Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.83
January 23, 2022
…at the Ecole Polytechnique, Nicolas Simon began working on humanoid robots in 2010. In 2012, Simon, Masselin, Jean-Louis Constanza, and Alexandre Boulanger founded Wandercraft. Constanza, chief business and clinical officer, worked to help his wheelchair-bound son walk. In 2017, the company began conducting trials of its exoskeleton prototype to aid paraplegic people. Global needs drive exoskeleton development While the technology for exoskeletons is advancing, the need is great. There were only 8,741 units worldwide in 2020, said Grand View Research, but more than 296,000 people in the U.S. alone suffer from spinal cord injuries, according to the National Spinal Cord…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.79
March 04, 2022
…For example, if they see a human-like robot or humanoid robot, they are immediately interested in interacting with it, speaking with it, and asking the robot to do something for them, such as fetching a ball. This is definitely a different experience from observing industrial robots at work in factories. What are students most curious to learn? Al Nuaimi: In the robotics field, they are curious to find answers to how something happens. How to control the robot, build it, enable it to act like a human, or request it to carry out whole missions from A to Z with…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.74
December 20, 2022
…about AI and robotics for 2023, Schluntz said that humanoid robots might start seeing commercial use in environments such as Tesla factories. “We're going to see a lot more robots out in the wild,” he said. However, he cautioned against expecting prompt progress. “History is littered with the graveyard of general-purpose robotics companies,” Schluntz said. “People designed technologies looking for a purpose. In the far future, it makes sense, since the world is designed for humans.” “But a full general-purpose robot will be more expensive than a single-purpose robot,” he added. “The Tesla Bot might be able to walk around…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.61
November 23, 2022
…and CEO of ABLE Human Motion. Andromeda Robotics' Abi humanoid prototype is designed to help people in elder-care facilities maintain their independence. Source: Andromeda Robotics About the Healthcare Robotics Startup Catalyst partners MassRobotics is a nonprofit whose stated goal is to create a strong, vibrant robotics and Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystem in Massachusetts. The Boston-based organization provides ntrepreneurs and innovative robotics and automation startups with workspace and resources to develop, prototype, test and commercialize their products and solutions. Festo is an independent, family-owned company with headquarters in Esslingen am Neckar, Germany. The company supplies pneumatic and electrical automation technology…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.45
July 23, 2024
…Slack. Walti, who, prior to Mytra, led the Optimus Humanoid Bot team along with robotics and warehouse logistics at Tesla, founded Mytra alongside Ahmad Baitalmal, who led factory software at Tesla and Rivian. The company was born out of the Venture Equity (VE) team at Eclipse. Mytra is backed by several investors, including Greenoaks, who led the company’s Series B Eclipse, who led the previous seed and Series A rounds, in addition to co-founder and chairman of Okta Frederic Kerrest’s 515 Ventures Individual investors, including Garry Tan and Lachy Groom, among individual and corporate partners. “Warehouses are the backbone of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.22
September 08, 2023
…hype right now around generative AI, autonomous vehicles, and humanoid robots. What do you think? Burnstein: A lot of its is ambient distraction, particularly in the perceptions of the public and policymakers. ChatGPT is flashy, and many in the media make people think about fears rather than opportunities. Artificial intelligence is going to have a significant impact in robotics. Right now, the hype around the pace of development is oustripping the actual pace of practical applications in manufacturing, logistics, and many other industries. Policymakers get all ginned up about jobs, but we should focus on developing applications where those technologies…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.21
January 29, 2024
…for developing robotic technologies, including Agility Robotics’ Digit bipedal humanoid robot. Amazon’s Robotics division, which is based in North Reading, MA, opened a new manufacturing facility in Westborough, MA, in 2021. The facility was built to assemble Amazon Robotics “mobile drive units,” which are shelf-moving collaborative AMRs designed to move stacks of large and bulky items to picking employees. Amazon’s collaborative robots perform repetitive, non-ergonomic tasks and travel long distances through warehouses, allowing the company to upskill employees to operate and service robot fleets. At the other end of the supply chain, consumers shopping on Amazon’s website can purchase a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.05
September 30, 2022
…robotics industry for 20 years. Drumwright worked with the humanoid robot Asimo while at Honda Research Institute. Drumwright was a university professor and then a senior research scientist at the Toyota Research Institute. Drumwright has been granted three patents and has co-authored over 40 research articles on robotics with experts from institutions including MIT, Cornell University, and the University of Michigan. Backed by multiple venture capital firms, Dextrous Robotics received a competitive grant from the National Science Foundation in 2021. Dextrous Robotics designs for precision The job of loading and unloading trucks is one of the most challenging to fill…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.97
April 19, 2022
…of warehouses and distribution centers. Stretch joined the Atlas humanoid robot and the Spot quadruped for industrial inspections. “Stretch is really a first for us—it's the first robot specifically designed for the warehouse,” said Kevin Blankespoor, senior vice president and general manager of warehouse robotics at Boston Dynamics. “We took all of the technology that we've grown over the past several decades with Spot and Atlas, and everything that came before, and repackaged it for a purpose-designed solution for moving boxes.” Unloading trucks has been a challenge for short-staffed logistics providers, as well as robotics developers. Boston Dynamics announced the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.51
October 01, 2021
…get to small incision sites,” he added. “The two humanoid robotic arms and pan-and-tilt camera are designed to create a feeling for surgeons that they've been shrunk down.” “Plus, there are a ton of ancillary benefits—we use polymer parts, requiring lower capital,” said Sachs. “Vicarious' system is more portable, and with more space, you can fit a suite of sensors for interoperative imaging in the OR.” Indications and testing Like other surgical robotics startups, Vicarious Surgical is focusing on abdominal procedures. “It's a huge percentage. Between general surgery and gynecology, that's tens of millions of procedures worldwide,” Sachs said. “Large…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.32
August 05, 2022
…XT, which recently completed beta development, is a roughly humanoid design with two arms and stereo cameras that can be mounted in a lift basket for work at height while keeping the operator safely on the ground. The Guardian DX is a variant for the defense industry. With HP Reverb virtual reality goggles, hand controllers, and 3D motion-capture technology from Xsens, I was able to look through the cameras and move the seven degree-of-freedom robot arms intuitively. Sarcos is working on haptic actuators, sensing and data capabilities, and its own motion-capture suit. “Operators can become familiar with the XT in…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.60
June 24, 2023
…with virtual reality. Speaking of public awareness, what about humanoid robots? Sharma: Some things are closer than people expect. You get initial forays into the public consciousness, and then they start coming back. A fully autonomous home robot to take care of you is further off than what's already in nursing homes. The PARO seal is already improving people's daily lives—it's a simple product, but it works. Tesla is good from an AI perspective, but robotics is already happening in more places than people would expect. Waiting for a rebound After a slowdown in venture capital funding, is a burst…
