How AI, perception are shaping mobile robotics
In Episode 173 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-host Steve Crowe and I catch up on the news of the week, including several recent stories about mobile manipulators.
Featured interview with RGO Robotics and Wheel.Me
In the featured interview this week, I talk to Amir Bousani, CEO of RGO Robotics, and Jacob Petersen, chief commercial officer of Wheel.Me. We discuss the importance of perception for autonomous mobile robots, and discuss Wheel.Me’s decision to leverage RGO Robotics perception engine in its platform.
Show timeline
- 7:44 – News of the week
- 11:02 – Update on Proxie from Brad Porter, founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics
- 24:15 – Interview with Amir Bousani, CEO of RGO Robotics, and Jacob Petersen, Chief Commercial Officer from Wheel.Me.
News of the week
Collaborative Robotics unveils Proxie mobile manipulator
Collaborative Robotics Inc. this week unveiled its Proxie mobile manipulator publicly for the first time. The startup has been secretive about the design of the robot since Porter founded the company in 2022. In April 2024, Collaborative Robotics closed a $100 million Series B round toward commercializing its autonomous mobile robot (AMR).
The company’s been closed-lipped about the design of the robot, but on Wednesday it released images and video of the Proxie AMR, along with a newly redesigned website. The AMR features a swerve drive, a hot-swappable battery, and a fixed linear actuator in its “spine.” The robot is designed to be fitted with a variety of onboard actuators, and the first one to be productized is a simple cart acquisition.
Pickle Robot gets orders for over 30 unloading systems, plus $50M in funding
Pickle Robot Co. raised $50 million in Series B funding this week. It also announced that six customers placed orders during the third quarter for more than 30 robots to deploy in the first half of 2025. Founded in 2018, Pickle Robot said its robots are designed to autonomously unload trucks, trailers, and import containers at human-scale or better performance.
The company said its Series B funding included participation from a strategic customer. Teradyne Robotics Ventures, Toyota Ventures, Ranpak, Third Kind Venture Capital, One Madison Group, Hyperplane, Catapult Ventures, and others also participated. The company said it plans to use its latest funding to accelerate the development of new feature sets. It also plans to build out its commercial teams to unlock new markets and geographies worldwide.
MC600 mobile manipulator combines UR cobot with MiR base
The new MC600 combines the MiR600 AMR with the UR20 and UR30 collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots A/S, which is also owned by Teradyne. Mobile Industrial Robots said it can handle payloads up to 600 kg (1,322 lb.) and automate complex workflows in industrial environments. A unified software platform by MiR Go partner Enabled Robotics controls the MC600. MiR said this coordinates its mobile base and robotic arms, simplifying integration into existing workflows and ensuring smooth operations.
ASTM proposes mobile manipulation standard
In other mobile manipulation news, ASTM International’s F45 committee for robotics, automation, and autonomous systems has proposed a new standard, WK92144. It provides guidelines for documenting disturbances of robot arms, such as by heavy equipment, in unstructured manufacturing environments. The proposed standard describes an example apparatus for testing.
2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open for nominations
You can now submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. They will recognize technology and business innovations in the calendar year 2024, and the awards are open to any company worldwide that produces robotics or automation.
The categories include:
- Technologies, products, and services: This category includes primary or applied research focusing on robotics and supporting technologies such as motion control, vision, or machine learning. It also includes new products and business, engineering, or technology services.
- Business and management: This category covers initiatives positioning a company as a market leader or an organization as an important thought leader in the robotics ecosystem. Significant mergers and acquisitions are relevant, as are supplier, partner, and integrator relationships.
- Applications and markets: The RBR50 will also recognize innovations that improve productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, as well as those that automate new tasks.
In addition, the 2025 RBR50 awards will celebrate the following:
- Startup of the Year
- Application of the Year
- Robot of the Year
- Robots for Good Award
The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.
Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics
The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics
Is your autonomous mobile robot (AMR) struggling in dynamic environments? Is your business stuck because it takes months to commission a new site?
RGo Robotics’ Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, The company’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler.
Leading AMR companies are enhancing their fleets with RGo’s AI-powered perception, enabling their teams to accelerate use of advanced AI capabilities like foundation models and digital twins.
Don’t let outdated navigation hold your business back.
To learn more about RGO’s solutions, go to: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/
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