CEO Julia Astrid Riemenschneider (left) and COO Franziska Lorenz of Rethink Robotics. | Source: Rethink Robotics

Six years after closing its doors, Rethink Robotics Inc. relaunched in September with a new line of collaborative robot arms, autonomous mobile robots, and a mobile manipulator. Today, the company unveiled its new leadership team. Effective immediately, Julia Astrid Riemenschneider has been appointed chief executive officer, and Franziska Lorenz is chief operations officer.

Top priorities for Riemenschneider and Lorenz will include delivering innovative technologies in collaborative robots, overseeing the installation of Rethink Robotics’ North American headquarters, and expanding the team. By the end of 2025, the company plans to triple its team size, open a U.S. headquarters, and relocate robot production from Europe to the U.S.

“There is huge opportunity for our products in the North American manufacturing market, and we are excited to be working on our first installations as we grow our network of partners, distributors, and integrators,” said Riemenschneider. “I am honored to be in the position to lead a team that will challenge the status quo, help manufacturers solve challenges through automation, and empower our business partners for sustainable growth.”

In the 10 years Rethink Robotics was in operation before it shut down in 2018, it raised $150 million and released the well-known Baxter and Sawyer cobots. After shutting down, German automation and robotics specialist HAHN Group acquired the IP and trademarks for Rethink’s Sawyer cobot and Intera software.

Now, Rethink is under the United Robotics Group umbrella of HAHN Group.

The company’s newly introduced product line includes collaborative robots in payloads ranging from 7 to 30 kg (15 to 66 lb.), two autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and a mobile manipulator robot (MMR). Rethink said it designed the robots for increased precision, speed, and reliability, making them highly capable for industrial applications.

Riemenschneider and Lorenz take the reins at Rethink 

The new Reacher collaborative robot arms from Rethink Robotics. | Credit: Rethink Robotics

As CEO, Riemenschneider, M.Sc., is responsible for managing all customer-facing related departments, including marketing, sales, business development, product development, and application engineering. She brings more than 10 years of business development experience in industrial automation.

Prior to Rethink Robotics, Riemenschneider grew the business-development organization for United Robotics Group in Europe and the U.S. She previously worked in the U.S. for an international sensor manufacturer. This followed Europe-based business-development roles with a machine vision manufacturer and collaborative robot market leader Universal Robots.

Lorenz was previously responsible for corporate development and compliance at HAHN Automation Group, United Robotics Group, and Schenck Process Group. She holds a master’s degree in international business administration. Lorenz said she brings extensive international experience from her studies and professional work in Italy, Spain, and Mexico.

“With Rethink Robotics being based in the U.S., we are excited to create high-tech American jobs,” stated Lorenz. “It is our goal to provide opportunities for motivated and experienced talents to rethink and employ collaborative robots to help solve today’s manufacturing challenges.”

She recently spent 18 months at Robotnik, a manufacturer of indoor and outdoor mobile robots in Valencia, Spain. Lorenz managed its integration into United Robotics Group. She has managed numerous company acquisitions and is an expert in developing strategies and implementing organizational structures.

In addition, Rethink said Lorenz brings extensive administrative expertise to her role. In her new role as chief operations officer, Lorenz will be managing the company‘s human resources, finance, production, and service units. She said she is “looking forward to creating a diverse team as the foundation of success.”

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The Husky A300 is designed to be tougher and have longer endurance than the A200. Source: Clearpath Robotics

Developers of robots for indoor or outdoor use have a new platform to build on. In October, Clearpath Robotics Inc. released the Husky A300, the latest version of its flagship mobile robot for research and development. The Waterloo, Ontario-based company said it has improved the system’s speed, weather resistance, payload capacity, and runtime.

“Husky A200 has been on the market for over 10 years,” said Robbie Edwards, director of technology at Clearpath Robotics. “We have lots of experience figuring out what people want. We’ve had different configurations, upgrades, batteries and chargers, computers, and motors.”

“We’ve also had different configurations of the internal chassis and ingress protection, as well as custom payloads,” he told The Robot Report. “A lot of that functionality that you had to pay to add on is now stock.”

Husky A300 hardware is rugged, faster

The Husky A300 includes a high-torque drivetrain with four brushless motors that enable speeds of up to 2 m/s (4.4 mph), twice as fast as the previous version. It can carry payloads up to 100 kg (220.4 lb.) and has a runtime of up to 12 hours, said Clearpath Robotics.

The company, which Rockwell Automation acquired last year, noted that the platform can integrate third-party components and accessories including depth cameras, directional lidar, dual-antenna GPS, and manipulators. Husky A300 has an IP54 rating against dust and water and can withstand industrial environments or extreme temperatures outdoors, it said. 

“Before, the Husky was configured on a bespoke basis,” said Edwards. “Now we’re off at a more competitive price, which is great for our customers, and it now comes off our production line instead of our integration line.”

Founded in 2009, the company has tested its hardware and software near its office in a wide range of weather conditions.

Clearpath’s integration with Rockwell has gone smoothly so far, with Rockwell’s procurement team easing access to components and manufacturing, said Edwards. He observed that some of Rockwell’s customers in mining or other industrial automation could find new use cases in time.

The Husky A300 can withstand dust and temperature variances. Source: Clearpath Robotics

Clearpath includes ROS 2 support with A300

Husky A300 ships with Robot Operating System (ROS) 2 Jazzy plus demonstrations of Nav2, MoveIt 2, and other developer utilities.

“Over the past two years, there was a big push to get all Clearpath products to ROS 2 Humble because its configuration management system made life easier for our integration team and customers,” recalled Edwards. “We also provide support for simulation, and URDF [Unified Robot Description Format] is configured.”

Many of Clearpath’s R&D customers were familiar with ROS, C++, and Python, so it offered visualization and simulation tools in addition to the ROS stack, he added. However, as the company got non-expert customers, it wanted to enable them to also work with Husky.

“Academics who aren’t roboticists but want to do data collection can now do so with a simple Python interface, without learning ROS,” Edwards said. “We’ve maintained a level of flexibility with integrating different payloads and compute options while still giving a pretty good price point and usability.”

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Husky AMP a ‘turnkey’ option

Clearpath Robotics is offering a “turnkey” version of the robot dubbed Husky AMP, or autonomous mobile platform. It comes with a sensor suite for navigation, pre-installed and configured OutdoorNav software, a Web-based user interface, and an optional wireless charging dock.

“Robotics developers can easily integrate payloads onto the mounting deck, carry out a simple software integration through the OutdoorNav interface, and get their system working in the field faster and more efficiently,” said Clearpath.

“We’ve lowered the barrier to entry by providing all software function calls and a navigation stack,” Edwards asserted. “The RTK [real-time kinematic positioning] GPS is augmented with sensor fusion, including wheel odometry, and visual and lidar sensors.”

“With a waypoint following system, the robotics stack does the path planning, which is constrained and well-tested,” he said. “Non-roboticists can use Husky A300 as a ground drone.”

More robot enhancements, use cases to come

Clearpath Robotics is considering variant drive trains for the Husky A300, such as tracks for softer terrain as in agriculture, said Edwards.

“Husky is a general-purpose platform,” he said. “We’re serving outdoors developers rather than end users directly, but there’s a lot of demand for larger, high-endurance materials transport.”

For the A300, the company surveyed its client base, which came back with 150 use cases.

“I’ve seen lots of cool stuff — robots herding animals, helping to grow plants, working in mines, participating in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge in fleets of Husky and [Boston Dynamics’] Spot,” Edwards said. “Husky Observer conducts inspections of sites such as solar farms.”

“The benefits for industrial users also help researchers,” he said. “Making the robot cheaper to deploy for faster time to value also means better battery life, weatherproofing, and integrations.”

Edwards added that Clearpath has received a lot of interest in mobile manipulation with its Ridgeback omnidirectional platform.

“This trend is finding its way outdoors as well,” he said. “On the application engineering side, developers have put put two large Universal Robots arms on our Warthog UGV [uncrewed ground vehicle] for things like changing tires.”

The Husky A300 can carry different sensor payloads or robotic arms. Source: Clearpath Robotics

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UFR has developed autonomous systems for multiple industries. Source: Universal Field Robotics

Sandvik AB today said it has acquired Universal Field Robots, or UFR, a developer of autonomous systems for the surface and underground mining markets. UFR will report to Digital Mining Technologies, a division within the Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions business area.

“Universal Field Robots is an important strategic addition to Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions, which will strengthen our growth potential and provide key capabilities in the development of our mining automation solutions portfolio going forward,” stated Stefan Widing, president and CEO of Sandvik, when the company first announced its intentions in August.

Stockholm, Sweden-based Sandvik provides technologies for the mining, manufacturing, and infrastructure industries. As of 2023, the company had about 41,000 employees, sales in 170 countries, and revenue of SEK 127 billion ($11.5 billion U.S.).

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Universal Field Robots to widen equipment compatibility

Universal Field Robots has approximately 40 employees and is headquartered in Eagle Farm, near Brisbane, Australia. The company‘s systems are built on a common autonomy platform, including OEM-agnostic products for trucks, loaders, and auxiliary equipment. 

Sandvik said UFR’s technology complements its own automated offerings. “The acquisition will help to increase the addressable market for Sandvik and further strengthens the market position of Sandvik AutoMine — the world’s leading mining automation platform,” it claimed.

The companies said the acquisition will expand the number of third-party equipment types that can integrate with AutoMine.

In the financial year that ended in June 2024, Universal Field Robots generated revenue of approximately SEK 80 million ($7.2 million). Sandvik said the purchase will have a limited effect on its earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization (EBITA) will be limited. It added that the impact on its earnings per share, excluding non-cash amortization effects from business combinations, will be positive.

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The new MC600 is designed for reliable mobile manipulation, says MiR. Source: Mobile Industrial Robots

While humanoid robots are taking their first steps into industrial applications, ASTM International is working on standards for mobile manipulators. Its F45.05 Committee on Robotics, Automation, and Autonomous Systems is developing a standard designated as WK92144.

A mobile manipulator is broadly defined as an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) base with an attached multi-axis robotic arm. The ANSI/RIA R15.08-1-2020 standard defines a classification scheme for industrial mobile robots (IMR), which includes mobile manipulators as a class.

The goal of ASTM’s standard is to demonstrate the precision of a such a robot and provide a series of quantifiable tests for measuring the accuracy of the manipulator and mobile base’s movements. The research for the emerging testing standard is based on a National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) paper.

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Standards efforts focus on definitions, testing

“We started this standards effort in 2014 or 2015,” said Omar Aboul-Enein, co-author of the NIST paper and an F45 committee member. “In many cases, there’s noncontinuous performance. For example, the arm and vehicle don’t move simultaneously for machine tending or assembly tasks. We needed terminology for discrete pose-constrained tasks.”

In 2022, ASTM International expanded its scope to include robotics and automation, he told The Robot Report. “NIST had tested noncontinuous performance with multiple robots, such as AGVs [automated guided vehicles] and then experimented with continuous systems for large-scale manufacturing, like for aircraft wings, ship bows, and wind turbine blades.”

With R15.08, ASTM has focused on AMR testing, with task groups for mobile manipulation, grasp-type end effectors, and robotic assembly, Aboul-Emein explained. The mobile manipulation group has more than 30 members.

By supporting foundational tests for workpiece properties, ASTM wants to help industry create consistent documentation of robot configurations. Aboul-Emein described a configurable test apparatus for mobile manipulation that uses low-cost components and is designed to be easy to reproduce and allow for in-situ testing.

However, the new standards would not apply to end effectors, payloads, or fleet behavior. They could be used to develop simulations of robots and their behaviors, acknowledged Aboul-Emein.

“It definitely has potential, but there are always factors lurking in the real world, such as a dip in the lab floor or the weight of the arm when it’s fully stretched out to one side,” he said. “We’ve been working on items to assess mobile manipulators and measure their behavior, all based on consensus out of the committee. These standards are living documents.”

ASTM introduces testing table for mobile manipulators

The Robot Report also reached out to Aaron Prather, director of the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International, for a more detail on the WK92144 standard and where it’s headed.

The organization‘s F45 committee is introducing a new testing table, a tool that helps show the precision of a mobile manipulator, linking its arm and base movements. The robot must try to maneuver around the table while its arm performs tasks on the surface. These tasks include tracking an S-shaped black area for welding or gluing and inserting pegs.

This image, provided by Prather, is an early prototype built by the F45 team to test the emerging standard. | Credit: Aaron Prather, ASTM

Operators can adjust the tabletop to stand at 90 degrees, tilt to 45 degrees, or lay flat at 0 degrees. To make the tests more challenging, they can attach a shaker that adds motion and vibrations.

“The table design will be standardized, and the committee will provide instructions on how everyone can build their table,” said Prather. “Several test standards are planned based on the table. The goal is to have NIST task boards and this new table be the basis for how we test new grasping/manipulation/assembly applications for accuracy and repeatability.”

“Also, expect to see our new Student Competition Challenges to use the boards and table,” he added. “This will help get students involved in how to use standards and send them out into the community with the knowledge on how to leverage these new test tools we are going to keep launching to ensure new robot systems can pass them.”

“Our hope is that we see humanoids and mobile manipulators having to show their results to help end users better understand capabilities and ensure they are getting the right system for their application,” Prather said.

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Digitalization is bringing emerging technologies into the warehouse. Source: Dexory

Designing and deploying a digital warehouse can be a challenge, with numerous technology options to add to your operations. From robotics and automation to the latest data analytics and artificial intelligence, how can you take advantage of digitalization?

At 2:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Dec. 4, expert panelists will discuss how emerging technologies are changing how engineers design warehouse systems and how businesses can gain insights and efficiencies with them. Sensors, digital twins, wearables, and virtual assistants are some of the tools that are part of this digital transformation.

In this free webinar, viewers can learn about:

• Ways to improve labor productivity with workforce management
• The orchestration of people and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for order picking and fulfillment
• Where augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) fit in the warehouse
• How AI will change how operators use data in positive feedback cycle
• How to scale digital transformation across facilities and the supply chain

Register now to attend this webinar on digitalization, and have your questions answered live. Registrants will be able to view it on demand after the broadcast date.

Digitalization speakers to share insights

Robert C. Kennedy is principal at RC Kennedy Consulting. For over four decades, he has planned, developed, and implemented industry-leading supply chain execution systems around the globe. Kennedy and his staff have led more than 200 large-scale implementation projects of supply chain execution software for leading customers in a variety of industries, including pharmaceutical, electronics, third-party logistics (3PL), and food and beverage.

As a leading voice of expertise, Bob is featured in regular interviews by industry media and has published articles, and he has presented at numerous trade shows and seminars.

RC Kennedy Consulting provides assistance to companies to improve operational efficiencies through process design and systems. It also helps them develop strategies for growth.

Ken Ramoutar is chief marketing officer at Lucas Systems, which helps companies transform their distribution center by dramatically increasing worker productivity, operational agility, and customer and worker satisfaction using voice and AI optimization technologies.

In his 25 years of customer centric roles in supply chain software and consulting, Ramoutar has navigated companies through uncertainty and volatility as a thought leader and change agent.

Prior to Lucas, Ken was senior vice president and global head of customer experience at Avanade, a $3 billion Accenture and Microsoft-owned company, and he has held leadership roles at IBM, Sterling Commerce, and SAP/Ariba.

Michael Taylor is the chief product officer and co-founder of Duality AI. He has a 20-year career in mobile robotics, with 15 years dedicated to building autonomous field robots at Caterpillar.

While there, Mike led the team developing the autonomy system for Caterpillar’s autonomous dozer, and he helped launch the Autonomous Mining Truck program. His roles included architecting behaviors and planning systems, as well as building a collection of simulation technologies to accelerate deployment to customer sites.

Taylor was also part of the Carnegie Mellon team that won DARPA’s Urban Challenge, where he led both the Controls Team and the Field Calibration Team. Taylor holds dozens of patents in fields ranging from robotics to simulation technologies.

At Duality AI, Taylor leads the company’s Product and Solutions Engineering team. He is responsible for steering Duality’s product strategy, developing technologies to address customer needs, and helping ensure that customers maximize the value they extract from Falcon. This includes projects ranging from a simulation solution to support a drone-based AI perception system, to generating synthetic data for high-volume manufacturing quality assurance, to characterizing and modeling of uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs) navigating novel environments. 

Eugene Demaitre, moderator, is the editorial director for robotics at WTWH Media, which produces Automated Warehouse, The Robot Report, the Robotics Summit & Expo, and RoboBusiness. Prior to working for WTWH Media, he was an editor at BNA (now part of Bloomberg), Computerworld, TechTarget, Robotics Business Review, and Robotics 24/7.

Demaitre has participated in conferences worldwide, as well as spoken on numerous webcasts and podcasts. He is always interested in learning more about robotics. He has a master’s from the George Washington University and lives in the Boston area.

This webinar is sponsored by Baluff and Dexory.

The post Learn about digitalization in the warehouse in new webinar appeared first on The Robot Report.

Muddy Machines Ltd. this week said it has acquired the majority of key assets and intellectual property from Fox Robotics Ltd. Farnham, U.K.-based Fox Robotics was a startup focused on the challenges and operations of soft fruit farms.

Fox Robotics is not to be confused with Fox Robotics Inc., an Austin, Texas-based provider of autonomous fork trucks that’s still in operation.

“We are thrilled to integrate Fox Robotics’ innovative vehicle into our lineup,” said Chris Chavasse, CEO of Muddy Machines. “Their technology aligns perfectly with our mission to solve labor challenges in horticulture with electric robots that carry out labor-intensive fieldwork and increase worker productivity.”

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Fox’s Hugo RT is now Squirrel

With its acquisition of Fox, Muddy Machines said it now offers growers a wider selection of autonomous systems. The company will change the name of Fox Robotics’ Hugo RT platform to Squirrel.

Squirrel is a competitor to the field robot of Burro Robotics. This class of mobile robots autonomously transports material from one point to another on the farm.

The newly renamed Squirrel robot has a payload of 200 kg (441 lb.) and a top speed of 3 m/s (6.7 mph). It measures 107 x 63 cm (42.1 x 24.8 in.) and includes an integrated weighing table.

Muddy Machines said it plans to offer more products to meet growers‘ needs for more efficient operations.

The Hugo RT has been renamed Squirrel following the acquisition of Fox Robotics Ltd. | Credit: Muddy Machines

Muddy Machines builds on Sprout

Muddy Machine’s existing robot, Sprout, is a precision agriculture platform for specialty crops grown in open fields. Its initial tool, a selective green asparagus harvester, was successfully trialed earlier this year.

With partners, the Chiswick, U.K.-based company is developing additional tools for precision weeding, planting, and spraying. “This versatility unlocks true precision agriculture and the cultivation of high-value field vegetables,” it said.

It added that Sprout will extend its reach into the berry and fruit sector. Capable of operating both outdoors and in polytunnels, the robot is initially serving as an autonomous carrier for heavy loads. Muddy Machines said Sprout can increase worker productivity and address labor shortages.

“By combining the strengths of Sprout and Squirrel, we’re offering a comprehensive suite of electric robotic solutions that directly tackle the labor challenges faced by the horticulture industry,” added Chavasse. “Our robots are designed to assist farm workers by carrying out labor-intensive tasks, making their jobs easier and more efficient.”

Muddy Machines is currently raising funds to accelerate the delivery of its products to the market.

The Sprout is an autonomous, precision agriculture platform. | Credit: Muddy Machines

The post Muddy Machines acquires key assets and IP from Fox Robotics appeared first on The Robot Report.

In Episode 173 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-host Steve Crowe and I catch up on the news of the week, including several recent stories about mobile manipulators.

Featured interview with RGO Robotics and Wheel.Me

In the featured interview this week, I talk to Amir Bousani, CEO of RGO Robotics, and Jacob Petersen, chief commercial officer of Wheel.Me. We discuss the importance of perception for autonomous mobile robots, and discuss Wheel.Me’s decision to leverage RGO Robotics perception engine in its platform.

Show timeline

• 7:44 – News of the week
• 11:02 – Update on Proxie from Brad Porter, founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics
• 24:15 – Interview with Amir Bousani, CEO of RGO Robotics, and Jacob Petersen, Chief Commercial Officer from Wheel.Me.

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News of the week

2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open for nominations

You can now submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. They will recognize technology and business innovations in the calendar year 2024, and the awards are open to any company worldwide that produces robotics or automation.

The categories include:

1. Technologies, products, and services: This category includes primary or applied research focusing on robotics and supporting technologies such as motion control, vision, or machine learning. It also includes new products and business, engineering, or technology services.
2. Business and management: This category covers initiatives positioning a company as a market leader or an organization as an important thought leader in the robotics ecosystem. Significant mergers and acquisitions are relevant, as are supplier, partner, and integrator relationships.
3. Applications and markets: The RBR50 will also recognize innovations that improve productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, as well as those that automate new tasks.

In addition, the 2025 RBR50 awards will celebrate the following:

• Startup of the Year
• Application of the Year
• Robot of the Year
• Robots for Good Award

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics

The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics 

Is your autonomous mobile robot (AMR) struggling in dynamic environments? Is your business stuck because it takes months to commission a new site?

RGo Robotics’ Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, The company’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler.

Leading AMR companies are enhancing their fleets with RGo’s AI-powered perception, enabling their teams to accelerate use of advanced AI capabilities like foundation models and digital twins.

Don’t let outdated navigation hold your business back.

To learn more about RGO’s solutions, go to: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/

The post How AI, perception are shaping mobile robotics appeared first on The Robot Report.

The MC600 is designed for reliable mobile manipulation, says MiR. Source: Mobile Industrial Robots

Mobile Industrial Robots ApS today announced the the latest addition to its growing list of MiR Go-approved products, the MC600 mobile collaborative robot.

“By integrating the ‘legs’ of a mobile robot with the ‘arms’ of a cobot, the MC600 addresses multiple automation workflow challenges such as palletizing and machine tending with one system,” said Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR).

“While some companies have explored humanoid robots or one-off custom mobile cobot solutions for such tasks, they remain far from widespread industrial use,” he stated. “The MC600 is ready today to safely handle these complex automation challenges.”

Mobile Industrial Robots develops and manufactures autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) designed to automate internal logistics and optimize material handling for a wide range of payloads, including pallets. The Odense, Denmark-based unit of testing equipment maker Teradyne Inc. said it integrates robotics and artificial intelligence to serve businesses of all sizes in industries including manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare.

MC600 combines Teradyne technologies

The MC600 combines the MiR600 AMR with the UR20 and UR30 collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots A/S, which is also owned by Teradyne. Mobile Industrial Robots said it can handle payloads up to 600 kg (1,322 lb.) and automate complex workflows in industrial environments.

A unified software platform by MiR Go partner Enabled Robotics controls the MC600. MiR said this coordinates its mobile base and robotic arms, simplifying integration into existing workflows and ensuring smooth operations.

“The smaller MC250 has proven especially popular in semiconductor fabrication facilities and other lower-payload manufacturing tasks, but there’s been a clear demand for a mobile cobot that could handle heavier manufacturing applications,” said Ujjwal Kumar, group president of Teradyne Robotics. “The MC600 meets these requirements, another example of how we consistently offer customers the flexibility, safety, and efficiency that meets their unique automation needs.”

Kumar participated in a fireside chat at the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo.

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MC600 promises efficency, flexibility

The global market for mobile cobots, which offer efficient and flexible automation, is projected to grow 46% annually by 2030, said Mobile Industrial Robots. Hathout said the MC600 offers a proven, safe, and ready-to-deploy system designed for ease of use, repeatability, and ongoing support.

“For companies seeking scalable automation, the MC600 delivers operational efficiency and long-term reliability,” the company claimed.

Building on the success of the smaller MC250, the MC600 can handle heavier items to automate tasks such as palletizing, box handling, and machine tending, said MiR. The UR20’s extended reach allows the new robot to tackle tasks that were previously inaccessible to smaller cobots.

The MC600 can improve productivity by operating with little downtime, serving multiple machines, and performing continuous material-handling tasks, asserted MiR. This enables businesses to redeploy human workers to higher-value assignments, it said.

In addition, by taking over the movement of heavy goods, the MC600 can improve ergonomics, reducing physical strain on workers and enhancing workplace safety, said MiR.

Mobile Industrial Robots said it will demonstrate the MC600 for real-world applications next week at Logistics & Automation Madrid.

ASTM proposes mobile manipulation standard

In other mobile manipulation news, ASTM International’s F45 committee for robotics, automation, and autonomous systems has proposed a new standard, WK92144.

It provides guidelines for documenting disturbances of robot arms, such as by heavy equipment, in unstructured manufacturing environments. The proposed standard describes an example apparatus for testing.

“Many applications of mobile manipulators require high degree of position and orientation accuracy and repeatability,” said Omar Aboul-Enein, a member of ASTM International.

The post MC600 combines UR cobot with MiR base for mobile manipulation appeared first on The Robot Report.

Collaborative Robotics Inc. today unveiled its Proxie mobile manipulator publicly for the first time. The startup has been secretive about the design of the robot since Brad Porter founded the company in 2022.

Porter has hinted at the design of the robot by alluding to the importance of a mobile manipulator for applications within the warehouse, with a kinematic better suited for warehouse workflows than a humanoid.

Porter brings robotics experience, vision

Porter has been a frequent contributor to The Robot Report and a guest on The Robot Report Podcast. He most recently shared his thoughts about Amazon’s acquihire of the Covariant leadership.

At Amazon, Porter led the deployment of more than 500,000 robots as vice president of robotics and distinguished engineer.  After Amazon, Porter saw an opportunity to accelerate more ubiquitous autonomy through better data and tooling, leading him to join Scale AI as chief technology officer.

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Proxie already in trials

In April 2024, Collaborative Robotics closed a $100 million Series B round toward commercializing its autonomous mobile robot (AMR). The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said Proxie can safely and affordably work alongside people in varied manufacturing, supply chain, and healthcare workflows.

In many cases, this is the same work humanoids are jockeying for. In June 2024, Collaborative Robots opened an office in Seattle and began adding to its AI team.

The base of Proxie includes four “swerve drive” motors that provide holonomic motion. | Credit: Collaborative Robotics

Porter told The Robot Report that Proxie is already in trials with several pilot customers, including a global logistics company. Featured clients include Moderna, Mayo Clinic, Owens & Minor, and Tampa General Hospital. He said Proxie has roughly the stature of a human. 

We asked Porter about the design intentions of going with the swerve drive versus other AMR base designs. Proxie has a base with four drive wheels in a “swerve drive” configuration. The AMR attaches to a cart and then pulls the cart to its next destination, navigating safely through the facility.

“The swerve drive gives you pseudo holonomic motion, enabling you to slide sideways into a set of shelving units. The swerve drive also enables you to snap the casters before you start to move. With a differential drive base, the AMR doesn’t have the degrees of freedom, so it’s more clumsy. Finally, mecanum wheels have other problems that are difficult to manage in production.”

On top of the base is a vertical linear axis that carries a dual arm cart interfacing gripper for cart-moving implementations. A six-degree-of-freedom collaborative robot arm will be an optional configuration for Proxie in the future.

Porter said the company has a dual-arm manipulator in its lab, equipped with the ALOHA grippers, for manipulation tasks.

Proxie can be equipped with a rolling cart gripper that attaches to the cart on the normal handle, and then guides the cart throughout the facility. | Credit: Collaborative Robotics

The post Collaborative Robotics unveils Proxie mobile manipulator appeared first on The Robot Report.

Nuro’s custom L4 vehicles use the Nuro Driver to safely carry food and drink, with no human present in the vehicle. | Source: Nuro

Nuro Inc. today announced a significant expansion of its driverless capabilities using zero-occupant vehicles with the artificial intelligence-powered Nuro Driver system. The company said this expansion covers multiple cities in two states and includes significant operational advancements.

The expanded deployment of autonomous vehicles demonstrates foundational technology for transporting people and goods, asserted Nuro. It plans to expand in Mountain View and Palo Alto, Calif., where the company increased its deployment area by 83%. Nuro also plans to increase its deployment area in Houston by 70%, in terms of linear miles. 

In September, Nuro expanded its business model to include licensing Nuro Driver to automotive OEMs. As part of the new licensing model, the company also announced the Nuro AI Platform, which consists of scalable and performant developer tools to support AI development and validation for the Nuro Driver.

“Since publicly unveiling our new direction a little over a month ago, we have seen tremendous interest in our AI-driven autonomy platform from automotive OEMs and mobility companies,” stated Jiajun Zhu, the co-founder and CEO of Nuro. “Our latest driverless deployment demonstrates the maturity and capability of our AI platform, and we’re excited for potential partners to capitalize on the performance, safety, and sophistication of the Nuro Driver to build their own incredible autonomy products.”

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Nuro Driver ready to take on new challenges

Founded in 2016, Nuro said its newly expanded operational design domain (ODD) encompasses advances including:

• Multi-lane road operation at speeds up to 35 mph (56.3 kph)
• Improvements related to complex scenario handling, such as reacting to active emergency vehicles, navigating construction zones, and responding to active school busesa
• Night operation, expanding service availability

Nuro said its system now covers a wider portion of everyday driving conditions. The Mountain View-based company said this expanded operational scope demonstrates the growing sophistication and reliability of its autonomous vehicles in real-world applications.

To date, Nuro said its fleet has logged more than 1 million autonomous miles with zero at-fault incidents, underscoring the company’s commitment to safety and technological excellence. Its custom L4 vehicle is designed with cost-effective, automotive-grade components.

Nuro claimed that its approach ensures that its technology is not only highly capable but also practical for large-scale deployment across various vehicle types and use cases. The company said Nuro Driver can accelerate autonomous vehicle development by enabling up to SAE Level 4 autonomy on mobility platforms and personally-owned vehicles.

The post Nuro Driver expands Level 4 autonomous fleet in California and Texas appeared first on The Robot Report.

In Episode 172 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman catch up on the news of the week, including several recent stories about self-driving vehicles. We also catch up with Yoshi Umeno and learn how Kollmorgen helps clients design and build surgical robots.

Featured interview with ABB

In the featured interview this week, Oitzman catches up with Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, to learn how the company is using artificial intelligence to make robotics easier to program and deploy.

Show timeline

• 7:50 – News
• 22:22 – Kayleen Brown interviews Yoshi Umeno from Kollmorgen (sponsored by Kollmorgen)
• 29:50 – Interview with Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics

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News of the week

Schaeffler plans global use of Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid

2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open for nominations

You can now submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. They will recognize technology and business innovations in the calendar year 2024, and the awards are open to any company worldwide that produces robotics or automation.

The categories include:

1. Technologies, products, and services: This category includes primary or applied research focusing on robotics and supporting technologies such as motion control, vision, or machine learning. It also includes new products and business, engineering, or technology services.
2. Business and management: This category covers initiatives positioning a company as a market leader or an organization as an important thought leader in the robotics ecosystem. Significant mergers and acquisitions are relevant, as are supplier, partner, and integrator relationships.
3. Applications and markets: The RBR50 will also recognize innovations that improve productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, as well as those that automate new tasks.

In addition, the 2025 RBR50 awards will celebrate the following:

• Startup of the Year
• Application of the Year
• Robot of the Year
• Robots for Good Award

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics

The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics 

Is your autonomous mobile robot (AMR) struggling in dynamic environments? Is your business stuck because it takes months to commission a new site?

RGo Robotics’ Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, The company’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler.

Leading AMR companies are enhancing their fleets with RGo’s AI-powered perception, enabling their teams to accelerate use of advanced AI capabilities like foundation models and digital twins.

Don’t let outdated navigation hold your business back.

To learn more about RGO’s solutions, go to: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/

The post The ABB Edge: Using AI and robotics to transform industries appeared first on The Robot Report.

Kassow Robots has introduced a new line of compact collaborative robot arms (cobots) designed to integrate with mobile robots. The new Edge Edition cobots are smaller, fully integrated manipulators designed for mobile manipulation applications.

The new cobots feature a direct DC connection from battery power, enabling them to operate while mounted to a mobile robot. They offer remote power on/off control, allowing for control from the mobile robot controllers or a PLC. The cobots can run in automatic mode without a teach pendant, streamlining operations. The cobots have a standard footprint of 160x200mm (6.2″x7.9″) ensuring compatibility with various applications.

Kassow Robots’ cobots are equipped with sensors that detect overload, ensuring safe operation in shared workspaces. This eliminates the need for special safety measures, expanding the range of applications to include repetitive, dangerous, and dirty tasks. However, a thorough risk assessment must be conducted before deploying the cobots in any environment.

The cobots are also modular, leveraging Kassow Robots’ existing partner ecosystem that enables integration of various peripherals, grippers, vision systems, or function extensions.

Bosch Rexroth acquired a majority stake in Kassow Robots in March 2022 for an undisclosed amount. Kassow Robots exited stealth mode at Automatica 2018. It was co-founded in 2014 by Kristian Kassow, former co-founder of Universal Robots, which is the leading developer of cobots. Founded in 2005 by Kassow, Esben Østergaard and Kasper Støy, Universal Robots was acquired in 2015 by Teradyne for $285 million.

Kristian Kassow provides more insights about the Edge Edition cobots in the Q&A below.

Why did you develop the Edge Edition?

Kristian Kassow: Our goal has always been to make it as easy as possible for our customers to integrate cobots into their production, with an explicit focus on SMEs. Our Edge Edition offers multiple advantages here: it’s designed for industrial use, offers a high level of maneuverability thanks to its 7 axes, and delivers unique compactness. It also has a small footprint of just 160 x 200 millimeters. That is because we have miniaturized the controller to just 10 percent of the original size and integrated it into the robot base. Another benefit worth mentioning is that the Edge Edition can be easily connected to any DC power supply, such as the battery of a mobile robot.

Kassow Robots’ new Edge Edition collaborative robot arm lineup. | Credit: Kassow Robots

What customer groups are you targeting with the Edge Edition?

Kassow: Lots of them, all industries with intralogistics tasks at their production sites can benefit from our Edge Edition. The Edge Edition offers the additional benefit of being a multifunctional cobot, allowing users to switch between tasks seamlessly. This includes the ability to use it for the production of Product A, followed by a quality check, and then for palletizing.

The Edge Edition comes into play and shows off its advantages when a cobot becomes an efficient assistant to mobile robots. We believe that mobile applications will be the primary use for the Edge Edition. This means using cobots in combination with an AMR or AGV.

Can you tell us more about using a cobot as a mobile manipulator?

Kassow: One way in which the cobot can be made mobile is by moving the lightweight cobot installation to a new location and programming it for a new application. The programming of a cobot is much easier than in the case of a traditional industrial robot. Another way to make the most of mobility is to use it for the same tasks that come up at various locations during the production process. Let me give you an example. A combination of an AGV/ AMR and a cobot can take over the task to take care of the loading of boxes that will be used for packaging.

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Why does the Edge Edition contribute to an easy integration of AGV/AMR-cobot solutions?

Kassow: The Edge Edition saves space because the robot arm and controller form a compact unit that can be installed quickly. In addition, as mentioned earlier, the direct current (DC) connection on all Edge Edition cobots satisfies all the requirements for connecting a cobot directly to the battery of an AGV or AMR. At the end of the day, we want to make it easier for our customers to integrate cobots into mobile solutions. A look at today’s AGVs and AMRs quickly reveals just how little space they offer. Robot controllers are mostly bulky, making it harder to automate tasks. Our Edge Edition cobots feature a slim base. We help system integrators and end customers simplify the implementation of these AGV/AMR & cobot solutions.

The controller has been integrated into the base of the 7-axis cobots. | Credit: Kassow Robots

The post Kassow Robots’ new cobots designed for mobile manipulation appeared first on The Robot Report.

LOXO’s Migronomous delivery service demonstrated the Alpha self-driving vehicle. Source: Schindler Group

LOXO AG today opened its first international subsidiary in Munich, Germany. The Bern, Switzerland-based company has developed and deployed software-as-a-service, or SaaS, systems to provide autonomy to delivery vehicles.

“Germany is a natural next step for LOXO as we continue our mission to revolutionize commercial vehicle automation in Europe,” said Amin Amini, CEO of LOXO. “Germany’s strong logistics market, advanced automotive infrastructure, and progressive legislation surrounding autonomous vehicles make it the ideal location for us to further our middle-mile and mobile distribution projects.”

Amin Amini, Lara Amini, and Claudio Panizza founded the company in 2018. LOXO claimed that its vehicle-agnostic LOXO Digital Driver (LDD) software can give nearly any commercial vehicle SAE Level 4 autonomy.

In addition, the company operates its own fleet of logistics vehicles, the electric LOXO Alpha and LOXO R1.

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LOXO begins with autonomous deliveries in Bern

LOXO recently rolled out what it said was Europe’s first L4 self-driving technology, which is operational on public roads in Bern. The company, which began with remote operation, has authorized autonomous driving routes spanning 65 km (40 mi.) within the city.

“The LDD software serves as the core of every autonomous operation, combining advanced AI with an autonomous sensor stack to enable vehicles to drive autonomously,” explained the company on its website. “Our virtual mapping approach significantly enhances scalability, ensuring operations remain fast and cost-effective.”

Last year, it conducted projects with Schindler Group and Migros, Switzerland’s largest online retailer. Its autonomous vehicles are currently proving their capabilities in projects with Planzer, a major Swiss logistics company.

German middle-mile market presents an opportunity

“Germany’s middle-mile logistics sector, valued at approximately $379.89 billion in 2023 and projected to surpass $504 billion by 2032, has enormous untapped potential,” asserted LOXO. “The repetitive nature of middle-mile routes between business hubs presents an ideal opportunity for autonomous driving solutions.”

Lara Amini, co-founder and current chief business officer of LOXO Switzerland, will lead the new Munich subsidiary.

“We’re not just focused on replacing traditional vehicles with autonomous ones. Our goal is to foster innovation that will catalyze the transformation of the entire logistics sector,” said Lara Amini. “By collaborating with local partners and tapping into Germany’s pool of talent, we aim to take LOXO’s successful model and scale it across new markets.”

The company said its expansion into Germany signals its commitment to advancing autonomous driving in one of Europe’s largest logistics markets. It said it aims to further integrate its vehicles into the supply chain and advance the state of commercial vehicle automation.

The post LOXO expands into Germany with self-driving logistics subsidiary appeared first on The Robot Report.

A ‘humanoid for hospitals,’ Moxi has an arm for opening doors and operating elevators. Source: Diligent Robotics

As development continues on humanoid robots, one mobile robot is already at work in hospitals. Diligent Robotics Inc. today announced that its Moxi robot has completed 110,000 autonomous elevator rides at health systems across the U.S.

The mobile manipulator has a single arm for opening doors and pushing buttons to operate elevators. Moxi’s achievement marks a milestone in artificial intelligence-driven automation for unstructured healthcare environments, said the Austin, Texas-based company.

“Achieving autonomy in robotics, particularly in health care environments, is an incredible challenge,” stated Andrea Thomaz, CEO of Diligent Robotics and a 20-year AI veteran. “Navigating elevators seems simple, but the unpredictable nature of shared spaces, real-time changes, and the need for accuracy make it one of many hard tasks that humanoids deployed in human environments need to solve.”

“With Moxi, we’ve demonstrated the ability to integrate AI into environments where collaboration between people and robots is vital for success,” she added. “As of today, we are completing over 20,000 fully autonomous elevator rides each month, something none of our competitors are doing.”

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Moxi moves to greater autonomy

Founded in 2017, Diligent Robotics noted that it has integrated Moxi into existing healthcare workflows, such as delivering supplies and transporting laboratory specimens around the clock. The company said its robot has helped improve operational efficiency and enabled busy staffers to focus on patient care rather than routine transport tasks.

Diligent CEO Andrea Thomaz with Moxi. Source: Diligent Robotics

Diligent Robotics used “humans in the loop” to develop Moxi’s autonomy and ability to interact with elevators.

“There are two approaches: Waymo, which used its own drivers and did R&D until its product was fully autonomous, and Tesla, which got its product out in the wild with real customers and has increased autonomy with supervision over time,” Thomaz told The Robot Report. “We took the latter approach.”

“This milestone means we no longer need close human supervision, which is a significant one for mobile manipulation,” she said. “The number of rides per day really shows that we’ve gotten past R&D and are working in production.”

When it first deployed its robots, Diligent staffers supervised operations on site. They obtained labeled data for AI models, explained Thomaz. The company can now supervise its fleet of 100 robots in 20 sites remotely.

“A lot of our early partner hospitals got used to our staffers being around to do everything the robots would need,” Thomaz said. “In fact, it has been easier for hospitals taken live in the past few months, because they had fully autonomous robots from the start. For sites that were previously under human supervision, we went through a data-collection phase and asked the staff not to do anything.”

Moxi opens doors, a model for other actions 

How hard was it to get Moxi to operate elevators?

“They became a roadmap for autonomy,” replied Thomaz. “Nearly every delivery pass involves an elevator req, from the pharmacy or lab in the basement up to the patient wards. For the simplest elevator, you push a button and get on.”

“The most complex one in operation today, you have to scan a badge to activate the buttons and then push them,” she told The Robot Report. “There are a lot of patient floors that are secure. It’s a complex manipulation skill for a dual device, primarily because of the speed of swiping.”

By solving the problems of manipulating a variety of doors and elevators, Diligent Robotics is developing end-to-end action models.

“Our ability to develop models that are specific to these small skills is creating an infrastructure of training models that could then be applied to other skills,” Thomaz said. “They’re not large, general-purpose models, but we’re excited to have a fleet we can leverage to build foundation models.”

Complex environments still pose challenges

Moxi can communicate with people around it through its screen, shown here in idle mode. Source: Diligent Robotics

As environments with trained but busy personnel, a high degree of safety regulations, and the general public — some of whom are not well — hospitals are particularly challenging for robots.

“That’s why we treated this with white gloves; we’re not just dropping robots in to learn on their own,” noted Thomaz. “We spent two years deploying robots with people because of the sensitive environment and to get the robots to operate efficiently.”

For instance, she cited interventions where healthcare staffers push the emergency stop button and can manually move a robot out of the way for something like an urgent gurney. They sometimes forget to turn the robot back on so it can continue its mission.

“We’ve released a feature where the robot can ask on its screen for someone to un-e-stop it,” Thomaz said. “There are other environments, such as an elevator bay with six different cars and patients coming in and out, that are still complex.”

“Moxi also uses data to avoid routes or elevators that are always busy,” she said. “We collect that data and have preferred elevator bays for at night versus during the day.”

Diligent Robotics works to normalize robots 

With aging populations and workforce challenges, demand for automation is likely to grow, said Diligent Robotics. Moxi provides an example of how robots can address human needs, it said.

“I’ve been talking about Moxi as a ‘humanoid for healthcare.’ We’re doing the things that people are talking about what humanoids could do,” Thomaz said. “Bipedal locomotion isn’t the hardest part — it’s applicability of mobile manipulation. Most humanoids are still proofs of concept.”

“When I walk through hospitals where Moxi is deployed, it’s the first robot that many people have encountered,” she added. “Patients are getting used to seeing a future with robots.”

“Achieving full autonomy to enable hospital-wide transport tasks is just scratching the surface of what humanoid robots like Moxi will do in hospitals and beyond,” said Thomaz. “The knowledge and trust that we gain from healthcare settings will inform future product developments. We look forward to building humanoid social robots to collaborate and assist with caring for people in many different settings.”

The post Moxi reaches milestone of 100,000 autonomous elevator rides in hospitals appeared first on The Robot Report.

Organization: Locus Robotics Corp.
Country: U.S.
Website: https://locusrobotics.com/
Year Founded: 2014
Number of Employees: 51-100
Innovation Class: Application & Market

In August 2023, autonomous mobile robot (AMR) developer Locus Robotics surpassed 2 billion picks for its warehouse fulfillment customers. The milestone came just 11 months after it surpassed the 1 billion pick mark in 2022, for which the company also won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award.

“Achieving the 2 billion picks milestone is an incredible accomplishment or our company and for our customers,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics, at the time. “This event is a testament to the dedication and innovation of our incredible team and the dramatic productivity improvements we deliver to drive our customers’ growth and success.”

It took Locus just 358 days to go from 1 billion to 2 billion, with the last 100 million picks taking just 27 days. That’s an average of 3.7 million picks per day. By comparison, it took more than six years to make the first billion picks and 1,542 days to pick the first 100 million units.

“Locus’ consistent innovation, user-centric approach, and genuine dedication to customer relationships put them at the forefront of warehouse automation,” said Alan McDonald, vice president of continuous improvement at GEODIS. “This milestone is a testament to its technological leadership and synergistic collaboration. We look forward to building on our work together and driving even greater efficiency improvements in the future.”

Warehouse operators are increasingly turning to AMRs to meet growing demand and overcome labor shortages. And Locus Robotics continues to lead the way. Its mobile robots support more than 120 of the world’s top brands and are deployed at 300-plus sites globally.

The Wilmington, Mass.-based company said it enables retailers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), and specialty warehouses to efficiently meet and exceed the increasingly complex and demanding requirements of today’s fulfillment environment.

Since the its 2024 RBR50 award, Locus passed the 3 billion pick mark in April and the 4 billion pick mark in October.

Explore the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024.

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RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024

The post RBR50 Spotlight: Locus Robotics surpasses 2B picks with AMRs appeared first on The Robot Report.