Which are the best robotics companies in the world? That’s what the Annual RBR50 Election process seeks to find out and what Robotics Business Review wants to share with its readers.

The election process is underway for 2013.  Please join us.

Things change. In January President Obama starts a new term, and then come February the Academy of Motion Pictures will dole out its new crop of Oscar gold. Between those events, Robotics Business Review will conduct the 2nd annual re-election of the best-of-the-best in robotics. What we call the RBR50.

Under the direction of RBR50 election editor, Casey Nobile, campaign preliminaries have already begun. There is an RBR50 Select Committee ably volunteering its time and energy to vet the over 1400 companies down to a reasonable ballot spread of 150 worldwide candidates. Final balloting we hope to have complete by mid-January. The new RBR50 should be up and running by the end of January.

RBR50 qualifications

For those of you unfamiliar with what it takes to be an RBR50 winner, it’s very straightforward yet flexible. Here’s the deal:

The RBR50 is a list of the most influential public and private companies in the global robotics industry. RBR50 winners are usually voted to our list based on factors such as innovation, a groundbreaking application, commercial success or near-term commercial potential.

RBR50 winners can come from anywhere in the robotics ecosystem. Some of them are diminutive laboratories, some others are giant conglomerates, and still others are small now but with an emerging edge on success.

We had originally planned for the RBR50 to be refreshed and updated dynamically throughout the calendar year. We found that process to be cumbersome to execute, and moreover, unfair to the companies.

A company’s performance over time is critical; a year’s worth of time is a good vantage point for the RBR50. So, back to the drawing board for a rethink we went. The 2013 RBR50 election process is the result and we sincerely feel that it is fair and reasonable.

RBR50 for 2012 is very popular; 2013’s will be even better

We always intended the RBR50 to be an easy-to-use, interactive way for our visitors to quickly compare and contrast robotics companies and their performance, and that’s exactly how it turned out. The RBR50 is one of the most popular sections on the Robotics Business Review’s website.

Without going from company website to website to search out product information and breaking news, the RBR50 neatly colocates essential company information as well as editorial, financial reports and videos in a single place. Visitors highly enjoy its convenience and ease of use.

One new suggestion, however, that we’ve had many times from visitors is to add product pages that display each of the company’s best and most innovative products within the same RBR50 colocated area. Again, convenience and ease of use in comparing and contrasting products and their capabilities was the message.

It was a good idea, and for 2013 we will begin to include product information, photos and in-use videos of the RBR50.  More on that subject post-election. Casey will be reaching out to individual RBR50 companies for product information.

For now, it’s election time. We’ll keep you updated on the process. If anyone is interested in learning more about the RBR50 election process or in seeing the final ballot or in making your voice heard by voting, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)for more information. She’d love to hear from you.

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