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 growing programs for the recycling trade.
Rebecca Hu-Thrams, CEO and co-founder of Glacier Robotics.
With expertise in administration consulting and a concentrate on technological developments, Hu-Thrams has guided Glacier’s mission to enhance recycling processes.
She discusses the challenges going through materials restoration services (MRFs) and the way her firm has designed programs to assist detect and kind precious supplies with out disrupting current operations.
Rebecca additionally focuses on how Glacier is making use of synthetic intelligence and robotics to enhancing security and lowering human error. She explains how the firm has partnered with trade gamers to enhance the standard of supplies faraway from the waste stream.
Glacier’s method not solely helps the financial viability of MRFs but in addition contributes to a extra sustainable future by minimizing waste and reducing carbon emissions, in keeping with Hu-Thrams. She talks about how Glacier’s know-how positions it throughout the round economic 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 yr in the past, we coated 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 Programs research how individuals plus automation can enhance warehouse agility
A survey by Newcastle Programs discovered that employees plus AI and automation could make warehouse operations extra resilient. Choosing accounts for 50% of labor prices, making cell robots vital for security, flexibility, and productiveness, it mentioned.
Nonetheless, the report cautioned that automation alone received’t repair dangerous processes. Corporations should first optimize guide processes earlier than implementing new applied sciences. Newcastle Programs gives cell workstations to allow expert employees to entry vital information from the store flooring, complementing different automation.
The corporate famous that the following era of AI and robotics is dependent upon high-quality, real-time information from sources like billions of each day barcode scans. It additionally mentioned methods to mitigate the prices of complicated programs for small and midsize companies.
Parallax Worlds gives hyper-realistic digital twins for robotic testing
Parallax Worlds just lately secured $4 million in seed funding for a complete of $4.9 million raised thus far. The corporate gives a platform that makes use of digital twins and simulation to check AI-based robots, which may be deployed for welding and pick-and-place operations.
The platform integrates with trade instruments akin 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 corporations 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 concerning the funding spherical.
Distalmotion raises funding to speed up U.S. adoption of DEXTER surgical robotic
One other large deal of the previous week was Distalmotion’s $150 million Sequence G spherical. The corporate mentioned it plans to speed up U.S. commercialization of its DEXTER robotic for soft-tissue procedures.
What makes DEXTER completely different from, say, Intuitive Surgical’s programs, is its small measurement, which makes it moveable 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 protected and environment friendly operation alongside individuals in manufacturing environments.
The robotic incorporates a layered method to AI and dexterous and five-fingered fingers with a number of sensors, enabling tremendous manipulation duties like working energy instruments. The corporate plans to start manufacturing the robotic in Bavaria early subsequent yr.
Agile Robots this week additionally acquired thyssenkrupp Automation Engineering to broaden its industrial automation experience and entry to the U.S. market.
Disney exhibits off new Olaf character robotic for its theme parks
Roboticists at Walt Disney Imagineering took Frozen’s “Do You Need to Construct a Snowman?” to coronary heart and constructed a bodily model of a personality from its standard animated films.
The firm had defined its method to designing human-scale robots and giving them character on the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo. It earned a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award.
