Mech-Mind Robotics today announced that it recently completed a Series C funding round. The Beijing-based machine vision company said the latest investment brings its total funding to more than $100 million (U.S.), making it one of the world's most funded artificial intelligence and industrial automation startups.
“Our products are designed to fundamentally reframe the manufacturing pain points by utilizing the practice of AI and human-robotics interaction,” stated Tianlan Shao, founder and CEO of Mech-Mind Robotics. “Our products and service already create visible business returns for nearly 1,000 clients worldwide.”
Manufacturing remains the largest adopter of industrial automation globally, according to the International Federation of Robotics, as it continues to make significant investments in modernization. Mech-Mind said it will use its funding to leverage its technical strengths and help modernize manufacturing.
“Our products have been widely deployed, enabling us to acquire profound experience from real-life applications,” said Tianlan Shao. “Moving forward, Mech-Mind will focus on empowering robotics solutions providers and integrators to create more solutions and applications.”
Mech-Mind aims to transform industry
Mech-Mind was founded in 2016 and has developed products integrating its Mech-Eye industrial 3D camera, Mech-Vision graphical machine vision software, and Mech-Viz intelligent robot programming environment. In addition to its deep learning algorithms and motion-planning technology, the company offers staff training, deployment planning, marketing support, and collaboration on challenging projects.
The company offers systems for palletizing and depalletizing, bin picking, order sorting, machine tending, and assembly/gluing/locating in logistics and manufacturing. Mech-Mind added that its robotics systems are used in automotive OEM plants, appliance factories, steel plants, food-processing plants, warehouses, banks, and hospitals in countries such as China, Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the U.S.
Mech-Mind has more than 350 employees worldwide and said it is committed to helping “clients pioneer the next frontier of manufacturing and democratize access for AI-defined robotics to small, midsize, and large businesses alike.”
The recent investment was led by Chinese technology giant Meituan, with participation from existing investors including Sequoia Capital China and Source Code Capital.
Mech-Eye Laser designed to work in bright light
Industrial 3D cameras play an essential role in modern manufacturing. Yet, when it comes to actual factory and warehouses, ambient light interference in complex environments always diminishes their ability to acquire and reconstruct image, said Mech-Mind.
This month, the company launched a new generation of the Mech-Eye Laser Industrial 3D Camera, which it said uses “fast structured light” to present high-quality 3D imaging for industrial applications under demanding lighting conditions.
Equipped with fast laser-generated structured light, Mech-Eye Laser boasts ambient light resistance even under sunlight exceeding 10,000 lux, significantly reducing shading facility requirements, according to Mech-Mind.
To demonstrate this feature, Mech-Mind tested Mech-Eye Laser and other 3D cameras under typical lighting conditions at their best performance. Tested in standard factory lighting conditions, the point cloud generated by Mech-Eye Laser was by far the most detailed, accurate, and complete, claimed the company.
The Mech-Eye Laser offers high level of precision, a wide field of view, and easy-to-use programming settings, as well as a competitive price, said Mech-Mind. It is suitable for construction, logistics, automotive manufacturing, and steel making, the company added.