Robust.AI has unveiled is first software suite and hardware product concept. The company’s software suite is called Grace. Its hardware product concept is called Carter. Together, Carter and Grace combine artificial intelligence, robotics, and human-centered design, the company said.
These technologies will be applied to the warehousing industry where more than 80% of warehouses operate without any automation, while labor shortages continue to wreak havoc on the global supply chain, according to Robust.AI.
The San Carlos, Calif.-based company was founded in 2019. Its tagline is “We make robots work for people.” Grace is a software suite that enables dynamic coordination between people and robots in any warehouse with any workflow, the company said. The software can map out work between people and robots, allowing it to distribute and adapt as necessary.
Software designed to make robots more aware
Robust.AI said it provides situational awareness that makes robots capable in spaces where people move and work, including semantic and people perception as well as mapping and localization using cameras, the company added.
Warehouse managers will be able to customize workflows, integrations, and behavior for an entire fleet of robots in minutes, through a no-code interface.
“We’re excited about partnering with the right teams to bring Grace and Carter to warehouses and other industries where we can improve how robots work with people,” Robust.AI said.
Robust.AI delves into hardware concept design
During the development of Grace, Robust.AI said it recognized that current autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are slow to build, deploy, and adopt for many applications. This insight led to the development of Robust.AI’s first hardware product, Carter, a collaborative mobile robot.
Carter provides flexible automation for material handling in warehouses and beyond, Robust.AI said. The robot works around people without requiring the environment to change, allowing for fluent coordination, while increasing worker engagement and productivity, the company said.
Robust.AI also updated its executive team. Anthony Jules is moving into the role of CEO, where he’ll build on his decades of experience of leading teams at companies including Sapient and Redwood Robotics.
Leila Takayama has joined the company as vice president of human-robot interaction and design. Kavitha Velusamy is senior vice president of engineering. Velusamy has shipped a number of industry defining products, including the Amazon Echo and Cisco’s first Telepresence System.
In addition, John Moretti has joined as head of product, bringing expertise and experience from his work at Dishcraft Robotics and Wonder Workshop.
Robust.AI is currently speaking with potential hardware partners for the development of Carter and with early customers for the product.