robotics have all made announcements.

Investment has also been flowing to humanoid companies, with 1X Technologies raising $100 million in January, Figure AI raising $675 million in February, and Accenture investing in Sanctuary AI in March.

Humanoid robots have advanced in parallel with generative AI, and Playter said he welcomes the competition.

“There were three seminal events: Boston Dynamics got acquired for $1 billion, interest in Tesla’s robot validated what we’ve done for a long time, and the emergence of new AI holds the promise of generalization of tasks,” he said. “They’ve inspired lots of new players, but having new tech isn’t all you need to have a commercial product. You need to focus on a use case, build a reliable machine, and manufacture it in a way to build a business. We want to avoid a ‘humanoid winter,’ so rollouts have to be real.”

Playter added that practical design and proper implementation of AI will help differentiate robots rather than focusing on making them more human-like. The new version of Atlas demonstrated that point in how it stood up in the video at the top of this article.

“It’s not talking to a robot that moves the needle, but whether you can build a robot that eventually does 500 tasks,” he said. “Anthropomorphism blows things out of perspective. We did not want a human-shaped head for Atlas. We want people to remember it’s a machine and that it can move in ways humans can’t.”

The financial stability of the businesses involved will also be relevant for commercial success, said Playter. 

“It takes sustained investment; these are expensive products to launch,” he noted. “Having products already out helps build momentum.”

Atlas is humanoid — to a point. Source: Boston Dynamics

When will we see the new robot in the wild?

Boston Dynamics will begin testing the all-electric version of Atlas with parent company Hyundai and select partners next year, said Playter.

“We’re beginning in their factory,” he told The Robot Report. “In addition to the target application of a lot of parts movement — a special kind of logistics in automotive production — I think that will evolve as the dexterity of the robots improves over time.”

“We see robots in the workplace as an evolution, a continuum from Spot to Atlas,” asserted Playter. “Each product in the series informs the launch of the next.”

“Industries will have to figure out how to adapt and incorporate humanoids into their facilities,” he said. “We’ll actually see robots in the wild in factories beginning next year. We want a diversity of tasks.”

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Electric Sheep is vertically integrating its field operations team with autonomous mowers. | Credit: Electric Sheep

This year, the annual RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards added new categories: Application of the Year, Startup of the Year, and Robot of the Year. We received numerous submissions for some incredible startups innovating in some interesting markets. The Robot Report‘s team chose autonomous landscaping company Electric Sheep Robotics as the inaugural RBR50 Startup of the Year.

The San Francisco-based company has a novel business plan that is immediately bringing in revenue while it takes its time to evolve the underlying technology. This is different from many robotics businesses, which simply sell or lease systems to integrators and end users.

“We are honored to be recognized by WTWH Media’s Robotics Group with this inaugural award. I want to also acknowledge our dedicated team at Electric Sheep that are passionate about creating the most advanced robotics that can change an often overlooked industry,” stated Nag Murty, co-founder and CEO of Electric Sheep. “We are doing things differently than other robotic companies by using AI and ML at a higher level for localization and high-level control. We are scaling physical agents across the country to care for our outdoor spaces.”

Founded in 2019, Electric Sheep has grown to over 100 employees, and it has raised more than $25 million in funding to date, according to Crunchbase.

You can also learn more about Murty’s entrepreneurial philosophy and Chief Technology Officer Michael Laskey’s design principles on a recent episode of The Robot Report Podcast.

Acquisitions add data for autonomy AI

Electric Sheep develops autonomous robots for outdoor maintenance. Its flagship robot is an autonomous mower backed by the company’s ES1 foundation model.

Based on recent advances in generative AI, ES1 is a learned-world model that enables reasoning and planning for the Verdie robot. ES1 powers both the RAM robot for mowing and now Verdie for edging and trimming lawns and bushes and blowing leaves.

In addition, Electric Sheep acquired four landscaping companies last year and said that this is a key part of its long-term plan. This strategy isn’t just about revenue. The businesses it acquires can also use ES1 and provide crucial data to make the model more effective.

This information can help improve Electric Sheep’s operations, enabling its robots to start working as soon as they arrive at a job site. 

Since taking this two-pronged approach to development and business, the company reported that its sales have grown eightfold. Electric Sheep has set itself apart from other startups by making sure it always has money coming in and by finding a unique way to get important data about its business.

Meet Electric Sheep at the Robotics Summit & Expo 

This year’s RBR50 award winners will be celebrated at the Robotics Summit & Expo, which will be on May 1 and 2 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Electric Sheep will be demonstrate its newest robot powered by ES1, Verdie, the RBR50 showcase on the expo floor.

Attendees at the 2024 Robotics Summit and Expo at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center will have an opportunity to meet members of Electric Sheep’s executive team. Co-founder and CEO Nag Murty will present a session titled “Startup Survival Guide to Lean Times” at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 2.

Murty will be joined by Oliver Mitchell, partner of ff Venture Capital; Fiona O’Donnell McCarthy, principal of True Ventures; and Steve Crowe, executive editor of robotics at WTWH Media. This panel will share tips from experienced investors and robotics companies on what they’re looking for and attendees will learn how organizations can navigate the challenging path to commercialization.

In addition, tickets are available for the first RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Gala, which will be at the end of Day 1 of the event. The Robotics Summit & Expo will be the biggest yet, with keynotes and sessions from leading companies, more than 200 exhibitors, up to 5,000 attendees, a Women in Robotics Breakfast, and a Robotics Engineering Career Fair.

Co-located events include DeviceTalks Boston, which focuses on medical devices, and the inaugural Digital Transformation Forum. which will focus on manufacturing. Registration is now open for the Robotics Summit.

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Two Autopicker mobile manipulators in a warehouse aisle. Source: Brightpick

This year, the annual RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards added new categories: Application of the Year, Startup of the Year, and Robot of the Year. We received numerous submissions, but the Autopicker system from Brightpick stood out for automating both mobile manipulation and each picking.

Other robots combining mobility with manipulation have come and gone, from Fetch and Freight to Swift, in part because getting to commercially viable levels of reliability has been challenging. Not only has Autopicker added newer artificial intelligence to the mix, but it has also been deployed in existing customer warehouses.

“On the AI side, this was not possible five to six years ago,” Jan Zizka, co-founder and CEO of Brightpick, told The Robot Report. “Serious breakthroughs enable machine learning to generalize to unseen items.”

Autopicker learns with each pick

Autopicker combines a mobile base, a robotic arm, machine vision, and AI for e-commerce order fulfillment. The system reduces the need for warehouse associates to travel with carts, thanks to its patented design, which enables it to pick items from standard shelving and place them in either of two totes.

Brightpick said Autopicker can pick groceries, cosmetics, electronics, pharmaceuticals, apparel, and more with 99.9% accuracy. Its AI algorithms have been trained on more than 500 million picks to date, and they are improving with each pick, added the company.

Announced in February 2023, the system also supports pallet picking, replenishment, dynamic slotting, buffering, and dispatch. It can store up to 50,000 SKUs, said Brightpick. It also offers a goods-to-person option for heavy or hard-to-pick items, and Autopicker can raise its bins to waist height for ergonomic picking.

In the past year, customers such as Netrush and Rohlik Group began deploying the company’s latest system. Autopicker is available for direct purchase or through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model.

See Brightpick at the Robotics Summit & Expo 

Cincinnati-based Brightpick is a unit of Bratislava, Slovakia-based machine vision provider Photoneo s.r.o. The company said its systems can “enable warehouses of any size to fully automate order picking, consolidation, dispatch, and stock replenishment.”

Brightpick, which has more than 200 employees, claimed that its robots take only weeks to deploy and can reduce labor assigned to picking by 98% and picking costs by half. In January 2023, the company raised $19 million in Series B funding for its U.S. expansion, and it said demand for Autopicker has been strong.

This year’s RBR50 award winners will be celebrated at the Robotics Summit & Expo, which will be on May 1 and 2 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. Brightpick will be part of the RBR50 showcase on the expo floor.

In addition, tickets are available for the first RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Gala, which will be at the end of Day 1 of the event. The Robotics Summit & Expo will be the biggest yet, with keynotes and sessions from leading companies, more than 200 exhibitors, up to 5,000 attendees, a Women in Robotics Breakfast, and a Robotics Engineering Career Fair.

Co-located events include DeviceTalks Boston, which focuses on medical devices, and the inaugural Digital Transformation Forum. which will focus on manufacturing. Registration is now open for the Robotics Summit.

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Collaborative robots could become easier to program and use, thanks to new developer tools. Universal Robots A/S yesterday said it has strengthened its partnership with The MathWorks Inc. by joining the MathWorks Connections Program. The program supports developers and distributors of commercial products, training, and consulting based on MATLAB and Simulink.

The two companies have already worked closely together, co-developing a support package for Robotics System Toolbox that launched in 2023. Engineers can design, simulate, test, and deploy collaborative robot applications onto UR cobots using MATLAB and Robotics System Toolbox from MathWorks.

In addition, MathWorks became a UR+ partner last year, joining Universal Robots’ ecosystem of more than 300 companies creating products for the UR platform.

MathWorks brings MATLAB and Simulink to cobot apps

“In conjunction with MathWorks joining UR+, Universal Robots’ entry into the Connections Program formalizes the organizations’ commitment to helping engineers develop advanced cobot applications and ensures compatibility with new MathWorks releases,” said Jim Tung, a fellow at MathWorks. “With Universal Robots’ market leadership and the ability of MATLAB and Simulink to accelerate the pace of innovation, integrators and end users will continue to solve ever-more complex automation workflows.”

Founded in 1984, MathWorks is a leading developer of mathematical computing software. MATLAB, the language of technical computing, is a programming environment for algorithm development, data analysis, visualization, and numeric computation.

The Natick, Mass.-based company described Simulink as a graphical environment for simulation and model-based design of multidomain dynamic and embedded systems. MathWorks said engineers and scientists worldwide rely on its products to accelerate the pace of discovery, innovation, and development in automotive, aerospace, electronics, financial services, biotech-pharmaceutical, and other industries.

MathWorks asserted that its products are “fundamental teaching and research tools in the world’s universities and learning institutions.” It employs more than 6,000 people in 34 offices around the world.

Universal Robots co-sponsors ARM Challenge

“We are delighted to be a part of the Connections Program and to expand our collaboration with MathWorks,” said Jesper Kildegaard Poulsen, senior director of digital ecosystems at Universal Robots.

“At Universal Robots, we constantly push the boundaries of what can be automated and how easily it can be done,” he added. “Together with MathWorks, we look forward to continuing our common quest to simplify advanced cobot deployments for robotics engineers.”

In addition, Universal Robots has partnered with MathWorks to organize the Autonomous Robot Manipulation (ARM) Challenge this July in Eindhoven, Netherlands, as an affiliated event to RoboCup 2024. The ARM Challenge young researchers and students to address problems related to autonomous robot manipulation.

RoboCup and MathWorks have organized the competition since 2021. As a co-organizer in 2024, Universal Robots will provide its UR5e cobots to participants for the final rounds of the competition.

Founded in 2005, Universal Robots is a leading provider of collaborative robots used across a wide range of industries and in education. The Odense, Denmark-based unit of Teradyne Inc. offers a portfolio of cobots with a range of reaches and payload capacities.

Universal Robots said it has sold more than 75,000 robots worldwide, and its partner ecosystem offers components, kits, and systems for a a wide range of applications. The company said it “aims to create a world where people work with robots, not like robots.”

Editor’s note: Ujjwal Kumar, group president of UR parent Teradyne Robotics, will present a keynote on “Driving the Transformation of the Robotics Industry” on Day 2 of the Robotics Summit & Expo.

An RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award Winner, Universal Robots will be among those honored at the first RBR50 Gala at the Robotics Summit. Registration is now open for the event, which will be at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on May 1 and 2.

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The AMD Versal AI Edge and Prime Gen 2 are next-gen SoCs. Source: Advanced Micro Devices

To enable more artificial intelligence on edge devices such as robots, hardware vendors are adding to their processor portfolios. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. today announced the expansion of its adaptive system on chip, or SoC, line with the new AMD Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 and Versal Prime Series Gen 2.

“The demand for AI-enabled embedded applications is exploding and driving the need for solutions that bring together multiple compute engines on a single chip for the most efficient end-to-end acceleration within the power and area constraints of embedded systems,” stated Salil Raje, senior vice president and general of the Adaptive and Embedded Computing Group at AMD.

“Based on over 40 years of adaptive computing leadership in high-security, high-reliability, long-lifecycle, and safety-critical applications, these latest-generation Versal devices offer high compute efficiency and performance on a single architecture that scales from the low end to high end,” he added.

For more than 50 years, AMD said it has been a leading innovator in high-performance computing (HPC), graphics, and visualization technologies. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company noted that billions of people, Fortune 500 businesses, and scientific research institutions worldwide rely on its technology daily.

Versal Gen 2 addresses three phases of accelerated AI

Advanced Micro Devices said the Gen 2 systems put preprocessing, AI inference, and postprocessing on a single device to deliver accelerated AI. This provides the optimal mix for accelerated AI meet the complex processing needs of real-world embedded systems, it asserted.

• Preprocessing: The new systems include FPGA (field-programmable gate array) logic fabric for real-time preprocessing; flexible connections to a wide range of sensors; and implementation of high-throughput, low-latency data-processing pipelines.
• AI inference: AMD said it provides an array of vector processes in the form of next-generation AI Engines for efficient inference.
• Postprocessing: Arm CPU cores provide the power needed for complex decision-making and control for safety-critical applications, said AMD.

“This single-chip intelligence can eliminate the need to build multi-chip processing solutions, resulting in smaller, more efficient embedded AI systems with the potential for shorter time to market,” the company said.

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AMD builds to maximize power and compute

AMD said its latest systems offer up to 10x more scalar compute compared with the first generation, so the devices can more efficiently handle sensor processing and complex scalar workloads. The Versal Prime Gen 2 devices include new hard IP for high-throughput video processing, including up to 8K multi-channel worflows.

This makes the scalable portfolio suitable for applications such as ultra-high-definition (UHD) video streaming and recording, industrial PCs, and flight computers, according to the company.

In addition, the new SoCs include new AI Engines that AMD claimed will deliver three times the TOPS (trillions of operations per second) per watt than the first-generation Versal AI Edge Series devices.

“Balancing performance, power, [and] area, together with advanced functional safety and security, Versal Series Gen 2 devices deliver new capabilities and features,” said AMD. It added that they “enable the design of high-performance, edge-optimized products for the automotive, aerospace and defense, industrial, vision, healthcare, broadcast, and pro AV [autonomous vehicle] markets.”

“Single-chip intelligence for embedded systems will enable pervasive AI, including robotics … smart city, cloud and AI, and the digital home,” said Manuel Uhm, director for Versal marketing at AMD, in a press briefing. “All will need to be accelerated.”

The Versal Prime Gen 2 is designed for high-throughput applications such as video processing. Source: AMD

Versal powers Subaru’s ADAS vision system

Subaru Corp. is using AMD’s adaptive SoC technology in current vehicles equipped with its EyeSight advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). EyeSight is integrated into certain car models to enable advanced safety features including adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and pre-collision braking.

“Subaru has selected Versal AI Edge Series Gen 2 to deliver the next generation of automotive AI performance and safety for future EyeSight-equipped vehicles,” said Satoshi Katahira. He is general manager of the Advanced Integration System Department and ADAS Development Department, Engineering Division, at Subaru.

“Versal AI Edge Gen 2 devices are designed to provide the AI inference performance, ultra-low latency, and functional safety capabilities required to put cutting-edge AI-based safety features in the hands of drivers,” he added.

Vivado and Vitis part of developer toolkits

AMD said its Vivado Design Suite tools and libraries can help boost productivity and streamline hardware design cycles, offering fast compile times and enhanced-quality results. The company said the Vitis Unified Software Platform “enables embedded software, signal processing, and AI design development at users’ preferred levels of abstraction, with no FPGA experience needed.”

Earlier this year, AMD released the Embedded+ architecture for accelerated edge AI, as well as the Spartan UltraScale+ FPGA family for edge processing.

Early-access documentation for Versal Series Gen 2 is now available, along with first-generation Versal evaluation kits and design tools. AMD said it expects Gen 2 silicon samples to be available in the first half of 2025, followed by evaluation kits and system-on-modules samples in mid-2025, and production silicon in late 2025.

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Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (blue jacket, center), with Lt. Gov. Kimberly Driscoll, MassTech CEO Carolyn Kirk, Undersecretary of Economic Foundations Ashley Stolba, and MassRobotics’ team in Boston. Source: Office of the Governor

To kick off National Robotics Week, Massachusetts Governor Maura T. Healey today continued her Mass Leads Road Show with visits to MassRobotics and the North Andover High School.  

“Massachusetts is proud to be home to one of the lead robotics hubs in the world, and it’s essential that we continue to lengthen this lead through targeted investments like the Mass Leads Act,” said Gov. Healey. “It was great to see the innovative work being done in robotics from high school students in North Andover to cutting-edge startups at MassRobotics.” 

“We are excited to be joined by the governor, lieutenant governor, and staff members to celebrate National Robotics Week,” stated Tom Ryden, executive director of MassRobotics. “Robotics is an important industry in the state, employing over 5,000 people and shipping thousands of robots every month.”

“Massachusetts is truly the hub of robotics and recognized as a world leader,” he added. “With the continued support in the Mass Leads Act, this exciting industry will continue to grow in size and impact throughout the state.”

MassRobotics describes itself as “the largest independent robotics hub dedicated to accelerating innovation and adoption in the field of robotics.” The Boston-based organization recently kicked off Mass Robotics Accelerator, powered by Mass Tech Collaborative, to support 10 startups through an intensive 13-week program.

During their visit, Gov. Healey and Lt. Gov.  Kim Driscoll toured a lab space and met some of the startups housed at the facility. They also saw a classroom that is used for STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education. 

Lt. Gov. Driscoll and Gov. Healey with CEO Ian Goodine and CTO Ethan Walko, co-founders of Accelerator startup rStream. Source: MassRobotics

See Accelerator startups at Robotics Summit & Expo

MassRobotics will host a pavilion with the startups in its accelerator program at the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo, which will be on May 1 and 2 at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The startups will exhibit on the show floor and discuss their experiences in a session on Wednesday, May 1, at 4:15 p.m. EDT.

MassRobotics, a strategic partner of WTWH Media, which produces The Robot Report and the Robotics Summit, will also host an Engineering Career Fair and announce its Form & Function Challenge winners. Registration is now open for the Robotics Summit & Expo.

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Massachusetts invests in robotics leadership

Earlier this year, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech) launched a new $5 million initiative to boost the robotics sector across the state. The new department, established within the Innovation Institute at MassTech, is focused on supporting robotics research and development, testing, and workforce development.

“The investments proposed in the Mass Leads Act will help Massachusetts secure our leadership in the robotics sector,” said Yvonne Hao, secretary of economic development for Massachusetts. “The proposed robotics capital program at MassTech and reauthorization of the R&D Fund will drive innovation by funding research, commercialization, and training across the state.”

“MassTech’s mission is to create opportunities for growth in the Massachusetts innovation economy, and that definitely includes robotics,” said Carolyn Kirk, CEO of MassTech. “Our Innovation Institute implements a unique model for the state that spurs economic growth — together with industry leaders, academic researchers, and policymakers. MassTech is proud to help drive the competitiveness of tech and innovation through strategic investments and partnerships.”

The Innovation Institute has received state funding. Source: MassTech Collaborative

Governor visits North Andover High School, new Amazon warehouse

In North Andover, Gov. Healey met with the high school robotics club and congratulated the team ahead of the Vex Robotics World Championships, which they will compete in later this month. She saw its robotics projects and presented a proclamation for National Robotics Week.

“There’s a reason why 1 in 4 robotics patents are earned by Massachusetts inventors – it’s because we prioritize giving this industry the tools it needs to thrive,” said Driscoll. “Our administration is excited to continue supporting robotics entrepreneurs, as well as expanding opportunities for students to participate in STEM education and see themselves in a future career like robotics.”

Healey and Driscoll also visited a new Amazon warehouse in North Andover with 4 million sq. ft. of space. It cost $400 million to build and will employ 1,500 people, according to Amazon. The facility will also include thousands of robots, reported The Boston Globe.

“It’s applied robotics,” said Tye Brady, chief technologist at Amazon. “They’re not doing backflips or dances out there on the floor — I love those, I get it — but they’re doing the job of moving goods on time and very reliably.”

Brady will deliver a keynote on Amazon’s robotics strategy on May 1 at the Robotics Summit & Expo.

Massachusetts is committed to continuing its leadership in artificial intelligence and robotics and to retaining more of the talent that comes out its many educational institutions, the governor told The Robot Report.

North Andover is off to Dallas!! Huge congratulations to 8568A Knights (consisting of Jack, Noah, Ajaya, Niko, Sam, and Grant) and 8568C Cowboys (consisting of David, Alex, Nik, Soham, and Ellis) on qualifying for the World Championship! @NASupt @chetjackson22 @NA_Athletics pic.twitter.com/pNgaYrYVvz

— Knights Robotics (@Knights_8568) February 28, 2024

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Kiwibot will add intellectual property from AUTO Mobility Solutions to its delivery robot portfolio. Source: Kiwibot

Consolidation among mobile robot providers is not limited to warehouses. Kiwibot today announced that it has acquired AUTO Mobility Solutions Co.

“This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone in both companies’ journeys towards innovation and safeguarding privacy in the robotics industry, particularly for intelligent robots sourced from China and deployed in the Western markets,” Kiwibot stated.

“The acquisition of AUTO is a game-changer for us, bringing a wealth of technological innovation and a strong patent portfolio that will significantly enhance our cybersecurity measures for AI-powered robotics,” asserted Felipe Chavez, founder and CEO of Kiwibot. “This move not only strengthens our position in the market, but also connects the manufacturing expertise from Asia with the AI development in the West securely.”

Kiwibot develops delivery robots

Berkeley, Calif.-based Kiwibot has developed autonomous robots using artificial intelligence. The company claimed that it is a market leader of robotic deliveries on U.S. college campuses.

Since 2017, Kiwibot said it has successfully deployed robots across the U.S., Dubai, and Saudi Arabia. In 2020, it raised pre-seed funding and was an early guest on The Robot Report Podcast. It raised $10 million for deliveries as a service (DaaS) in December 2023.

“Kiwibot is actively exploring opportunities to expand our robotic delivery services beyond college campuses,” Chavez told The Robot Report. “We will soon announce customers in two different categories.”

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AUTO brings cybersecurity expertise

“Becoming a part of Kiwibot opens up new avenues for our technologies and patents,” noted Sming Liao, CEO of AUTO Mobility Solutions. “Together, we are poised to redefine the landscape of autonomous delivery services, ensuring greater security and efficiency.”

The Taipei, Taiwan-based company was incubated by ALi Corp. and develops integrated circuit (IC) chips for AI, self-driving vehicles, robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), and cybersecurity. Its systems feature advanced path planning, positioning, and obstacle-avoidance technology.

AUTO Mobility Solutions has built a patent portfolio in AI, IoT, and cybersecurity in Taipei. Source: Kiwibot

AUTO said its team will add more than 100 licensed patents to Kiwibot’s offerings.

“Our decision to join forces was solidified after recognizing the complementary nature of our technologies and the potential for a synergistic relationship,” said Chavez. “One of our investors from Taiwan introduced us, and we started the relationship as a customer for a custom cybersecurity chip.”

“The acquisition strategically positions us to bolster our cybersecurity infrastructure, especially considering the rising interest in AI and its associated vulnerabilities,” he added. “Together, Kiwibot and AUTO are looking to develop enhanced capabilities in autonomous navigation, AI-powered decision making, and advanced cybersecurity measures.”

Acquisition to expand global presence

The companies also said the acquisition will help the merged entity deliver leading systems globally and meet the evolving needs of both businesses and consumers.

“AUTO’s established presence in Taiwan and Shenzhen [China] will play a crucial role in helping Kiwibot navigate geopolitical and supply chain challenges,” explained Chavez. “Their expertise and strategic locations will aid in diversifying our supply chain and providing stability in our manufacturing and development processes, ensuring Kiwibot’s continued growth and scalability.”

Felipe Chavez, CEO of Kiwibot (left), and Sming Liao, CEO of AUTO (right). Source: Kiwibot

Kiwibot is still evaluating consolidation and rebranding, he told The Robot Report.

“The Taipei team will maintain a high degree of autonomy to leverage their specialized expertise and local knowledge effectively. While we are unified in our mission and strategy, we recognize the importance of fostering innovation through autonomous operations,” Chavez said. “We are currently evaluating how best to integrate our brands to reflect our unified strength while honoring the established identity and contributions of AUTO’s team.”

What are Kiwibot’s plans for the near future?

“Looking forward, Kiwibot’s roadmap includes the continuous improvement of our autonomous delivery robots, the expansion of our service areas, and the integration of AUTO’s technological advancement,” Chavez replied. “We are committed to pioneering the future of robotic services and ensuring a seamless and secure experience for our users. Stay tuned for exciting updates as we progress on this journey.”

The post Kiwibot acquires AUTO to strengthen delivery robot security appeared first on The Robot Report.

NEURA has developed cognitive robots in a variety of form factors. Source: NEURA Robotics

Talk about combining robotics and artificial intelligence is all the rage, but some convergence is already maturing. NEURA Robotics GmbH and Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies Inc. today announced a strategic partnership to introduce “cognitive robotics” into manufacturing.

“By pooling our sensor and AI technologies and expertise into an ultimate platform approach, we will significantly shape the future of the manufacturing industry and set new standards,” stated David Reger, founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics.

Reger founded the company in 2019 with the intention of combining sensors and AI with robotics components for a platform for app development similar to that of smartphones. The “NEURAverse” offers flexibility and cost efficiency in automation, according to the company.

“Unlike traditional industrial robots, cognitive robots have the ability to learn from their environment, make decisions autonomously, and adapt to dynamic production scenarios,” said Metzingen, Germany-based NEURA. “This opens new application possibilities including intricate assembly tasks, detailed quality inspections, and adaptive material handling processes.”

Omron has sensor, channel expertise

“We see NEURA’s cognitive technologies as a compelling growth opportunity for industrial robotics,” added Olivier Welker, president and CEO of Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies. “By combining NEURA’s innovative solutions with Omron’s global reach and automation portfolio, we will provide customers new ways to increase safety, productivity, and flexibility in their operations.”

Pleasanton, Calif.-based Omron Robotics is a subsidiary of OMRON Corp. focusing on automation and safety sensing. It designs and manufactures industrial, collaborative, and mobile robots for various industries.

“We’ve known Omron for quite some time, and even before I started NEURA, we had talked about collaborating,” Reger told The Robot Report. “They’ve tested our products, and we’ve worked together on how to benefit both sides.”

“We have the cognitive platform, and they’re one of the biggest sensor, controllers, and safety systems providers,” he added. “This collaboration will integrate our cognitive abilities and NEURAverse with their sensors for a plug-and-play solution, which everyone is working toward.”

Omron Robotics’ Olivier Welker and NEURA’s David Reger celebrate their partnership. Source: NEURA

Collaboration has ‘no limits’

When asked whether NEURA and Omron Robotics’ partnership is mainly focused on market access, Reger replied, “It’s not just the sales channel … there are no really big limits. From both sides, there will be add-ons.”

Rather than see each other as competitors, NEURA and Omron Robotics are working to make robots easier to use, he explained.

“As a billion-dollar company, it could have told our startup what it wanted, but Omron is different,” said Reger. “I felt we got a lot of respect from Olivier and everyone in that organization. It won’t be a one-sided thing; it will be just ‘Let’s help each other do something great.’ That’s what we’re feeling every day since we’ve been working together. Now we can start talking about it.”

NEURA has also been looking at mobile manipulation and humanoid robots, but adding capabilities to industrial automation is the “low-hanging fruit, where small changes can have a huge effect,” said Reger. “A lot of things for humanoids have not yet been solved.”

“I would love to just work on household robots, but the best way to get there is to use the synergy between industrial robotics and the household market,” he noted. “Our MAiRA, for example, is a cognitive robot able to scan an environment and from an idle state pick any known or unknown objects.”

MAiRA cognitive robot on MAV mobile base. Source: NEURA Robotics

Ease of use drives NEURA strategy

NEURA and Omron Robotics promise to make robots easier to use, helping overall adoption, Reger said.

“A big warehouse company out of the U.S. is claiming that it’s already using more than 1 million robots, but at the same time, I’m sure they’d love to use many more robots,” he said. “It’s also in the transformation from a niche market into a mass market. We see that’s currently only possible if you somehow control the environment.”

“It’s not just putting all the sensors inside the robot, which we were first to do, and saying, ‘OK, now we’re able to interact with a human and also pick objects,'” said Reger. “Imagine there are external sensors, but how do you calibrate them? To make everything plug and play, you need new interfaces, which means collaboration with big players like Omron that provide a lot of sensors for the automation market.”

NEURA has developed its own sensors and explored the balance of putting processing in the cloud versus the edge. To make its platform as popular with developers as that of Apple, however, the company needs the support of partners like Omron, he said.

Reger also mentioned NEURA’s partnership with Kawasaki, announced last year, in which Kawasaki offers the LARA CL series cobot with its portfolio. “Both collaborations are incredibly important for NEURA and will soon make sense to everyone,” he said.

NEURA to be at Robotics Summit & Expo

Reger will be presenting a session on “Developing Cognitive Robotics Systems” at 2:45 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, May 1, Day 1 of the Robotics Summit & Expo. The event will be at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, and registration is now open.

“I’ll be talking about making robots cognitive to enable AI to be useful to humanity instead of competing with us,” he said. “AI is making great steps, but if you look at what it’s doing, like drawing pictures or writing stories — these are things that I’d love to do but don’t have the time for. But if I ask, let’s say, AI to take out the garbage or show it a picture of garbage, it can tell me how to do it, but it’s simply not able to do something about it yet.”

NEURA is watching humanoid development but is focusing on integrating cognitive robotics with sensing and wearables as it expands in the U.S., said Reger. The company is planning for facilities in Detroit, Boston, and elsewhere, and it is looking for leadership team members as well as application developers and engineers.

“We don’t just want a sales office, but also production in the U.S.,” he said. “We have 220 people in Germany — I just welcomed 15 new people who joined NEURA — and are starting to build our U.S. team. In the past several months, we’ve gone with only European and American investors, and we’re looking at the Japanese market. The U.S. is now open to innovation, and it’s an exciting time for us to come.”

Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

The post NEURA and Omron Robotics partner to offer cognitive factory automation appeared first on The Robot Report.

Harmonic Drive will discuss the requirements for compact, power-dense actuation for reliable robotics. Credit: Adobe Stock

Next-generation collaborative robots, mobile manipulators, and even humanoid robots need motion control systems that can operate in space-constrained designs and that provide high performance and reliability. At the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo, Harmonic Drive LLC will discuss how to address this challenge.

Conventional actuators and cabling can require additional functionality that can compromise power density, noted the company. Brian Coyne, vice president of engineering at Harmonic Drive, will offer a potential solution in a session on “Developing a Low-Profile, Power-Dense Actuator to Meet the Demands of Current Robot Designs.”

The Enabling Technologies discussion will be at 11:30 a.m. ET on the first day of the Robotics Summit, Wednesday, May 1, in Room 257A in the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center.

Coyne will explain how Harmonic Drive developed its LPA-20 actuator to optimize power density while integrating a servo drive with options for CANopen or EtherCAT communication protocols. He will also welcome questions from attendees.

About Brian Coyne and Harmonic Drive

Coyne is vice president of engineering at Harmonic Drive. He has applied his mechatronics expertise to helping the company develop and launch its mini-actuator line. Coyne’s team is currently working on new product lines with advanced features.

Before coming to Harmonic Drive, Coyne spent 15 years at Assembly and Automation Technology (AAT). Prior to that, he attended Tufts University, where he developed his appreciation and understanding for custom machine design and processes. Coyne holds a BSME and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MSME) from Tufts University.

With more than 60 years of experience, Harmonic Drive makes high-precision, zero-backlash strain-wave and planetary gears. The Beverly, Mass.-based company also provides precision servo actuators, gearheads, and gear components sets for Fortune 500 companies and businesses of all sizes.

Harmonic Drive components support industrial and surgical robotics, spaceflight applications, semiconductor manufacturing, factory automation, and medical diagnostics. Robotics Summit & Expo attendees can learn about its motion-control technologies at Booth 101 in Hall C.

Register for the Robotics Summit & Expo

The Robotics Summit & Expo focuses on the design, development, and scaling of commercial robots. WTWH Media, which also produces The Robot Report, said it expects a record 5,000 attendees and more than 200 exhibitors.

Keynotes will feature luminaries from Agility Robotics, Amazon Robotics, Teradyne, Disney Research, and Medtronic. The event will also include various networking opportunities, a Women in Robotics breakfast, a startup showcase, and more!

New to the summit is the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Gala. It will include a cocktail hour, dinner, and a chance to hear from the Robot of the Year, Startup of the Year, and Application of the Year winners. Each RBR50 winner will receive two complimentary tickets to the Robotics Summit and RBR50 gala. A limited number of tickets is available, but they’re selling fast!

The Robotics Summit will be co-located with DeviceTalks, an event focused on medical devices, and the inaugural Digital Transformation Forum. Registration is now open for the event.

Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

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Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report this past month. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay updated on the latest technology developments.

10. Robotics Engineering Career Fair to connect candidates, employers at Robotics Summit

The career fair will draw from the general robotics and artificial intelligence community, as well as from attendees at the Robotics Summit & Expo. Past co-located career fairs have drawn more than 800 candidates, and MassRobotics said it expects even more people at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this year. Read More

9. SMC adds grippers for cobots from Universal Robots

SMC recently introduced a series of electric grippers designed to be used with collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots. Available in basic and longitudinal types, SMC said the LEHR series can be adapted to different industrial environments like narrow spaces. Read More

8. Anyware Robotics announces new add-on for Pixmo unloading robots

Anyware Robotics announced in March 2024 an add-on for its Pixmo robot for truck and container unloading. The patent-pending accessory includes a vertical lift with a conveyor belt that is attached to Pixmo between the robot and the boxes to be unloaded. Read More

7. Accenture invests in humanoid maker Sanctuary AI in March 2024

In its Technology Vision 2024 report, Accenture said 95% of the executives it surveyed agreed that “making technology more human will massively expand the opportunities of every industry.” Well, Accenture put its money where its mouth is. Accenture Ventures announced a strategic investment in Sanctuary AI, one of the companies developing humanoid robots. Read More

6. Cambrian Robotics obtains seed funding to provide vision for complex tasks

Machine vision startup Cambrian Robotics Ltd. has raised $3.5 million in seed+ funding. The company said it plans to use the investment to continue developing its AI platform to enable robot arms “to surpass human capabilities in complex vision-based tasks across a variety of industries.” Read More

5. Mobile Industrial Robots launches MiR1200 autonomous pallet jack

Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are among the systems benefitting from the latest advances in AI. Mobile Industrial Robots at LogiMAT in March 2024 launched the MiR1200 Pallet Jack, which it said uses 3D vision and AI to identify pallets for pickup and delivery “with unprecedented precision.” Read More

4. Reshape Automation aims to reduce barriers of robotics adoption

Companies in North America bought 31,159 robots in 2023. That’s a 30% decrease from 2022. And that’s not sitting well with robotics industry veteran Juan Aparicio. After working at Siemens for a decade and stops at Ready Robotics and Rapid Robotics, Aparicio hopes his new startup Reshape Automation can chip away at this problem. Read More

3. Mercedes-Benz testing Apollo humanoid

Apptronik announced that leading automotive brand Mercedes-Benz is testing its Apollo humanoid robot. As part of the agreement, Apptronik and Mercedes-Benz will collaborate on identifying applications for Apollo in automotive settings. Read More

2. NVIDIA announces new robotics products at GTC 2024

The NVIDIA GTC 2024 keynote kicked off like a rock concert in San Jose, Calif. More than 15,000 attendees filled the SAP Arena in anticipation of CEO Jensen Huang’s annual presentation of the latest product news from NVIDIA. He discussed the new Blackwell platform, improvements in simulation and AI, and all the humanoid robot developers using the company’s technology. Read More

1. Schneider Electric unveils new Lexium cobots at MODEX 2024

In Atlanta, Schneider Electric announced the release of two new collaborative robots: the Lexium RL 3 and RL 12, as well as the Lexium RL 18 model coming later this year. From single-axis machines to high-performance, multi-axis cobots, the Lexium line enables high-speed motion and control of up to 130 axes from one processor, said the company. It added that this enables precise positioning to help solve manufacturer production, flexibility, and sustainability challenges. Read More

The post Top 10 robotics news stories of March 2024 appeared first on The Robot Report.

OmniOn supports multiple technologies, including robotics. Click here to enlarge. Source: OmniOn Power

As delivery robots and autonomous vehicles spread, much of the design and development attention has focused on safe navigation and obstacle detection, according to OmniOn Power Inc. However, they will also require reliable charging and communications infrastructure, it said.

“We’ve mainly seen mobile robots indoors in factories, warehouses, or even restaurants,” said Gopal Mitra, global segment leader for industrials at OmniOn. “2023 was a big year for cost optimization for robotics companies. They tried to address space challenges and labor shortages in e-commerce, and power supply for delivery robots outdoors is another real challenge.”

“We look at three basic technologies: cloud and edge computing, which need to be supported by 5G, and power,” he told The Robot Report. “OmniOn Power addresses high-voltage DC, outdoor installations, and products for onboard robotics, including mounted power that should be able to work with fluctuating voltages as batteries deplete.”

OmniOn spun out of ABB

Formerly known as ABB Power Conversion, AcBel Polytech Inc. acquired the division in July 2023 and renamed it OmniOn Power Inc. in October.

The Plano, Texas-based company gained telecommunications experience as a part of Bell Labs and was part of General Electric Co. and ABB Ltd. OmniOn claimed that its “reliable products, industry expertise, and partnerships are helping customers realize the full potential of 5G, supporting expansive data center demands, [and] powering Industry 4.0.”

“Our business has grown in the robotics space, partly because of the lack of innovation as a lot of folks focused on scaling up rather than introducing new designs,” Mitra said. “Channels are trying to adopt the right robots for ‘order online, pick up at store,’ direct fulfillment, and warehouses. The increasing amount of returns is also a big concern, and we’re addressing a $500 million portion of the total addressable market by optimizing for the cost of development and implementation.”

Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

Power innovations to enable autonomy

Batteries add weight to robots and drones, and they can be affected by extreme cold. OmniOn said that more innovation is needed.

“There are two schools of thought for batteries — they could be long-lasting, or you can go with capacitors,” said Mitra. “As for the environment, there’s the harmonics on the grid and temperature, which can be up to 120 to 130 degrees [Fahrenheit; 48.8 to 54.4 Celsius] in places like Dallas.”

“Cold is more of an issue on the battery side than the internals, where the 2% heat generated is usually enough to keep power electronics warm,” he added. “We’re looking at the optimal time to charge, as well as discharge and weight.”

“There have been a number of innovations in batteries,” Mitra noted. “Lithium-ion is very popular in robotics and electric vehicles, and sodium-ion and other polymers are being explored. How U.S. investment in the semiconductor industry responds to China’s prevalence will also affect innovation in the next 10 years. Some are now looking at vertical stacking for denser chips.”

“OmniOn already has engineers working on providing power supplies to telecom and 5G networks,” he said. “We’re enablers of autonomy.”

OmniOn is working on providing power and connectivity to delivery and warehouse robots. Source: Adobe Stock

Other considerations for robotics

Ways to increase robot uptime include hot-swappable batteries, software that directs opportunistic recharging, and persistent wired or wireless charging on embedded grids, mostly indoors.

“Cost is a big deal — wireless charging is usually near-field using inductive charging, which is very attractive for many robots but can be expensive,” said Mitra. “With contact-based charging, you don’t need a converter circuit onboard the robot.”

By contrast, farming equipment or robotic lawnmowers can have wireless docking, eliminating the risk of clippings getting into contacts, he said. Wireless charging pads throughout a warehouse or factory have a high installation cost but can reduce the weight of batteries and operational costs. All of these options require industry consensus to become more widespread, Mitra observed.

How much can fleet management software help with power?

“It depends on the type of fleet,” replied Mitra. “We’re maturing simple routing within the constraints of restaurants, but delivery robots and vehicles have variable package loads. On the software side, we’ll see the impact of artificial intelligence on warehouse management, from machine vision to order processing.” 

Mitra also said that distributed power generation from photovoltaic cells could change the cost of energy.

“There are lots of opportunities to improve overall efficiency, but it’s a chicken-and-egg problem — first, the application has to come,” he said. “In hardware, non-isolated board-mounted products are emerging.”

5G to play a role as edge/cloud computing shifts

“For delivery robots, most of the compute is onboard, with nearby 5G hubs enabling mesh networks,” Mitra explained. “Edge computing needs to be supported by a 5G backbone, and peer-to-peer networks can manage the load.”

While robots and autonomous vehicles (AVs) need onboard processing for a spatial understanding of their environments and to navigate complex surroundings, the delivery function and reporting would benefit from 5G, he said.

“Look at certain regions in San Francisco — AVs are limited to certain areas, where the routes are largely pre-programmed,” said Mitra. “Once we see a prevalence of 5G and edge computing, machine learning for transport will be more scalable.”

“We have an engagement with a robotics company working with a major retailer on managing inventory and goods-to-person materials handling in the warehouse. Multi-tenant warehouses are coming,” Mitra said. “In addition to automated storage and retrieval systems [ASRS], we’re looking at multi-robot scenarios in the parking lot for groceries.”

The BPS 48V stackable power system is designed for 5G systems. Source: OmniOn

AI, humanoids could create new demands

Growing interest in applying generative AI to robotics will also affect networking and power demands.

“They’re not talked about yet in the context of on-premise or edge computing, but it will be interesting to see if delivery robots get these capabilities,” Mitra said. “AI has helped industry understand the need for high-performance computing, which has put a lot of pressure on power-supply manufacturers for smaller, more efficient systems.”

Similarly, interest in mobile manipulation and the humanoid form factor will also intensify pressure on compute and power management.

“Even if you just put an articulated robot arm on a mobile base, stepper motors require eight times the current to start, just to change from static to movement,” said Mitra.

“We still don’t have a good solution for batteries that can support humanoids for the long term,” he asserted. “They’ll also need a power train that can handle a wide range of discharge, from walking to the necessary strength for lifting boxes.”

OmniOn said it expects the demand for delivery robots, automated warehouses, and connected infrastructure to grow at 12% to 14%. Power management may not be standardized, depending on the size of a robot and its number of sensors, and edge/cloud computing and different charging approaches will continue to evolve, said Mitra. 

“We’re excited see how wireless charging affects the robotics space,” he said. “While the cost has led to different adoption than initially expected, in the long term, the cost of infrastructure could be lower, and it could be more easily managed.”

The post OmniOn looks to power, network next-gen delivery robots appeared first on The Robot Report.

Zoox is expanding the geofence for its operations in Las Vegas. | Credit: Zoox

Over the past year, Zoox Inc. has made significant progress on its autonomous robotaxi service roadmap.

In February, the Amazon.com subsidiary announced that it completed a key milestone: deploying its robotaxi on open public roads with passengers.

In the shadow of the disappointing news from competitor Cruise, which lost its autonomous operating permit from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), closed its San Francisco service, and laid off 900 employees, Zoox completed rigorous testing on private roads. It received approval from the California DMV to operate its robotaxi on the state’s public roads.

On the way, Zoox has invested heavily in simulation tools necessary to train the robot drivers to handle any on-road situation. Simulation is the key to safely training AI models and logging thousands of hours of drive time without endangering anyone.

“One [key to our success] is obviously through our test vehicle logged miles,” said Qi Hommes, senior director of system design and mission assurance at Zoox. “We drive our test vehicles with safety drivers quite a bit in our launch-intent areas. And anytime we encounter something unexpected, those are inputs into the development of those simulation scenarios.”

Zoox begins service for employees in California

Zoox claimed that it is the only purpose-built robotaxi permitted on California public roads that is self-certified to the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS). The company recently deployed its employee shuttle service in its headquarters in Foster City, Calif. Zoox will offer the shuttle service exclusively to all full-time employees.

“Becoming the first company to operate a purpose-built robotaxi with passengers on open public roads in California is a significant milestone in not only Zoox’s journey, but [also] for the autonomous vehicle industry at large,” stated Aicha Evans, CEO of Zoox, after the DMV approval. “With the announcement of the maiden run of our autonomous employee shuttle, we are adding to the progress this industry has seen over the last year and bringing Zoox one step closer to a commercialized purpose-built robotaxi service for the general public.”

Unlike robotaxi competitors relying on car chassis, Zoox said it has designed its platform from the ground up for autonomous passenger movement. Every design decision was made with the goal of providing a comfortable, interactive experience.

The most obvious difference between Zoox and competitors like Waymo and Cruise is that the Zoox vehicle is missing a steering wheel. It has large doors on both sides of the vehicle and seats up to four passengers, with the riders sit facing one another.

The Zoox autonomous robo-taxi vehicle is omnidirectional and uses four-corner steering. There is no onboard safety driver. | Credit: Zoox

A rider’s view of the robotaxi

At CES 2024, I interviewed Chris Stoffle, director of industrial and creative design at Zoox, and got a tour of the vehicle on the show floor.

The first thing that I noticed was how quiet it was inside the vehicle. CES is a noisy place. The cacophony of tens of thousands of people talking can be overwhelming, and inside the Zoox vehicle, it was quiet and comfortable. 

Stoffle described the Zoox rider experience: “Right now, we’re inside a robotaxi designed from the ground up to provide the best rider experience. The outside of the vehicle has a smaller footprint than a BMW i3. But inside we have this large space where passengers can sit comfortably across from each other. There’s no bad seat in the vehicle. Each rider can see the map, and adjust the temperature for their seat. In addition, there are USB power ports, drink holders, task lights, and an emergency button to contact help immediately.”

Inside of the Zoox robotaxi, each rider has their own comfort controls while facing one anther for the ride. | Credit: Zoox

Las Vegas operations expand to five-mile radius

Since its February announcement, Zoox has expanded the geofence for its Las Vegas fleet of robotaxis, expanding the operational area for moving employees as they test the service. The new geofence is a five-mile radius around the company’s Las Vegas headquarters.

The new service area is more complex and includes three-lane roads, harder lane changes, unprotected right turns onto high-speed roadways, and double-right and left-hand turn lanes. 

The robotaxis are now handling more difficult operating situations as the engineering team validates the features and safety of the vehicle operation. In addition, the autonomous vehicles are now driving at speeds of up to 45 mph, in light rain, and at night.

The fact that the vehicles have no steering wheel and no onboard safety driver means that the Zoox team has to monitor each vehicle in real-time. These “human-in-the-loop” operators do not teledrive the vehicles, but they do monitor each ride in real time, looking at the environment and the vehicle’s intentions as it decides to turn, stop, and move through intersections.

If there is an emergency situation, the remote operator can direct the vehicle how to respond and where to go to safely resolve the situation.

“[Zoox’s vehicle] was approved to drive on public roads last year and now is fully homologated in response to emergency vehicles being able to detect them,” explained Stoffel. “Being able to interact with humans outside the vehicle in safe ways is really important. And so we’ve been able to not only update our sensor pod to improve self-driving in inclement weather with some of our sensor cleaning, but also to bring in a better microphone designed on the exterior so we can detect sirens and first-responder vehicles earlier.”

“The door interface module allows us to interact with those outside the vehicle with the human in the loop, whether it be a rider, someone from the public, or even a first responder,” he added. “We believe that being able to have that human in the loop is the right approach for those off-nominal situations that we’re going to be seeing more and more as we expand on public roads.”

To hear about the development of the perception engine and sensor stack used on the Zoox vehicle, listen to the podcast interview with two of the company’s technology leaders: RJ He and Ryan McMichael. 

Zoox is incrementally increasing the parameters for operation of its fleet of robotaxis in Las Vegas. | Credit: Zoox

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Our featured guest on the show this week is Jamie Lee, managing partner at Tamarack Global. Tamarack Global emerged on our radar last month as one of the investors who participated in the recent Series B funding round for Figure AI.

After meeting Lee for research for those news stories, we invited him to come onto the podcast and share his investment thesis and the reasons why they are so bullish about humanoids, Figure AI, and especially founder and CEO Brett Adcock.

The heart of Tamarack’s investment philosophy centers around investing in strong leaders who hire strong teams and build solutions for very large markets. But you’ll also learn about Jamie’s pragmatic philosophy for evaluating proposals and some of the danger signals that he looks for when evaluating a potential investment.

News from the week

Viam raised $45 million in Series B funding

Viam has been quiet after all of the news last year, but Viam is building a modular, interoperable, and open-source software platform that works across all hardware and any fleet of machines. Viam stated that the funding will enable it to accelerate partnerships, drive commercial innovation, and further develop its platform.

Accenture announced an investment in Sanctuary AI

Sanctuary is building humanoids with embodied intelligence and they’ve always tightly focused on hand-eye coordination and manipulation over the bipedal walking aspects of humanoid robots. The investment in Sanctuary is the latest move by Accenture to build out a robotics strategy.

In January 2024, Accenture and Mujin created a joint venture to help bring robotics to the manufacturing and logistics industries. Called Accenture Alpha Automation, the new venture is owned 70% by Accenture and 30% by Mujin. The new company, called Accenture Alpha Automation, combines Mujin’s industrial robotics expertise with Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing service, Industry X.

Sanctuary has published a series of videos of its robots “doing stuff” on YouTube. These videos illustrate the development path of the two-armed humanoid as well as the AI behind the robots’ decision-making.

NYC takes steps to allow robotaxis in NYC

New York took its first steps towards allowing robotaxis this week and announced new safety requirements and permitting guidelines for companies looking to test their self-driving cars on public roads. 

Even with the city’s newfound interest in testing, autonomous vehicle (AV) commercialization in New York is difficult. It is one of the hardest cities for AVs to navigate due to its pedestrian-filled streets, unpredictable vehicle traffic, and sensor-disrupting bright lights.

The post Team and TAM: the keys to investing in robotics appeared first on The Robot Report.

3PL expert Sean Pineau will share his insights into automation and AI in the warehouse. Source: Locus Robotics

Artificial intelligence promises to revolutionize robotics and industries including supply chain and logistics. For all of the hype around generative AI, robotics developers, integrators, and warehouse operators need to separate the facts from fiction. At the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo, Locus Robotics will offer some help in demystifying AI in the warehouse.

Sean Pineau, head of third-party logistics (3PL) segments at Locus Robotics, will present a session on “AI in the Warehouse: What You Really Need to Know” at 1:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, May 1. He will discuss the considerations and potential benefits and impacts of implementing AI in the warehouse.

Pineau will also explain what “embodied AI” is, what is and is not AI, and how warehouse managers can optimize their operations with AI and robotics.

Sean Pineau, Locus Robotics

Speaker to discuss robots and AI in the warehouse

Pineau has a decade’s experience in leadership roles in the materials handling industry. He said his time at Dematic and Crown Equipment Corp. provided a deep understanding of automation.

In 2021, Pineau became an account executive focusing on the retail vertical market at Locus Robotics. The Wilmington, Mass.-based company is a leading provider of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

In recognition of his results-driven approach, relentless dedication, and strategic acumen, Locus recently appointed Pineau as head of 3PL segments.

About the Robotics Summit & Expo

The 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo will be the largest ever, according to WTWH Media, which also produces Mobile Robot Guide and The Robot Report. The event will be at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on May 1 and 2.

It will include up to 5,000 attendees, more than 200 exhibitors, various networking opportunities, a Women in Robotics breakfast, a career fair, an engineering theater, a startup showcase, and more!

New to the summit is the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards Gala. It will include a cocktail hour, a plated dinner, photo opportunities, and the chance to hear from the Robot of the Year, Startup of the Year, and Application of the Year winners.

Each RBR50 winner will receive two complimentary tickets to the Robotics Summit and RBR50 gala. A limited number of tickets is available to attendees, but they’re selling fast!

The Robotics Summit will be co-located with DeviceTalks, an event focused on medical devices, and the inaugural Digital Transformation Forum. Registration is now open for the event.

Learn from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and many more.

The post Separate fact from fiction about AI in the warehouse at the Robotics Summit appeared first on The Robot Report.

Brooke Chalmers, who studies computer science, and Jason Kobrin, who studies mechanical engineering, work on the Mars Rover in the Richards Hall Makerspace. Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

When the student leaders of the Northeastern University Mars Rover Team decided they were going to participate in the inaugural Winter Canadian International Rover Challenge, they thought it would be good practice more than anything else.

They didn’t expect to win the competition. Yet, that’s exactly what happened.

The Northeastern team took home the gold last month, beating McMaster University for the top spot with a score of 237.71 points to McMaster’s 137.13.

“It was pretty huge for us in terms of team morale,” said Brooke Chalmers, a third-year student at Northeastern and the integration lead and software co-lead for the Mars rover group. “It really felt like all the hours that we put in during the prior weeks paid off in a way.”

It’s the first competition win for the six-year-old club, which is composed of students studying computer science, engineering, and life science.

The university team of about 50 students had been hard at work developing and iterating on its latest robotic rover: the Watney, Mark V. 

Coming in at 50 kg (110 lb.), the rover features a 5052 aluminum alloy chassis, six 3D-printed nylon wheels, a robotic arm with end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), a life-detection module for sample collection, and 14 onboard cameras. 

The Canadian competition was broken up into four challenges designed to put students’ rovers through simulated environments similar to tasks a rover might have to complete while on Mars’ surface. Each challenge was ranked using a 100-point scale.  

In the Arm Dexterity Challenge, for example, students were tasked with controlling the rover’s robotic arm to restore power to a campsite. The challenge involved navigating the robot through four control panels where the robotic arm had to press buttons and flip switches, explained Jason Kobrin, a fourth-year student at Northeastern and a mechanical operations co-lead for the Mars rover group.

The robotic arm on the Northeastern team’s Mars Rover. Credit: Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Northeastern team redesigns robot arm for strength

Of the four teams taking part in the challenge, Northeastern scored the highest for the challenge, with a score of 49.49 points. 

Kobrin said the team has spent the past year completing redesigning the robot’s arm, which used to be one of the rover’s weak points during previous competitions. It’s now one of the rover’s biggest strengths. The robot arm has six degrees of freedom and can carry loads up to about 10 kg (22 lb.). 

“In order to improve that, we redesigned our arm this year to use better motors and to be easier to control overall,” he said. 

It’s by taking part in these competitions and through regular testing where the team was able to narrow in on the rover’s shortcomings and improve its capabilities, Kobrin said. By working on the rover, students are also getting the opportunity to improve their own skills. 

“Every week, it’s continuous improvement,” he noted. “Whether it’s adding a new portion of software code [or] whether designing a new mount for our cameras, every little improvement makes a huge difference.” 

“For everybody to be able to design and build this robot to function well but also to be able to control it in high-pressure situations and to reach the goals we were seeking to reach, is just really impressive,” added Kobrin. 

The team thought the two-day event hosted in Niagara Falls, Ontario, would be a great primer to test out the capabilities of the machine before the team took part in the upcoming annual University Rover Challenge (URC). The URC is the Mars Society’s premier Mars rover student competition held at the Mars Desert Research Center outside Hanksville, Utah. 

The URC competition is old hat for the group, having participated in the challenge in 2019, 2022, and 2023. The competition was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the pandemic.

“We went into this competition thinking, ‘OK, we’re going to use this as an opportunity to prepare for URC. We’re going to test stuff to make sure it all works,’” Chalmers said.

The students will be competing at the University Rover Challenge this spring. Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

Difficult terrain and team excitement

The team had its best showing during the Winter Transversal Challenge, with a finishing score of 84.72 points. For the challenge, the rover had to roll through treacherous and uneven terrain while avoiding obstacles.

“All the challenges involved some degree of the rover driving around and moving over difficult terrain, but this challenge was focused entirely on that,” said Chalmers. 

With the overall win, Chalmers said she’s hopeful that new members will be excited to join. 

“Most people on the team have been talking about this with their friends and family and talking about what we are doing, which is really cool,” she said. “I know a few of my friends have expressed interest in joining the team since. It’s very exciting to have something to talk about and have something to show for all the effort we put in.”

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About the author

Cesareo Contreras is a Northeastern Global News reporter and has covered robotics extensively. This article is reposted with permission.

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