Steve Crowe

Blickfeld, a Munich-based startup developing LiDAR sensors for a variety of applications, including autonomous vehicles, has closed a Series A financing round. The amount of the Series A has yet to be disclosed, but it was led by the venture capital unit of Continental together with Wachstumsfonds Bayern. Blickfeld’s existing investors, Fluxunit – OSRAM Ventures,…

Exoskeleton companies have long been working with healthcare coverage providers to develop general coverage policies for exoskeletons. But many providers still look at exoskeletons on a case-by-case basis. ReWalk Robotics, a developer of medical exoskeletons for individuals with lower limb disabilities, said it is making some progress with a group of German statutory health insurers…

CLEVELAND and BOSTON – March 5, 2020 – Business-to-business publisher WTWH Media announced that Silicon Valley Robotics will serve as the exclusive strategic partner for RoboBusiness, which takes place June 23-24, 2020, at the San Jose Convention Center. RoboBusiness is a conference and expo focused on uncovering new opportunities for companies developing or using robotics…

Hydroid, a developer of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) for the defense and maritime markets, is being acquired by shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) for $350 million. The acquisition is subject to regulatory review and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Pocasset, Mass.-based Hydroid will become part of HII’s Technical Solutions division.…

New 50,000-square-meter facility will become joint headquarters for Denmark-based cobot companies.

Self-driving cars were the talk of Las Vegas during CES 2018. We recap the 10 best robots seen at CES.

Self-driving cars are a major draw at CES 2018, and InnovizPro is offering its lidar platform to developers. The Israeli company’s partners are giving rides at the show.

In this Robot Investments Weekly, we look at the latest transactions and investments around self-driving cars, industrial automation, and manufacturing of consumer goods.

Aptiv and Lyft have teamed up to give CES 2018 attendees self-driving taxi rides to 20 pre-programmed destinations throughout Las Vegas. A fleet of eight Aptiv BMW 5 Series sedans will shuttle passengers around Jan. 9-12.

iRobot’s top-tier Roomba robot vacuums will soon be able to sweep your home for weak WiFi signals, logging spotty areas and helping users improve their WiFi.

When we look back on 2017, we’ll remember a back-flipping robot, the arrival of social robots, brain-controlled robots, major developments for autonomous vehicles, the rise of mobile manipulators, and a certain security robot that drove into a water fountain.

Social robot maker Jibo has laid off staffers in an effort to reorganize around content now that the basic hardware is developed and available to consumers.

Welcome to “Robot Investments Weekly,” a new feature on Robotics Business Review that every Friday recaps the week that was in acquisitions, funding, IPOs and mergers and acquisitions in the robotics industry. For more information about investing in robotics, RBR members can access our Transactions Database that keeps you updated on the key mergers and…

Robotics Trends’ AI conference at CES 2018 examines recent developments, current applications, and concerns about AI. Hear leading AI experts discuss the reality behind the hype and how AI will impact our everyday lives.

Vecna Robotics, which won the DHL and Dell mobile picking challenge in Germany, entered a different robot from most of its competitors. See how Vecna over-designed its Tote Retrieval System to be ready for market soon.

Komatsu, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of heavy equipment for construction and mining, has teamed up with RBR50 company NVIDIA to add artificial intelligence (AI) to its construction sites across Japan for increased safety and efficiency. The partnership, announced by NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang at GTC Japan, will use NVIDIA’s GPUs to…

Welcome to “Robot Investments Weekly,” a new feature on Robotics Business Review that every Friday recaps the week that was in acquisitions, funding, IPOs and mergers and acquisitions in the robotics industry. For more information about investing in robotics, RBR members can access our Transactions Database that keeps you updated on the key mergers and…

Omron will be making its first appearance at CES 2018 and will be bringing its FORPHEUS table-tennis training robot. In addition, check out the AI conference within the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Fetch Robotics, which provides mobile and pick-and-place robots for supply chain operations, has raised funds for expansion. The company has also developed its FetchCore fleet management platform.

Ocado Technology, the research division of online grocer Ocado Group Ltd., is no stranger to robotic grippers and grasping techniques. Ocado has been working with European partners to develop soft manipulators, including SoMa, to help fulfill orders in its e-commerce fulfillment centers. One of Ocado’s main goals is to develop a robot that can reliably…

Realtime Robotics, a Boston, Mass.-based startup focusing on speeding up the time a robot takes to make decisions, has secured $2 million in seed funding. Key investors in the seed round include SPARX Group Ltd., Scrum Ventures, and Toyota AI Ventures, a venture capital subsidiary of Toyota Research Institute (TRI). Realtime, founded in March 2016…

Ford’s “Robutt” robot mimics human buttocks to help the company design better car seats.
A KUKA industrial robot arm lifts Robutt in and out of a seat 25,000 times over a three-week period to help design seats that will help passengers remain comfortable for longer.

Three years after raising more than $3.6 million on a crowdfunding campaign, Jibo the social robot is now available for the public to buy. Pre-ordered units will start shipping to customers in November.

Delphi Automotive has made another major move in its quest to develop autonomous vehicles. The U.K.-based automotive supplier has acquired autonomous vehicle software startup nuTonomy for $450 million. Delphi will pay $400 million up front for nuTonomy and $50 million in earn-outs. The transaction is expected to be approved by the end of 2017. The…