This post was originally published by NoCamels. Check out theirexcellent coverageand follow them down here: Imagine this: youre sitting in your house. Next to you, your companion robot turns its head and begins to converse, suggesting a TED talk you might like. A helper robot brings you a cup of tea. Your smart home control robot warns you that the iron is still on, and security bots climb the walls.
While it may sound like sci-fi, Israeli companies have already created robots that can do all of these tasks.
The robotics industry is exploding worldwide. Market research and intelligence firm, Tractica, predicts that the industry will grow from $34.1 billion in 2016 to $226.2 billion by 2021, with the growth driven primarily by non-industrial robots.
Its not hard to see why. Decreased costs of hardware and the free provision of software such as Amazon Alexa are making robotic development easier than ever.
Artificial intelligence, which is the ability of machines to learn from their environment and complete human-like tasks, is also transforming the robotics industry. Since IBMs supercomputer, Watson, defeated humans in the quiz show Jeopardy in 2011, resources and brain power have been poured into progressing AI to create more sophisticated robots.
With strengths in mathematics and hi-tech, companies and researchers in Israel are contributing more than their fair share of this brain power.
Mobileye, an Israeli company that uses AI to allow autonomous vehicles to navigate safely, was recently acquired by Intel for $15 billion. Mazor Robotics, an Israeli medical robot company, has revolutionized spinal surgery with their robotic system. Gal Kaminka, a professor at Bar-Ilan University and national robotics expert, is advancing robotic minds with funding from international organizations such as the U.S. Airforce.
In 2016, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed that, Just as we have become a leader in cybersecurity, we must also propel forward the robotics and automation industry in order to take a place at the forefront of the sector.
Here are some of the coolest robots developed by companies and researchers in Israel:
In the field of companion robots, Intuition RoboticsElliQstands out for its human-like persona.
The artificially intelligent robot improves the lives of the elderly by suggesting activities to keep them active, connecting them with family and friends, and reminding them about appointments and medication.
ElliQ can sense its environment, recognize faces, and communicate with people by talking and processing speech. Its advanced body language, gestures, and emotional range give it a personality that seems to transcend machinery.
Founded in 2015 by Roy Amir, Itai Mendelsohn, and Dor Skuler, the company has raised a total of $7 million from seed and Series A funding. While ElliQ hasnt yet been released on the market, avid consumers can sign up to be part of the testing phase.
Israeli robotics company Roboteam is planning to launch 10,000 consumer robots this year. Previously focused on military robots, Roboteam wants to create a new robot that helps people around the house.
Seven years ago I went to visit my dear grandma, says Yosi Wolf, cofounder of the company. When I saw her trying to carry a cup of tea and cookies and she was shaking.. I knew we could provide services to help elderly people.
According to Wolf, the robot will be 3 feet high with an interactive 10-inch display. It will be able to navigate around objects using 40 sensors, and it even has a tray to carry items.
Roboteam wants its robot to be the iPhone of consumer robotics, with a similar price point and sophisticated capabilities.
Founded in 2009 by Yosi Wolf and Elad Levy, the company has raised a total of $62 million in two funding rounds, with personal investment from the ex-CTO of Alibaba and co-founder of the Fenghe Investment Group, John Wu.
Guy Hoffman, a researcher at the Inter Disciplinary Center in Herzliya, has developed a social robot to control smart homes.
Shaped like a microscope,Vyomanages smart homes by turning devices on and off, providing status updates, and monitoring the house for security purposes. Vyo has facial recognition, and interacts through voice commands and verbal responses.
It also has an appealing personality. Hoffman is known for his work on robots that act like humans: he was catapulted to fame in 2009 for his engaging TED Talk onRobots with Soul.
Vyo is still in the developmental phase, but Hoffman already has a range of other robots with similar human-like personalities. For example, Travis is a speaker robot that dances to music.
Hoffmans work could change the way we interact with machines: research conducted by Hoffman and a team of robotics experts showed that people felt better about themselves after interacting with a robot that responded emotionally to them.
Professor Amir Ayali and a team of researchers at Tel Aviv University have developed a robot that could transform the way surveillance is conducted.
The four-inch longLocust Robotmimics the biological mechanism of jumping, and can reach a height of 11 feet more than twice the height of similar-sized robots, according to the researchers.
Able to be cheaply 3D printed (costing only around $100 USD), the robot is part of a wave of 3D printed robot designs that can easily be mass produced.
The robot would be useful in search and rescue missions and reconnaissance operations in rough terrain.
It has not yet been released on the market, and the team are working on developing the robots capacity to jump higher, fly, and even move with other robots in a swarm.
The Ben-Gurion University Robotics Lab, led by Dr. Amir Shapiro, is creating robots inspired by science fiction films. Designed to mimic animals (a technique known as biomimetics), the autonomous robots do work that is too dangerous or trivial for humans.
Snake-like robots have been designed to go into tight spaces on search and rescue missions. A fruit-picking robot, which Dr. Shapiro received a $1.3 million grant to develop, uses visual feedback to find and pick specific fruit. A wall-climbing robot, inspired by snails, can climb on almost any surface and has wide-ranging applications in intelligence gathering.
Although these dont seem as if they will be provided for consumer use, it might not be long before we see packs of animal robots deployed by larger organizations to complete tasks around us.
International investment and local talent continue to be funneled into the robotics industry. Given what this country has already achieved, we should expect a lot more exciting robotic developments in the future.
Israeli Technology News on NoCamels
Read next: Know Apples iOS 11 before its even released for only $29
Read more:
Meet Israel's next top robots - TNW
- Robotics Academy - December 14th, 2016 [December 14th, 2016]
- KUKA Robotics | KUKA AG - December 14th, 2016 [December 14th, 2016]
- Robotics - The Great Courses - December 22nd, 2016 [December 22nd, 2016]
- Robotics - reddit - January 11th, 2017 [January 11th, 2017]
- Chatham Robotics Goes Undefeated and Moves On to State Championship - TAPinto.net - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Meridian robotics team gears up for Idaho FRC Regional - KBOI-TV - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Local robotics students headed to World Championship tournament - KOLO - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Report: Nearshoring favors robotics, will require heavy capital investment - Supply Chain Dive - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Belding hosts largest robotics competition in history of event - Greenville Daily News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- First Tech Challenge: High schools battle in robotics competition - The Journal News | LoHud.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Robotics Team Takes Home Trophy at Lego Competition - Patch.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- OHS robotics club dazzles McKinley students - Southernminn.com - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Toyota Industries Acquires Warehouse Robotics Developer - Wall Street Journal - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- South High wins Volvo's robotics tournament - Herald-Mail Media - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Belding hosts robotics competition - Sentinel-Standard - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- CMS robotics program soars - SW News Media - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Update On The Megatrend of Robotics - CTOvision (blog) - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- 33C3: Edible Soft Robotics - Hackaday - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Shopping robots on the march in Ocado - BBC News - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Keller students Starstruck on robotics - Fort Worth Star Telegram - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Our obsession with robots keeps getting creepier - New York Post - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Rethink Robotics makes its workplace bots easier to train and redeploy - TechCrunch - February 7th, 2017 [February 7th, 2017]
- Donation will cover costs for Sequim robotic competition - Peninsula Daily News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Derby Middle School robotics club competes at high school competition - The Derby Informer - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Raspberry Pi-powered arm: This kit aims to make robotics simple enough for kids - TechRepublic - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- WPI Robotics Team Has a Mission with Mars | News | WPI - WPI News - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Rehab robotics field promises to return control, mobility to aging population - ScienceBlog.com (blog) - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Rethink's Robots Get Massive Software Upgrade, Rodney Brooks So Excited - IEEE Spectrum - February 8th, 2017 [February 8th, 2017]
- Robotics: A robot that flies like a bat : Nature : Nature Research - Nature.com - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Robotics teams at CCS stay busy at tournaments - Imperial Republican - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Rethink Robotics rethinks its software | ZDNet - ZDNet - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Hartland robotics teams take on the FIRST Tech challenge at state competition - LC Sussex Sun - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Home-schooled students studying robotics - Valencia County News Bulletin - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Agility Robotics Introduces Cassie, a Dynamic and Talented Robot Delivery Ostrich - IEEE Spectrum - February 9th, 2017 [February 9th, 2017]
- Memphis robotics team headed to Super-Regionals - New Baltimore Voice Newspapers - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Patriot Robotics Alliance upsets Brentwood Academy Alliances - Clarksville Now - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Raptor legs & human hips: Giant leap for walking robots - RT - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- How drones and robotics may shape the future of conflict under President Trump - PRI - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Robotics teams wins at state meet - The Citizen.com - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- Ford Bets $1B on Startup Founded by Waymo, Uber Vets - ABC News - February 10th, 2017 [February 10th, 2017]
- South Beach robotics squad advances to super regionals - The Daily World - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Personal robotics the next technological revolution: Dr Vivian Balakrishnan - Channel NewsAsia - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- This bipedal robot could deliver your packages one day - The Verge - The Verge - February 11th, 2017 [February 11th, 2017]
- Robotics event offers lesson in teamwork - Lewiston Morning Tribune (subscription) - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Essex County Freeholders Honor Livingston Robotics Club Teams - TAPinto.net - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- College Town: WPI Robotics team aims for $1M NASA prize - Worcester Telegram - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Alice Shaw robotics team building invention to save wolves | Local ... - Lompoc Record - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Ford invests $1B in robotics startup in driverless car quest - CBS News - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Freshman Caldwell team takes first place in Regional Robotics Tournament - Idaho Press-Tribune - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- What went seriously wrong with Lily Robotics - VentureBeat - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Face off: Marion students compete in robotics competition - The Exponent Telegram (press release) (registration) - February 12th, 2017 [February 12th, 2017]
- Robotics Competition slated for Monday - San Angelo Standard Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cornerstone Prep robotics team brings home trophy in first year - MDJOnline.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Center Grove robotics team headed to state competition - Daily Journal - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Hundreds piled into a Fort Mill gym. They cheered. They competed. They drove robots. - The Herald - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- My Turn: Arts education paved the way for girls' robotics win - AZCentral.com - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Young Alberta engineers face off in robotics showdown - CBC.ca - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cougar robotics team advances to Super-Regionals - Times Bulletin - Times Bulletin - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- South Carroll Robotics teams compete at Maryland State Robotics Competition - Carroll County Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Cave Spring High School's Robotics Club wins in the First Tech ... - Roanoke Times - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- FIRST Robotics Competition - Wikipedia - February 13th, 2017 [February 13th, 2017]
- Designing robots to look more like ostriches can solve a key problem for our future biped overlords - Quartz - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- More than 1000 high school students expected to Battlefield HS robotics tournament - PotomacLocal.com - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Event to look at Scotland's pivotal role in robotics - The Scotsman - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Kennett Coders to compete in NH State Robotics Championships on Saturday - Conway Daily Sun - February 14th, 2017 [February 14th, 2017]
- Are there enough robots? - Robotics Tomorrow (press release) - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois robotics team makes state tournament - Alton Telegraph - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Intuition Robotics raised $6 million for its ElliQ elder care assistant robot - TechCrunch - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Richmond robotics team gears up for districts - New Baltimore Voice Newspapers - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Microsoft lets you crash drones and robots in its new real world simulator - The Verge - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Makeblock's Lego-like 'Neuron' teaches kids robotics and code - Engadget - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- West Ridge robotics team maneuvers into national championship - Austin American-Statesman - February 15th, 2017 [February 15th, 2017]
- Immokalee High team set for robotics state championships Friday - Naples Daily News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- What has Robotics got in store for our future? - RTE.ie - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Uber Is Becoming a Robotics Company, CEO Says - Yahoo News - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- 3Doodler's new kits help kids craft their own robots - Engadget - Engadget - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Magnetic Control Could Help Robots Navigate Inside Your Body - IEEE Spectrum - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- Boston's new hub, MassRobotics, is like a WeWork for robotics startups - TechCrunch - February 16th, 2017 [February 16th, 2017]
- 3Doodler announces a robotics kit, Star Trek and Powerpuff Girls ... - TechCrunch - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]
- Chart: Are Robots Replacing High-Cost Workers? - Seeking Alpha - February 17th, 2017 [February 17th, 2017]