Greetings from the<\/span> bowels of Moscone Center West. As I type this, Kevin Hart just exited the stage and Serena Williams is presiding over a packed house. No exaggeration: I attempted to make my way to grab a seat in the few rows up front allotted to the staff, but I physically couldn\u2019t get through the crowd. A solid one-two punch to kick off this Wednesday morning.<\/p>\n I\u2019ve had a little time to walk the halls here, mostly scouring for hardware and robotics firms, as is my wont. It\u2019s always fun to see the sorts of microcosms that develop at events like this, identifying groupings that are indicative of broader current and future trends in the startup world.<\/p>\n I\u2019m happy to say for my own edification that robotics firms, in particular, were well represented. Not sure that\u2019s something I would have felt comfortable asserting five or so years back. Coupled with all of the various ongoing market indicators, it truly feels like we\u2019ve comfortably entered a new era for robotics and robotic investing.<\/p>\n Yesterday I hosted what amounted to a two-hour marathon pitch-off, which involved 30 startups offering two-minute pitches. It was a bit exhausting, frankly, but I\u2019m looking forward to unpacking some of those offerings in the coming weeks. One definitely warrants mention in this week\u2019s Actuator, because I ended up speaking with the CEO and profiling the firm late last week\u2014Touchlab.<\/p>\n Touchlab was the winner of our TC Sessions: Robotics event back in July, so this thing is long overdue. One bit that\u2019s especially interesting to me is how the company\u2019s outward focus has shifted in that short time. The Edinburg-based firm originally pitched us on its robotic skin. The applications are pretty clear there \u2014 effectively adding another layer of sensing to supplement existing vision systems and the like.<\/p>\n That\u2019s still the core of the startup\u2019s play, but Touchlab has also begun to implement its own technology into a robotic system. It showcased an eldercare robot that is essentially an off-the-shelf TIAGo++ robot, outfitted with its sensor technology. Eldercare makes sense, as a highly pressure-sensitive sensor is required to interact with human patients \u2014 the elderly in particular.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a layer of software that translates the pressure of the skin to the suit. We\u2019re also using haptic gloves,\u201d co-founder and CEO Zaki Hussein told me. \u201cCurrently, our skin gathers a lot more data than we can currently transmit to the user over haptic interfaces. So there\u2019s a little bit of a bottleneck. We can use the full potential of the best haptic interface of the day, but there is a point where the robot is feeling more than the user is able to.\u201d<\/p>\n The haptic sensations are translated into a wearable suit donned by a VR-wearing operator. I\u2019m interested in exploring the state of teleoperation a bit more. There\u2019s a weird sort of stigma around this technology in a category where everyone seems to be constantly chasing full autonomy.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> RIF Robotics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n RIF Robotics (pronounced \u201criff\u201d), another one of the entries in the Battlefield 200, operates in a similar space. Specifically, it\u2019s building systems designed to streamline the disinfecting of medical equipment in-hospital. Co-founder Kevin DeMarco tells :<\/p>\n The major challenges that the sterile processing industry is facing are a lack of experienced surgical technicians, instrument-level tracking, infection traceability and cost traceability. Medical device manufacturers are interested in knowing how their equipment is used and degrades in the field. Instrument-level data will also help them to decide where to send sales reps. Hospitals are interested in instrument-level data because it will help them operate more efficiently by improving instrument-level tracking and instrument inspection. Currently, most hospitals only track at the tray-level, but the industry wants to be able to track at the instrument level.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Katakem<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m starting to sense a theme emerging here \u2014 one more healthcare robotics firm from my time at the Showcase stage. Kyle\u2019s headline really says it all here: \u201cKatakem is developing a robot to automate drug development.\u201d The firm has developed what it deems a \u201crobot chef,\u201d designed to create chemical reactions. It tells :<\/p>\n The production of a chemical product is strictly regulated and standardized. [But] the development phase between discovery and production is still carried out manually and no significant data is extracted. Through data, we can help companies develop new life-saving drugs faster and, of course, this means higher revenues and better margins for them \u2026 Data [from OnePot] is reliable, clean and immediately usable.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Jasper<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Montreal-based Jasper is taking a unique approach toward a market controlled by the likes of Seamless, DoorDash and Uber Eats. The firm\u2019s play revolves around the deployment of a proprietary chain of automated ghost kitchens designed to dramatically speed up food delivery. The robotics aspect comes in through the kitchen, allowing for minimal or no staff for the food preparation process.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving good meals at home is expensive or time consuming \u2026 Food delivery is highly inefficient \u2014 restaurants or ghost kitchens prepare meals worth a few dollars and then pay someone to ship them across town,\u201d CEO Gunnar Froh told . \u201cWhile most customers aren\u2019t aware of this, about half of their dollars are spent on platform fees and delivery costs. By running robotic kitchens in or next to residential high-rises, Jasper eliminates labor and delivery inefficiencies to offer residents freshly prepared gourmet meals at the cost of home cooking. Jasper meals are plated on porcelain, which allows its clients to cut up to a third of their household waste.\u201d<\/p>\n Swap Robotics at Startup Battlefield at Disrupt in San Francisco on October 18, 2022. Image Credits:<\/strong> Haje Kamps \/ <\/p>\n<\/div>\n A couple of robotics-focused firms made it onstage for the Battlefield pitch-offs as well. Swap has developed an electric mower specifically designed to cut vegetation around solar farms.<\/p>\n \u201cRight now, there are a couple of main challenges when cutting all of the vegetation in solar fields,\u201d the company tells . \u201cThe way it\u2019s done is unsustainable. It\u2019s done by gasoline or diesel-powered equipment, so there\u2019s obviously a big carbon footprint there. There\u2019s also a high cost from gasoline and diesel itself. The equipment is also going through rough terrain, so there\u2019s a lot of equipment breakdown and costs associated with that. Since what we\u2019re doing is 100% electric, it\u2019s a lot more sustainable. There are also way fewer parts, so it\u2019s not going to break down nearly as often.\u201d<\/p>\n One of the more unique features here are the fast-swappable attachments that give the company its name. Within minutes, you can outfit the system with a plow and have it go to town on a bunch of snow. The robotic system is also capable of carrying a payload of up to 1,000 pounds. The robot debuted a few months back, and the company claims that it already has a committed $9 million in contracts to deploy the robots at solar sites.<\/p>\n Mitch Tolson, CEO at Ally Robotics, pitches in Startup Battlefield at Disrupt in San Francisco on October 19, 2022. Image Credits:<\/strong> Haje Kamps \/ <\/p>\n<\/div>\n I spoke to Ally recently. The company is attempting to solve an issue that many before it have attempted to tackle (and one we\u2019ve spoken about quite a bit in these column inches): the creation of robotic systems that can be effectively deployed without any robotics or programming expertise.<\/p>\n The company raised $4.7 million in crowdfunding, along with a $6.1 million Series A. Equally impressive, food service automator Miso Robotics signed a $30 million letter of intent to deploy Ally\u2019s robotic arms in kitchens. The company develops both the software and hardware components of its system. It also has a nice little backstory.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth my dad and mom had their own business,\u201d Ally Robotics founder and CEO Mitch Tolson tells . \u201cMy mom had a sign company. Every single weekend and nights during the week, I was installing neon signs, welding up frames, digging trenches, holes for electrical, all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n I think that\u2019s all of the Disrupt-related content I\u2019ve got for you this week, but here are some quick news stories from the week. Go!<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Cyberdontics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I (very squeamishly) wrote about Cyberdontics\u2019 $15 million raise. The idea of having a robot operating in my mouth isn\u2019t one that I (world-famous dental not liker) am particularly psyched about, but I also don\u2019t hate the idea of reducing the hours it takes to get a procedure like a root canal or crown down to a matter of minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ve had something like a root canal, a crown or any of these types of procedures, where you\u2019re spending an hour or two in the dentist\u2019s chair and you\u2019re spending multiple trips to go back and get it fixed,\u201d CEO Chris Ciriello told me, \u201cthe idea that you can literally have this robot in your mouth for under one minute and you can be out the door 15 minutes later is a game changer. For people that really don\u2019t like the dentist, this is a really attractive way to get in and out a lot faster.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Ambi Robotics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Kyle\u2019s got a piece on Ambi Robotics\u2019 $32 million funding round. The company is one of a growing army of firms competing to automate fulfillment centers and warehouses. It recently signed a $23 million deal to bring its systems to Pitney Bowes\u2019 U.S.-based fulfillment centers.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Hybrid Robotics<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Something fun to close out this week\u2019s newsletter. I did a quick post early this week about researchers who programmed MIT\u2019s Mini Cheetah quadruped robots to play soccer goalie. It\u2019s an extremely tough thing to accomplish: teaching a robot to map a projectile\u2019s path, react, and move its body in under one second. The paper notes:<\/p>\n Soccer goalkeeping using quadrupeds is a challenging problem that combines highly dynamic locomotion with precise and fast non-prehensile object (ball) manipulation. The robot needs to react to and intercept a potentially flying ball using dynamic locomotion maneuvers in a very short amount of time, usually less than one second. In this paper, we propose to address this problem using a hierarchical model-free RL framework.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Bryce Durbin\/<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The best defense is a good offense. Sign up for Actuator today.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Greetings from the bowels of Moscone Center West. As I type this, Kevin Hart just exited the stage and Serena Williams is presiding over a packed house. No exaggeration: I attempted to make my way to grab a seat in the few rows up front allotted to the staff, but I physically couldn\u2019t get through […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1230111,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1230109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-celebrity-gossip"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1230109"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1230109\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1230109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1230109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2022\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1230109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"RIF](\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/gp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/1666291355_918_DSC_0408.jpg\")
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