In Episode 223 of The Robotic Report Podcast, hosts Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre recap the key robotics information of the week. Our visitor this week is Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder and CEO of Glacier, which is creating methods for the recycling business.
Rebecca Hu-Thrams, CEO and co-founder of Glacier Robotics.
With expertise in administration consulting and a deal with technological developments, Hu-Thrams has guided Glacier’s mission to enhance recycling processes.
She discusses the challenges going through materials restoration amenities (MRFs) and the way her firm has designed methods to assist detect and type useful supplies with out disrupting current operations.
Rebecca additionally focuses on how Glacier is making use of synthetic intelligence and robotics to bettering security and decreasing human error. She explains how the firm has partnered with business gamers to enhance the standard of supplies faraway from the waste stream.
Glacier’s strategy not solely helps the financial viability of MRFs but in addition contributes to a extra sustainable future by minimizing waste and decreasing carbon emissions, in keeping with Hu-Thrams. She talks about how Glacier’s expertise positions it inside the round financial system.
Present timeline
- 3:37 – Information of the week
- 13:27 – Interview with Tanmay Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of Parallax Worlds
- 30:12 – Interview with Rebecca Hu-Thrams, co-founder and CEO of Glacier
Information of the week
Bodily Intelligence raises $600M to advance robotic basis fashions
A 12 months in the past, we lined Bodily Intelligence’s $400 million spherical, and the startup has now raised one other $600 million, reportedly bringing its valuation to $5.6 billion. San Francisco-based Bodily Intelligence mentioned it’s constructing synthetic common intelligence for any robotic.
As well as, NVIDIA mentioned it exceeded expectations in its Q3 earnings name final week, however considerations a few so-called AI bubble proceed.
Newcastle Methods research how individuals plus automation can enhance warehouse agility
A survey by Newcastle Methods discovered that employees plus AI and automation could make warehouse operations extra resilient. Selecting accounts for 50% of labor prices, making cellular robots important for security, flexibility, and productiveness, it mentioned.
Nonetheless, the report cautioned that automation alone received’t repair dangerous processes. Firms should first optimize guide processes earlier than implementing new applied sciences. Newcastle Methods gives cellular workstations to allow expert employees to entry important information from the store flooring, complementing different automation.
The corporate famous that the subsequent technology of AI and robotics will depend on high-quality, real-time information from sources like billions of every day barcode scans. It additionally mentioned methods to mitigate the prices of advanced methods for small and midsize companies.
Parallax Worlds gives hyper-realistic digital twins for robotic testing
Parallax Worlds not too long ago secured $4 million in seed funding for a complete of $4.9 million raised to this point. The corporate gives a platform that makes use of digital twins and simulation to check AI-based robots, which might be deployed for welding and pick-and-place operations.
The platform integrates with business instruments corresponding to NVIDIA Omniverse, Unreal, and Unity. Parallax Worlds, which participated within the Pitchfire startup competitors at RoboBusiness 2024, is increasing its operations. It’s working with firms like Orangewood Labs and BotBuilt and is planning to maneuver into the manufacturing and logistics sectors.
On this podcast episode, Oitzman speaks with CEO Tanmay Agarwal to study extra in regards to the funding spherical.
Distalmotion raises funding to speed up U.S. adoption of DEXTER surgical robotic
One other huge deal of the previous week was Distalmotion’s $150 million Collection G spherical. The corporate mentioned it plans to speed up U.S. commercialization of its DEXTER robotic for soft-tissue procedures.
What makes DEXTER totally different from, say, Intuitive Surgical’s methods, is its small dimension, which makes it transportable on a wheeled cart. It additionally permits surgeons to be near their sufferers.
Agile Robots launches Agile ONE industrial humanoid, acquires thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering
Agile Robots has launched Agile ONE, its first industrial humanoid robotic, which it mentioned is designed for secure and environment friendly operation alongside individuals in manufacturing environments.
The robotic contains a layered strategy to AI and dexterous and five-fingered arms with a number of sensors, enabling high quality manipulation duties like working energy instruments. The corporate plans to start manufacturing the robotic in Bavaria early subsequent 12 months.
Agile Robots this week additionally acquired thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering to develop its industrial automation experience and entry to the U.S. market.
Disney reveals off new Olaf character robotic for its theme parks
Roboticists at Walt Disney Imagineering took Frozen’s “Do You Wish to Construct a Snowman?” to coronary heart and constructed a bodily model of a personality from its fashionable animated films.
The firm had defined its strategy to designing human-scale robots and giving them character on the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo. It earned a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award.
