In Episode 223 of The Robotic Report Podcast, hosts Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre recap the most important robotics information of the week. Our visitor this week is Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder and CEO of Glacier, which is creating techniques for the recycling trade.
Rebecca Hu-Thrams, CEO and co-founder of Glacier Robotics.
With expertise in administration consulting and a concentrate on technological developments, Hu-Thrams has guided Glacier’s mission to enhance recycling processes.
She discusses the challenges dealing with materials restoration amenities (MRFs) and the way her firm has designed techniques to assist detect and type helpful supplies with out disrupting present operations.
Rebecca additionally focuses on how Glacier is making use of synthetic intelligence and robotics to bettering security and decreasing human error. She explains how the firm has partnered with trade gamers to enhance the standard of supplies faraway from the waste stream.
Glacier’s method not solely helps the financial viability of MRFs but in addition contributes to a extra sustainable future by minimizing waste and reducing carbon emissions, in keeping with Hu-Thrams. She talks about how Glacier’s know-how positions it inside the round economic system.
Present timeline
- 3:37 – Information of the week
- 13:27 – Interview with Tanmay Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of Parallax Worlds
- 30:12 – Interview with Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder and CEO of Glacier
Information of the week
Bodily Intelligence raises $600M to advance robotic basis fashions
A yr in the past, we lined Bodily Intelligence’s $400 million spherical, and the startup has now raised one other $600 million, reportedly bringing its valuation to $5.6 billion. San Francisco-based Bodily Intelligence mentioned it’s constructing synthetic common intelligence for any robotic.
As well as, NVIDIA mentioned it exceeded expectations in its Q3 earnings name final week, however considerations a few so-called AI bubble proceed.
Newcastle Techniques research how folks plus automation can enhance warehouse agility
A survey by Newcastle Techniques discovered that staff plus AI and automation could make warehouse operations extra resilient. Selecting accounts for 50% of labor prices, making cellular robots crucial for security, flexibility, and productiveness, it mentioned.
Nevertheless, the report cautioned that automation alone gained’t repair dangerous processes. Corporations should first optimize handbook processes earlier than implementing new applied sciences. Newcastle Techniques offers cellular workstations to allow expert staff to entry crucial knowledge from the store flooring, complementing different automation.
The corporate famous that the subsequent era of AI and robotics relies on high-quality, real-time knowledge from sources like billions of day by day barcode scans. It additionally mentioned methods to mitigate the prices of advanced techniques for small and midsize companies.
Parallax Worlds offers hyper-realistic digital twins for robotic testing
Parallax Worlds just lately secured $4 million in seed funding for a complete of $4.9 million raised thus far. The corporate affords a platform that makes use of digital twins and simulation to check AI-based robots, which might be deployed for welding and pick-and-place operations.
The platform integrates with trade instruments reminiscent of NVIDIA Omniverse, Unreal, and Unity. Parallax Worlds, which participated within the Pitchfire startup competitors at RoboBusiness 2024, is increasing its operations. It’s working with corporations like Orangewood Labs and BotBuilt and is planning to maneuver into the manufacturing and logistics sectors.
On this podcast episode, Oitzman speaks with CEO Tanmay Agarwal to study extra in regards to the funding spherical.
Distalmotion raises funding to speed up U.S. adoption of DEXTER surgical robotic
One other massive deal of the previous week was Distalmotion’s $150 million Sequence G spherical. The corporate mentioned it plans to speed up U.S. commercialization of its DEXTER robotic for soft-tissue procedures.
What makes DEXTER completely different from, say, Intuitive Surgical’s techniques, is its small measurement, which makes it moveable on a wheeled cart. It additionally permits surgeons to be near their sufferers.
Agile Robots launches Agile ONE industrial humanoid, acquires thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering
Agile Robots has launched Agile ONE, its first industrial humanoid robotic, which it mentioned is designed for protected and environment friendly operation alongside folks in manufacturing environments.
The robotic includes a layered method to AI and dexterous and five-fingered arms with a number of sensors, enabling nice manipulation duties like working energy instruments. The corporate plans to start manufacturing the robotic in Bavaria early subsequent yr.
Agile Robots this week additionally acquired thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering to increase its industrial automation experience and entry to the U.S. market.
Disney exhibits off new Olaf character robotic for its theme parks
Roboticists at Walt Disney Imagineering took Frozen’s “Do You Need to Construct a Snowman?” to coronary heart and constructed a bodily model of a personality from its standard animated films.
The firm had defined its method to designing human-scale robots and giving them character on the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo. It earned a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award.
