Monthly Archives: February 2020

Venture capital has been flooding the various subverticals under the robotics umbrella in recent years, and the construction space is one of the largest beneficiaries.

Last November, we surveyed 13 of the top robotics-focused VCs to find out which areas of robotics are exciting them most going into 2020. One of the most common areas of attention respondents highlighted were startups focused on construction and manufacturing. In 2019 alone, the robotics space saw roughly 600 venture-backed fundraising rounds, while construction companies successfully raised roughly 200 venture rounds.

With our 2020 Robotics + AI sessions event on the horizon in early March, were diving back into the sector to learn about the attributes of construction attracting robotics VCs the most and which types of startups VCs are actually writing checks for in 2020. We asked 16 leading people who actively invest in construction robotics and work at firms spanning early to growth-stage to share whats exciting them most and where they see opportunity in the sector:

True Ventures has been investing in industrial automation broadly for over 4 years, focusing on founders who bring technology to market that eliminates repetitive manual labor and multiplies human productivity by automating routine tasks.

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Where top VCs are investing in construction robotics - TechCrunch

Kilgore Intermediate School students recently won a robotics design competition hosted by Region 7 Education Service Center.

According to a KISD press release, the fourth grade Gifted and Talented students from Kilgore Intermediate School, led by LEAP Teacher Beckey McCormick, won the Design Board for the Region 7 Student Robotics Competition. These students designed a robotic mapping board about Neal Armstrong and His Amazing Adventure of Apollo 11.

To participate in the competition, Kilgore fourth-graders hit the books and used their creativity to work on a robotic mapping board representing a variety of tasks simulating the real-world achievements of Apollo 11 astronauts.

The board includes a variety of obstacles and tasks: using robots to land in a bucket, simulating the Apollo modules landing on the lunar surface, planting a flag on the surface of the moon and ringing a bell to simulate the astronauts safe splash-down return to earth.

KIS students researched the background information of Apollo 11 and created their robotic mapping storyline board about (Armstrongs) adventure. They applied cross-curricular knowledge and skills to help generate obstacles for this complex storyline board, the release said.

Not only did these students win the design competition, their winning design will go on to be used by other local districts in an April robotics competition.

Using the robotics board designed by these 4th grade Kilgore Intermediate School students, other students from school districts around Region 7 will compete on this robotic mapping board in an upcoming April 28th and 29th Robotics Competition to be held at the Region 7 Education Service Center. We are very proud of our students and their accomplishments and look forward to seeing how well they continue to do, the release read.

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Kilgore students design their way to a robotics win - Kilgore News Herald

The global robotics market is predicted to triple to $275 billion by 2025, according to analysis of International Federation of Robotics data by DC Advisory.

The research company calculates that the market was worth approximately $98 billion in 2018.

DCA says changing consumer market has driven manufacturers and logistics companies to adopt new methods of production and distribution chiefly the new generations of robotics and automation technology.

DCA says: Where historically, factory and warehouse automation was synonymous with large, heavy machines operating behind the safety of a metal cage, the evolution of on-demand consumer requirements has forced supply chain operators to adopt a more flexible model.

This, coupled with the declining cost of automation and advances in technology, has increased investment into the installation of robots worldwide.

The company lists the main drivers of change and growth in the market as:

Another key driver of change and growth, says DCA, is the level of funding into robotics start-ups over the last five years.

The research company says that $1.2 billion in US venture-capital deals have been made in logistics-focused robotics and automation companies since 2015.

DCA says: We believe this has contributed to a rapidly growing number of robotics and software companies focused on the supply chain in order to fill the gap.

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Global robotics market predicted to triple to $275 billion by 2025 - Robotics and Automation News

You probably may have seen or read about the indigenous Mitra robot. The humanoid became an overnight media sensation when it made an appearance at the 2017s Global Entrepreneur Summit which had visitors like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Advisor to US President Donald Trump Ivanka Trump. Since then, Mitra has evolved to become much smarter and has a new companion, Mitri.

In case you didnt know, Mitra has been developed by Bengaluru-based Invento Robotics. Started in October 2015, Invento Robotics has been founded by Balaji Viswanathan, a former Microsoft executive and Silicon Valley veteran. The company recently raised Rs 2 crore seed funding round led by Windrose Capital and ITI Growth Fund.

Invento Robotics is now looking to expand the prospects of Mitra and other robots under its wing. This includes deployment in the real-world environment. For instance, a Sakhi robot is working at a co-working space called iSprout in Hyderabad.

ALSO WATCH |Meet CYBIRA, Visakhapatnams robot cop

Viswanathan believes his company can become Apple of the robotics industry. To achieve this, one will require a focus on sustaining revenues and profitability. It wont be like becoming a unicorn in just two years but how we can be in for a long game in the market, Viswanathan told Hindustan Times.

When asked about the comparison with Apple, Viswanathan gave an elaborate response - How can we make robotics practical that is usable, and so on. That is fundamental. The second thing is the strong play of hardware and software coming together. So, the robot upholds the outer shell and other things, but at the core of it is a software element that has to be able to do self-driving abilities, to be able to convert. The hardware and software have to go back and forth in a complex dance. Most companies do either hardware or software, but we do both of them together to achieve that quality. Third, this being able to get the mindset of being able to be a very tangible product...

Invento Robotics recently raised Rs 2 crore seed funding round led by Windrose Capital and ITI Growth Fund.(Invento Robotics)

Viswanathan also highlighted some of the new and smart features that the company has started to use in its robots. He revealed that the company is implementing LiDAR-based autonomous navigation. He said that the goal is to make the robot smart enough to go around autonomously in complex environments such as retail.

ALSOREAD:Robots could soon be sampling your blood instead of humans

One of the focuses of Invento Robotics and technology companies, in general, has been making the AI and hardware on top of it more natural in how it converses with humans. A recent example is a Neon that is capable of conversing like humans. Viswanathan, however, admits there are some challenges in achieving this. He also revealed his company approaches this challenge differently.

Can a robot talk everything like a human in all subjects? Not possible. So, what we are doing is in a specific context. For instance, youre walking concierge of ITP, youre going to be asking a range of things. Can you book a cab for me or can you book this table for me or what do you recommend? This will be very structured and contextual. Were trying to build structured conversations specific to particular domains rather than the generic problem. We are very much interested in the workflows, he added.

ALSOREAD: Meet Spot, the first robot to patrol at Norwegian oil rig

On building a completely home-grown robot, Viswanathan said that the majority of hardware is in-house. But the company does look for suppliers outside India if the technology is unavailable, for instance, processors and LiDAR. He pointed out that the cost of the total imported items in the final product is less than 10% of the cost of the device. The company also uses TensorFlow for underlying model building among other cutting edge technologies.

Invento Robotics next big bet is Spody robot, which the company claims, has received enormous interest from China. The humanoid was supposed to launch in China in January but got delayed due to the Coronavirus outbreak. The robot is now expected to launch in April this year. Viswanathan revealed that the AI-enabled Spody will be like a shopping companion which will go around autonomously, look at users, recognize and guide them about the products in retail.

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This Bengaluru-based startup wants to be Apple of robotics in India - Hindustan Times

There was a time not too long ago when the mention of robotics in school conjured up stereotypical images of brainiac nerds in white button-up short-sleeve shirts, pocket protectors and thick-rimmed eyeglasses. Not anymore!

Not in Lapeer County schools, and not in schools across the world where robotics competition is fastpaced, exciting and quite possibly a pathway to a great-paying profession. The fact is robotics is fun, bow ties are cool and participation in robot building, programming and competition has proven to stimulate young minds to be better thinkers and problem solvers.

Robotics is also helping Lapeer County-area students become better at teamwork, more career and higher education minded, and many as a result now know that they have a future in a fast-changing high-tech world.

With the number of high-paying jobs in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields growing by the day, many schools and businesses are providing more opportunities for students to engage in robotics, building STEM skills at an earlier age than ever before.

According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, employment in STEM-related occupations is projected to grow to more than 9 million jobs between 2012 and 2022 an increase of about 1 million jobs over 2012 employment levels.

Beginning in todays edition of The County Press (on page 4A), education reporter Nicholas Pugliese will start his introduction to robotics teams at area schools for the 2019-2020 FIRST Robotics season. FIRST which stands for For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology helps create the next generation of STEM-ready workers through its innovative robotics programs, which now begin in preschool and end in high school. In todays paper, Nicholas spotlights the Dryden and LakeVille robotics programs.

Robotics programs empower students to demonstrate their competency in learning in a variety of ways. They have opportunities to solve problems that leverage the power of technology by developing and testing solutions in creative and imaginative ways. They are to able to construct knowledge and make meaning of their learning experience for themselves. Students become global collaborators by utilizing technology to make connections with others to broaden perspective and learning through the creation of original products.

Research shows that students who participate in FIRST programs are twice as likely to major in science or engineering in college, and more than 75% of FIRST alumni are currently in a STEM field as a student or professional.

FIRST Robotics Competition is a six-week competition program for high school students to build robots that can complete a task that changes every year using standard set of parts, plus any additional off-the-shelf or custom parts.

The season culminates with the FIRST Robotics Championship, to be held April 29 to May 2 at the TCF Center (formerly Cobo Center) in downtown Detroit. The World Championships are expected to bring nearly 35,000 students and 700 teams to TCF and Ford Field with four levels of incredible competition. Last year, two Michigan teams were part of the winning alliance at the World Championships, the second year in a row Michigan teams came out on top.

Lapeer County robotics teams have competed at the World level, and we hope you join us to cheer on our local competitors as they begin another season with the hope of making it to the big stage. The County Press has been in Detroit to follow our local teams, and thats an experience tech-geeks shouldnt miss. The FIRST World competition is just like a sport event championship with row after row of bleacher seating as far as the eye can see in the enormous hall filled with hometown crowds cheering on their local teams.

But aside of the thrill of victory during competition, robotics curriculum helps prepare todays students to be leaders in technology that will shape the future in ways most of us cant even imagine.

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Robotics kids know it's cool to be a nerd! - Thecountypress

Medtronic is looking to augment not only its work in robotic surgery but efforts across all of its procedural offerings through the acquisition of Digital Surgery, London-based maker of data analytics, artificial intelligence and training programs for the operating room.

This includes integrating and bundling the companys AI and surgical video education platforms with the medtech giants various hardware endeavorsplus co-developed digital solutions for its upcoming, modular soft-tissue surgery robot named Hugo.

The plan is for Digital Surgery to retain its current leadership and headquarters in the U.K., though it will operate under the robotics arm of Medtronics Minimally Invasive Therapies Group, which said it aims to invest and expand the workforce of the company. The financial terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

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RELATED: Medtronic takes its new surgery robot out for a spin with investor debut

Last year, Medtronic CEO Omar Ishrak laid out his intentions to develop and apply computer-guided surgery and planning tools to multiple medical specialties, including bringing robotics to bear on virtually every area the company has a procedural presence.

As a part of that mandate, itsrobotics division has been focused on developing four main technology vectors that touch Medtronics work across open surgery, laparoscopic and robotic procedures. They include visualization and navigation, instrumentation and implants, data and analytics, and the robotics platforms themselves.

And as we have been approaching the commercialization of our robotics platform, we've been, in parallel, focused on investing in and developing products, road maps and capabilities in those vectors, said Megan Rosengarten, vice president and general manager of Medtronics surgical robotics business.

RELATED: Medtronic reveals past Karl Storz vision team-up ahead of robotic surgery unveiling

For that data and analytics vector, we've been looking for quite a while and actively exploring partners in that space, Rosengarten told FierceMedTech in an interview, describing how Digital Surgery checked a lot of boxes for the companyoffering not just new products to sell, but also capabilities that could act as an in-house booster to help accelerate Medtronics other development projects.

The deal includes Digital Surgerys education app, Touch Surgery, with its on-demand library of hundreds of videos and procedure simulations for training surgeons and students outside the OR. The company also provides a HIPAA-certified surgical video sharing platform, which uses AI to automatically recognize and blur out images that could be used to identify patients or staff. This allows surgeons to annotate and edit videos for post-procedure team assessments, institutional training or use at conferences.

Products that assisted with the collection, storage and analysis of surgical video were specific things that we were looking for, as well as capabilities that could be leveraged internally, such as image processing and algorithm development, Rosengarten said. Additionally, the ability to track procedure times and standardize procedures could help reduce variability as well as cost.

Were really looking forward to learning a lot from Medtronic, as well as having access to their scale and expertise, said Touch Surgery co-founder and CEO Jean Nehme, a surgeon himself. Were going to be able to work with a team who are global in surgery, and take the technology that weve been building to more patients.

RELATED: Digital Surgery partners with U.K. hospitals to bring GPS-style directions to the operating room

The deals announcement comes the same week as robotics mainstay Intuitive Surgicals move to acquire Orpheus Medical, an Israeli company that provides clinical video capture and archiving plus imaging documentation solutions. Its system records video from scope cameras and external monitors, including from Intuitives da Vinci system.

I went into this thinking we were either going to find components and products that we would commercialize and integrate into our robotic platform, or I was going to find some of these core data analytics and AI capabilities, or I was going to find a platform, a digital ecosystem and some existing assets around video and images, Rosengarten said. And thats kind of the beautyI don't want to oversell it, but the beauty of this Digital Surgery deal is that we got some elements of all of those things.

The plans on this are to continue to grow and commercialize the products that exist within Digital Surgery today, in both laparoscopic and robotic surgery, she added. And they also bolster the data science capabilities that we have within the surgical robotics groupand will help develop the road map of solutions we have planned for the software that will be rolling out on our Hugo platform.

The Hugo surgical system was unveiled in a practice demonstration for investors last September, where it was used to perform a prostate procedure on a cadaver. At the time, Medtronic said it plans to secure a CE mark and 510(k) clearances for the platform, featuring up to four independent, cart-mounted robotic arms, within just two yearswith the ultimate goal of offering per-procedure costs comparable to manual laparoscopy.

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Medtronic to bolster its AI, surgical robotics work with Digital Surgery acquisition - FierceBiotech

Hood River teams dominated the Feb. 8 SuperQualifier Coronet, one of four FTC Robotics competitions held that day round Oregon.

A total of 24 high school and middle school teams, from northeast Oregon to the Portland area, filled Vannet Court for competition as well as the school commons and cafeteria for assembly and gathering space.

Four teams from Hood River advanced to state in Hillsboro March 14-15. FTC stands for First Technology Competition; Hood River Valley High School teams have competed for 11 years in the program and gone four times to Worlds. Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program (ORTOP) oversees the events statewide.

The competition was pretty varied; Hood River was represented well, as usual, with high placements, said event director Dave Slover.

I love that the 200 kids are there, but it takes more than 50 volunteers to make it happen and six of the referees are alumni of the Hood River robotics program. These kids are 20-24, and coming back and helping the event and supporting the program.

Its a shocking number of hours of volunteer time to put on one of these events, between local volunteers plus ORTOP, Slover said. Its refreshing to me to see the community step up and do such a good job.

Going to state in 2020 are:

Steelheads Inspire Award winner

Men/Mujeres in Green Inspire Award, second place; Connect Award winner

Glasses Half Full Winning Alliance First Team Selected

Java Finalist Alliance Captain

Teams DWAI of Hillsboro and Kraxberger Gearheads of Gladstone also advanced from Coronet SuperQualifier.

The days events included a demonstration by Unified Robotics high school students with special needs who are assisted by FTC team members in learning robotics skills.

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Four robotics teams advance to State FTC | Gorge Life - Hood River News