Vicarious Surgical will go public through a $1.1 billion special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) deal, the robotic surgery pioneer announced. Vicarious, which has sought to bring robotics and virtual reality to minimally invasive surgery, will trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RBOT after the merger with D8 Holdings. Hong Kong–based D8…
Multiply Labs raises $20M for robotic pharma manufacturing
Multiply Labs, a San Francisco-based company developing automated manufacturing systems to produce individualized drugs at scale, raised $20 million in a Series A funding. The round was led by Casdin Capital. The oversubscribed round brings Multiply Labs’ total funding raised to date to more than $25 million. It leverages automation to address the fundamental limitations…
Performance Motion Devices adds ultra-compact motion controller
Performance Motion Devices (PMD) recently debuted its new ION/CME N-Series Digital Drives, new members of the ION Digital Drive family that provide high-performance motion control, network connectivity and amplification. The N-Series ION digital drives feature a patented, ultra-rugged PCB-mountable package with three power output levels – 75, 300, and 1,000 W. All ION/CME N-Series Digital…
Canvas raises $24M Series B to scale drywalling robot
San Francisco-based robotics startup Canvas has raised $24 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Menlo Ventures and included leading construction firm Suffolk Construction. Alumni Ventures Group, as well as existing investors Innovation Endeavors, Brick & Mortar Ventures, Obvious Ventures, and Grit Labs, also participated in the round. Canvas said it will…
WTWH Media acquires Mobile Robot Guide
Acquisition of industry leading mobile robotics website, together with Mike Oitzman continuing as editor, strengthens WTWH Media’s robotics brand and serves as catalyst for future growth.
Pickle Robot’s Dill wants to unload ‘messy trailers’
There seems to be a renewed focus on automating the grueling task of unloading trailers. Boston Dynamics revealed its Stretch mobile manipulator at the end of March, while Memphis-based robotics startup Dextrous Robotics recently emerged from stealth with its Chopstick system. Dextrous co-founder Evan Drumwright discussed the system in the RoboBusiness Direct session “Advances in…
CMU’s snake robot can now swim underwater
Carnegie Mellon University’s acclaimed snake-like robot can now slither its way underwater, allowing the modular robotics platform to inspect ships, submarines and infrastructure for damage. A team from the Biorobotics Lab in the School of Computer Science’s Robotics Institute tested the Hardened Underwater Modular Robot Snake (HUMRS) last month in the university’s pool, diving the…
Doosan Robotics’ cobots compatible with ROS 2 Foxy Fitzroy
The ROS 2 package is compatible with the Doosan Robot Language, so operators who are familiar with Doosan but have basic ROS knowledge can create robotics application.
RBR50 nomination deadline is Friday, April 16
For over a decade, the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards have highlighted the most influential innovations that have advanced the global robotics industry.
Ingenuity Helicopter needs a software update before first flight
Update will modify the process by which two flight controllers boot up, allowing the hardware and software to safely transition to the flight state.
Memic raises $96M to scale surgical robot for transvaginal hysterectomies
Memic Innovative Surgery closed a $96 million Series D financing round. The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company develops Hominis, the first FDA-approved robotically-assisted surgical device for performing transvaginal hysterectomy. The FDA approved the Hominis system last month. Hominis is designed to remove the uterus using minimally invasive surgical instruments inserted through the vagina, as well as…
Nuro R2 autonomously delivering Domino’s pizza in Houston
Nuro, a 2020 RBR50 Innovation Award winner, is launching autonomous pizza delivery in Houston this week with Domino’s. Select customers who place an online order – on certain days and times – from the Domino’s in Woodland Heights can have their food delivered by Nuro’s R2 robot. Customers who are selected for delivery via the…
Waypoint Robotics, Productive Robotics partner on mobile manipulator
Over the past few years, you’ve likely heard mobile manipulation is a trend to watch. Perhaps advances being made in a variety of enabling technologies – sensors, controls, power – are finally making mobile manipulation a reality. There have been at least three mobile manipulators introduced within the past month. Boston Dynamics certainly had the…
First flight attempt for Ingenuity Helicopter delayed
During a high-speed test of the rotors, the command sequence controlling the test ended early due to a “watchdog” timer expiration.
Hitachi acquires Kyoto Robotics
Hitachi acquired Kyoto Robotics, a Japan-based developer of 3D vision systems, control systems and more recently picking robots for the logistics industry. Hitachi acquired 96% of all issued shares of Kyoto Robotics and made it a subsidiary. Terms of the acquisition weren’t disclosed. Hitachi said the acquisition will enable it to provide one-stop shop of…
RightHand Robotics reveals RightPick 3 item-handling robot
RightHand Robotics, a developer of autonomous picking solutions for order fulfillment, today introduced its RightPick 3 item-handling robot system. Designed from the ground up, RightPick 3 features a modular, industrialized hardware design, software APIs and international compliance. The company’s robots are being used around the world in applications such as AS/RS, sorter induction, auto-bagger, kitting…
The Evolution of RE2 Robotics
Jorgen Pedersen and Travis Schneider of RE2 Robotics discuss the company’s evolution and its new Sapien robotic arms on The Robot Report Podcast.
ANSI/RIA R15.08 standard redefines industrial mobile robots – what’s new and why it matters
The new ANSI/RIA R15.08-1-2020 (R15.08) standard for mobile robots provides updated, and formalized, definitions for AGVs, AMRs and other mobile robotics types. The revised definitions are critical for the proper application of R15.08, and as such it is critical that both users and developers of industrial mobile robots take note.
Root AI acquired by AppHarvest for $60M
Root AI, a Somerville, Mass.-based startup developing the Virgo harvesting robot for indoor farms, was acquired by AppHarvest for $60 million. AppHarvest is investing approximately $10 million in cash and the remaining balance in AppHarvest common shares to acquire Root AI. Founded in 2018, Root AI’s 19 full-time employees are expected to join AppHarvest’s technology…
Open Robotics, Canonical harden ROS with 10-year support
Canonical and Open Robotics announced a 10-year partnership around extended security maintenance (ESM) and enterprise support for the Robot Operating System (ROS). ROS support will be made available as an option to Ubuntu Advantage support customers. Open Robotics is the organization behind ROS. Users already taking advantage of critical security updates and common vulnerabilities and…
Sarcos Robotics will become publicly listed through a SPAC transaction
Sarcos announces that it will become publicly listed through a merger transaction with Rotor Acquisition Corp.
RE2 Robotics launches new RE2 SAPIEN product line
RE2 Robotics unveils a new product line with the RE2 Sapien arm.