Intuitive Surgical (NSDQ:ISRG) inked a license on the miniaturized robotic sealing and stapling technology developed by JustRight Surgical that includes an unspecified equity investment and joint product development program. Louisville, Colo.-based JustRight raised an $11 million Series B round early last year and later won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for its 3mm pediatric vessel-sealing system. “We…
Bionik Labs integrates Amazon voice control tech into Arke lower body exoskeleton
Robotic rehabilitation device developer Bionik Laboratories said today it integrated Amazon‘s (NSDQ:AMZN) Echo and Alexa voice technology into its Arke lower body exoskeleton. With the integration users of the Arke exoskeleton will be able to control the system and its various activity modes, including standing and walking, through voice commands, the Toronto-based company said. “We…
The agricultural labor conundrum
Instead of worrying so much about robots taking away jobs, maybe we should worry more about wages being too low for robots to even get a chance. Seasonal labor for harvesting agricultural products, particularly fruits and vegetables, is dependent on human labor from a diminishing universe of willing workers. Robots that can supplement or replace human workers…
US Army and Navy ordered to halt use of DJI drones
The U.S. Army has ordered its members to stop using drones made by Chinese manufacturer SZ DJI Technology because of “cyber vulnerabilities.” The directive applies to all DJI drones and systems that use DJI components or software. It requires service members to “cease all use, uninstall all DJI applications, remove all batteries and storage media and secure equipment…
Auris Robotics raises another $280 million!
Auris Robotics, the Silicon Valley startup headed by Frederic Moll who previously co-founded Hansen Medical and Intuitive Surgical, raised $280 million in a Series D round led by Coatue Management and included earlier investors Mithril Capital Management, Lux Capital, Highland Capital and 24 others. An Auris Robotics spokesman said that the company has raised a total…
Auris Surgical reels in $280m in stealthy Series D round
Auris Surgical Robotics has stealthily raised a massive $280 million in a Series D round of financing, according to the company’s website and an SEC filing posted today. Money in the round came from 39 investors, led by newly invested Coatue Management and joined by Mithril, Lux Capital and Highland Capital Partners, according to the…
Globus Medical acquires robotic surgical dev KB Medical, posts Q2 earnings
Globus Medical (NYSE:GMED) said today it acquired Swiss robotic developer KB Medical, and released 2nd quarter earnings that beat The Streets earnings per share expectations, but fell short of sales expectations. The company said it closed the acquisition of KB Medical during its 2nd quarter, and that the buy would help expand its imaging, navigation and…
ReWalk Robotics touts Harvard-led Restore soft exosuit study
ReWalk Robotics (NSDQ:RWLK) today released results from a study of a soft suit exoskeleton system designed to aid ambulatory stroke patients, touting that the system was able to facilitate normal walking ability in patients. The study was authored by researchers at Harvard University’s Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering and Boston University, and utilized a prototype that…
Amazon Picking Challenge winners half ready for deployment
In 2014, Amazon sponsored a contest to solve the warehouse order-fulfillment problem of picking a wide range of items from a shelf under uncertain conditions – a task that, in 2014, could only be done by human pickers and one that Amazon would like to automate to better fulfill their increasing load of e-commerce orders. Terms…
Titan Medical makes Longtai largest shareholder in $2m distributorship conversion
Titan Medical (TSX:TMD) said today that it inked a deal with Longtai Medical to convert $2 million Longtai paid as a distributorship deposit to equity, making Longtai the robotic surgical company’s largest shareholder. The conversion comes 2 years after Titan Medical and Longtai negotiated a deal that would have made Longtai the company’s exclusive distributor of its…