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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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

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AeroVironment’s JUMP 20 uncrewed aircraft system is equipped with advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. | Source: AeroVironment

AeroVironment, a defense contractor based in Arlington, Virginia, has agreed to acquire BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction worth approximately $4.1 billion. BlueHalo is best known for its drone swarm and counter-drone technology. The acquisition, which has been approved by both companies’ boards of directors, is expected to close in the first half of 2025.

AeroVironment said its acquisition of BlueHalo will create a next-generation defense technology company across multiple domains, including air, land, sea, space, and cyber. It said BlueHalo’s portfolio of products and 100 patents will complement its existing expertise in the design, development, manufacturing, training, and servicing of uncrewed systems, loitering munitions, and advanced technologies.

BlueHalo was founded as a purpose-built platform to provide capabilities in several key mission areas: space technologies, counter-uncrewed aircraft systems (cUAS), directed energy, electronic and cyber warfare, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies including uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs).

BlueHalo estimates it will earn more than $900 million in revenue 2024, in addition to its funded backlog of nearly $600 million and a pipeline of multiple billion-dollar opportunities. BlueHalo generated approximately $886 million of revenue in 2023, compared to $759 million and $660 million in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

On a pro forma basis, the combined company expects to make more than $1.7 billion in revenue.

“For over 50 years, [AeroVironment] has pioneered innovative solutions on the battlefield, and today we are poised to usher in the next era of defense technology through our combination with BlueHalo,” said Wahid Nawabi, chairman, president, and CEO of AeroVironment.

“BlueHalo not only brings key franchises and complementary capabilities, but also a wealth of technologies, diverse customers, and exceptional talent to [AeroVironment]. Together, we will drive agile innovation and deliver comprehensive, next-generation solutions designed to redefine the future of defense. We are thrilled to welcome the talented BlueHalo team as we unite our strengths, expand our global impact, and accelerate growth and value creation for AV shareholders,” he continued.

Per the terms of the merger agreement, AeroVironment will issue approximately 18.5 million shares of common stock to BlueHalo. Following the close of the transaction, AeroVironment shareholders will own approximately 60.5% of the combined company, while BlueHalo’s will own approximately 39.5%. Arlington Capital Partners, an investment firm that is the majority owner of BlueHalo, will retain a significant ownership stake in the combined company.

Nawabi will become chairman, president, and CEO of the combined company. Jonathan Moneymaker, CEO of BlueHalo, will serve as a strategic advisor to the combined company.

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Standard Bots will use READY Robotics APIs to make its AI control software usable with multiple robot models. Source: Standard Bots

Standard Bots Co. today said that it has acquired all of the intellectual property, or IP, of READY Robotics, which had developed the ForgeOS robot-agnostic operating system. Standard Bots said the acquisition of READY Robotics’ software, patents, and trademarks will enable its own software to work across robot brands.

The New York-based company and founding partner of the New York Robotics Network said it plans to market READY’s application programming interface (API) with its own training software. It also plans to bring its user interface (UI) and artificial intelligence platform to NVIDIA Omniverse and other robot makers.

“The READY team over many years wrote some amazing software — a unified API that talks to every major robot brand,” stated Evan Beard, CEO of Standard Bots. “With this acquisition, I’m more excited than ever about what we’ll be able to offer the market in the coming months.”

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READY Robotics worked on robot accessibility

READY Robotics had raised $40 million over the past eight years and had partnered with companies such as Toyota and NVIDIA. It also offered consulting services and launched a palletizing system.

However, READY reportedly had difficulty persuading robot manufacturers to work with ForgeOS, and funding plans fell through. The Columbus, Ohio-based company shut down in August.

Kel Guerin, co-founder of READY Robotics and a founding member of the New York Robotics Network, expressed optimism that Standard Bots would continue to make robots more accessible with ForgeOS.

“I am excited to see how Standard Bots will continue to democratize the robotics space using READY Robotics’ technology,” he said. “I firmly believe that Standard Bot’s goal of empowering developers to more easily use robots is essential in moving the industry forward.”

In July, Standard Bots raised $63 million in Series B funding. It did not disclose the terms of its purchase of READY Robotics assets, and it did not hire any former staffers.

The company has acquired only the IP of READY Robotics, not any hardware, Beard told The Robot Report.

“READY Robotics’ set of APIs is the perfect piece for deploying our AI platform,” he said. “By offering a unified API, UI, and AI platform for developers that works across every robot brand, we’re not just growing our company — we’re elevating the entire field.”

StandardOS provides developers and AI researchers with tools for building applications, integrations, and more. Source: Standard Bots

Standard Bots builds AI to ease robot training

Standard Bots said it is focused on using AI to train robots through demonstration learning. The company claimed that its vertically integrated approach will make robots easier to train and use.

“Using the latest advancements in AI, our robots are capable of both performing many new tasks and performing many existing tasks with much more versatility,” said Beard. “We’re building a platform where people can take advantage of this. Specifically, they can collect training data, fine-tune and train on top of a foundation model, build an application on top of these models, and easily deploy to any major robot brand.”

He asserted that Standard Bots’ technology can help avoid much of the time and expense currently spent on developing industrial robot applications.

“AI is such a paradigm shift in the industry,” Beard said. “But we also need better hardware to run them. A lot of robot arms don’t have APIs for good real-time control and can’t prevent an AI model from driving them into a collision.”

He cited the example of how self-driving cars have a safety layer that is above whatever a particular vehicle’s AI model is saying.

“This is an opportunity to create new robots designed from the ground up to run AI models with safety built in,” said David Golden, co-founder of Standard Bots. “The existing market is minuscule compared with the opportunity with AI. With the right AI-centric platform, it can be 100 to 1,000 times cheaper to build apps for dexterous manipulation.”

RO1 robot just one platform for foundation models

Like READY Robotics, Standard Bots has developed hardware. The RO1 arm is stronger, faster, and more accurate than competing robots and has a built-in 3D camera, according to Standard Bots.

If Standard Bots has a robot arm to go with its AI platform, why does it need READY Robotics API?

“There are resellers that will only sell FANUC systems,” Beard acknowledged. “In our view, we want to spread our technology as fast as possible. The way to do that is to be robot-agnostic.”

Standard Bots has already developed applications for its robot, which is made in the U.S. and available for sale or through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model.

“At Fabtech, we launched welding, and at IMTS, we launched a machine-tending solution. At Pack Expo this week, we’re demonstrating palletizing,” said Beard. “Right now, we have a best-in-class solution for each use case. And using AI, our solutions will stand alone in the market in terms of capability and versatility.”

“We’re seeing really strong growth, from Fortune 500 customers and NASA all the way down to smaller companies that need one or two robots,” he added. “It all comes down to ease of setup. You don’t have to be an expert. Nobody else is providing this end-to-end control.”

Research labs working on foundation models are already using Standard Bots’ integrated systems, Beard said. The company also provides handheld devices for imitation learning, allowing a robot to generalize behavior and correct its motion in real time.

“We’re providing the tools to collect data, fine-tune it, and build applications on it,” Beard said. “Imagine a robot unloading a UPS truck. We can help end customers fine-tune a foundation model, create, and deploy an application for this. And since all our robots can be connected, there’s closed-loop improvement.”

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Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in August 2024. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay up to date on the robotics developments you need to know about.

10. BMW tests Figure 02 humanoid on production line

BMW Group tested humanoid robots for the first time in production. During a two-week pilot at a plant in Spartanburg, S.C., the new Figure 02 humanoid from Figure AI successfully fitted sheet-metal parts into precise fittings that were then assembled as part of a car chassis. This production process requires high dexterity. Read More

9. Soft Robotics exits gripper business, launches AI-focused company

After two straight record years during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial robot sales have crashed back to reality, especially in North America. According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), sales of industrial robots in North America declined 30% in 2023. Against that backdrop, Soft Robotics announced its strategic shift, joining other companies that have pivoted from hardware to software. Read More

8. No sweat! Watch new Atlas humanoid crush some pushups

Boston Dynamics showed off the capabilities of its electric Atlas humanoid in a new video. In it, the robot does eight pushups as a quick “warm-up” before work. The company has previously shown the hydraulic version of Atlas performing several stunts, including backflips, dances, parkour, and taking tools through a mock construction site. Read More

7. Rapid Robotics’ new CEO explains the use of AI to accelerate accurate picking

Many companies are racing to apply the latest advances in artificial intelligence to robotics. Rapid Robotics this year announced Rapid iD, which it said uses generative AI, computer vision, and machine learning to enable robot arms to pick, inspect, and place items “with 100% certainty in end-of-line and logistics scenarios.” Read More

6. ObotX seeks partners for new robot it says equals humanoid capability

A major concern about humanoid robots is their expense, but mobile manipulators provide an alternative. ObotX has patented a unique kinematic that provides a similar range of motion to a dual-armed, humanoid robot, but at a much lower price point. The company is looking for partners to take “Elon” to market. Read More

5. Congress threatens to ground U.S. agriculture with DJI drone ban

A coalition of agriculture-specific drone operators and service providers has formed to lobby against the proposed Countering CCP Drones Act (HR 6572) currently working its way through Congress. This bill would ban the sale of drones from Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Co., or DJI, in the U.S. Read More

4. Symbotic acquires Veo Robotics for $8.7M

Symbotic Inc., a leading developer of logistics automation, has acquired “substantially all of the assets” of Veo Robotics Inc. for $8.7 million. Symbotic confirmed the deal via email to The Robot Report. We are trying to learn exactly what the company acquired, but it sounds like most of Veo’s intellectual property and employees are now at Symbotic. Read More

3. 1X unveils NEO Beta as it prepares to deploy humanoids into home pilots

When will humanoid robots be ready for household chores? While many robotics experts take a long view on the topic, 1X Technologies AS unveiled the NEO Beta prototype of its humanoid as it prepares for pilot deployments in select homes later this year. Read More

2. Figure 02 humanoid robot is ready to get to work

Figure AI Inc. unveiled its second-generation humanoid robot. Figure 02 refines every element of the original Figure 01 design, and the company said it is one step closer to its goal of selling production humanoids to industrial users. Read More

1. READY Robotics, maker of ForgeOS, shuts down

READY Robotics, a Columbus, Ohio-based company founded in 2016, has shut down. It was best known for its ForgeOS robot-agnostic operating system, but it recently branched out into automation consulting and launched a palletizing system. Multiple sources told The Robot Report a funding round fell through at the last minute, which caused the company to lay off its staff and close its doors. Read More

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Takeoff said its systems take only five minutes of labor to fulfill a 25 item order. | Source: Takeoff Technologies

Woolworths Group Ltd., which claims to be Australia’s largest retailer, has acquired the assets of Takeoff Technologies Inc. for $2.5 million, according to a purchase agreement obtained by The Robot Report. Woolworths will also pay up to $700,000 in closing costs.

The sale is still subject to the Bid Procedures Order and applicable law. Founded in 2016, the company offered systems ranging from manual fulfillment technology to highly automated micro-fulfillment centers (MFCs).

The acquisition means that Takeoff has essentially closed its doors for business. As part of the agreement, Woolworths will be hiring at least 70% of Takeoff’s existing staff. 

In May, the Waltham, Mass.-based company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief. Takeoff said it intended to solicit interest in sales of its assets. It had been kept afloat by $9.6 million raised from a consortium of its customers through debtor-in-possession financing.

Customer Woolworths to become owner

Now, Takeoff Technologies has found a buyer in one of its longtime customers. It first partnered with Woolworths in August 2019. At the time, the company planned to implement automated MFCs at an initial three sites to help meet customers’ growing demand for shopping online. 

Right now, it’s unclear what Woolworths plans to do with the assets it has acquired. The retailer will likely continue to use the MFC technology in its facilities, leaving Takeoff’s other customers, which include Hy-Vee and Albertsons, in the dark. 

“I’m not surprised that the Woolworths Group was the winning bidder, as they plan on continuing to utilize Takeoff’s micro-fulfillment centers to fulfill online grocery orders,” said Brittain Ladd, a fractional supply chain and logistics executive and analyst who first broke the story. “From a long-term strategy perspective, I recommend that Woolworths and other Takeoff customers assess systems from Attabotics, AutoStore, and Brightpick, to name a few.” 

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Takeoff Technologies stalls after pandemic

Takeoff Technologies had claimed that its micro-fulfillment system for groceries can bring in $25 million to $30 million a year in gross merchandise value (GMV). It provided hardware, cloud orchestration, industrial AI, data-driven analytics, and support for its customers. 

The company worked with retailers to analyze their shoppers’ preferences and online demand from regions. From there, it helped them select the right size, configuration, and placement of each site within their networks.

Takeoff said it could implement a customer’s first live sites within months of initiating the process. Its grocery automation partners included Knapp, Hussmann, and Google.

While the company saw early success in the market, it wasn’t able to continue its momentum once the pandemic, and the increased need for grocery delivery, died down. 

Founded in 1924, Woolworths Group has served Australian and New Zealand communities for almost 100 years. It’s Australia’s largest private employer, with more than 200,000 team members across more than 1,450 Woolworths Supermarkets, Metro Food Stores, Woolsworth New Zealand, and BIG W discount department stores. 

The retailer said it averages around 25 million customers a week. 

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The Senhance Surgical System is intended to keep time and cost per procedure comparable to traditional laparoscopies. | Source: Asensus Surgical

KARL STORZ Group today announced that its KARL STORZ Endoscopy America Inc. subsidiary has acquired all outstanding shares of Asensurs Surgical Inc. for 35¢ per share in cash. Asensus has developed digital laparoscopy systems.

“Asensus’ cutting-edge technology and expertise in robotic surgery complements our comprehensive portfolio of surgical solutions,” stated Karl-Christian Storz, CEO of KARL STORZ. “This enhances our portfolio and market presence, strengthening our position in the growing robotic and digital surgical market, particularly with the development of the next-generation LUNA system.”

“We are thrilled to welcome 200-plus talented Asensus team members into our company,” he added. “Together, we will revolutionize healthcare by delivering better outcomes for patients and surgical teams worldwide.”

Founded in 1945, KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG said it is an international leader in endoscopy. The Tuttlingen, Germany-based company, now in its third generation of family ownership, employs 9,400 people in more than 40 countries worldwide.

KARL STORZ’s portfolio includes 13,000 products for human and veterinary medicine, and it reported fiscal 2023 sales of €2.17 billion ($3 billion U.S.). The company has production sites in Germany, the U.S., Switzerland, and Estonia.

Asensus Surgical worked to make robot surgery accessible

Asensus Surgical has developed “intra-operative augmented intelligence technology” for use in operating rooms around the world. The Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based company, founded as TransEnterix, said its approach to digital laparoscopy is intended to make robot-assisted surgery more accessible.

It has developed the Senhance Surgical System and the Intelligent Surgical Unit (ISU) for Senhance. Asensus designed ISU as a real-time intraoperative surgical image analytics platform. It uses human-robot collaboration to help reduce surgical variability, said the company.

In February 2023, Asensus unveiled the LUNA integrated surgical system. It features a next-generation surgical platform and instruments, plus real-time intraoperative clinical intelligence. Its final component, a secure cloud platform, applies machine learning to deliver clinical insights.

In November, the company inked a manufacturing deal, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered it to recall Senhance because of unintended movement.

Asensus said it was targeting 2025 for FDA clearance for LUNA. In January 2024, the company showed it to surgeons, conducting an in-vivo lab evaluation.

LUNA is currently under development and has not been submitted to the FDA or other global regulators for clearance. The system is not yet available for sale in any market.

Transaction took time

In June, Asensus Surgical agreed to be acquired by KARL STORZ. Asensus’ board unanimously approved the agreement.

However, with scrutiny over a lack of disclosures, the company pushed its planned special meeting of shareholders from Aug. 7 to Aug. 20. Ahead of the meeting, Asensus said it would file for bankruptcy protection if shareholders failed to approve the Karl Storz merger.

On Aug. 20, the number of shares represented in person or by proxy totaled about 161.4 million. That represented approximately 59.2% of the 272.6 million total shares outstanding and entitled to vote.

Asensus recorded more than 137 million votes in favor of the merger, with more than 23 million votes going against the resolution. The meeting tallied just over 1 million votes abstaining.

Stockholders also voted to approve certain compensation for executive officers in connection with the merger. That vote totaled nearly 124 million in favor, with 34 million against and around 3.5 million abstaining.

A third vote was not necessary because Asensus received sufficient votes to go through with the merger. Asensus Surgical filed an SEC Form 8-K to confirm that its shareholders voted to approve its planned merger with Karl Storz.

Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor to Asensus Surgical, and Ballard Spahr LLP served as legal counsel to Asensus Surgical. UBS Investment Bank served as financial advisor to KARL STORZ, and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel to KARL STORZ.

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KARL STORZ welcomes surgical robots to its portfolio

KARL STORZ said it identified Asensus for acquisition because of its talent and technology.

“As a potential partner, Asensus turned out to be a perfect fit due to its similar philosophy and vision, and its experience in bringing its first-generation Senhance robot to market,” said the company. “Its second-generation LUNA System is also positioned to offer enhanced robotic precision, greater dexterity and a superior range of motion manipulation, which complements KARL STORZ’s advanced visualization capabilities.”

“We are thrilled to complete this merger with KARL STORZ, which marks an exciting new chapter for Asensus,” said Anthony Fernando, president and CEO of Asensus Surgical.

“By joining forces with a leading company in endoscopy that became a system provider for integrated MedTech, we are well-positioned to accelerate the development and delivery of our innovative robotic and digital surgical solutions,” he said. “This union will benefit patients and surgeons worldwide by advancing precise, safer, and more predictable surgical outcomes.”

Editor’s Note: This article was syndicated from The Robot Report sibling site MassDevice. 

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The Senhance Surgical System is intended to keep time and cost per procedure comparable to traditional laparoscopies. | Source: Asensus Surgical

Asensus Surgical Inc. said it will file for bankruptcy protection if shareholders do not approve its proposed merger with Karl Storz SE.

The surgical robotics developer urged stockholders in its second-quarter earnings call to vote in favor of the merger as the extended deadline date of Aug. 20 approaches.

Asensus has received proxies for approximately 55% of its outstanding shares, with 80% of those voting in favor of the merger proposal. Approval from a majority of all shares of common stock is required.

‘Financial obligations’ exceed Asensus assets 

If shareholders do not approve the merger, Asensus said it will incur “significant near-term financial obligations.” It will have to pay Karl Storz $20 million of securitized notes with interest and prepayment premium and other associated transaction expenses.

Founded in 2006 as TransEnterix Inc., Asensus said the financial implications exceed its assets on its current balance sheet.

“We do not believe we are in a position to raise the capital needed to fund these expenses and also to continue funding operations,” CEO Anthony Fernando said on the Q2 earnings call.

“If the merger is not approved, we expect to seek bankruptcy protection,” he added. “It’s important to note that Karl Storz has a security interest in all of our assets. This means that Karl Storz holds a legal claim over our company’s assets as collateral for the debt that we owe them.”

Karl Storz’s security interest would give it priority over other creditors and stockholders in claims against Asensus’ assets in a bankruptcy scenario. Fernando stressed that stockholders could receive less than the merger consideration if bankruptcy is filed.

“As a result, in the event of a bankruptcy, we believe our common stockholders will receive less than the merger consideration and may not receive distributions at all in a bankruptcy setting,” he said. “We have heard from stockholders that they would like us to get a higher price than 35¢ per share.”

Fernando said the company has run out of options, which it has explored. Asensus has denied withholding information in the merger discussions.

“I want to emphasize that we have exhausted all reasonable options available to us to get a higher price, and our directors believe 35¢ per share is the best price reasonably obtainable for stockholders,” he said. “Before accepting the Karl Storz deal, we explored various alternatives, including partnerships and potential acquisitions.”

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Karl Storz held acquisition talks throughout the year

Asensus Surgical confirmed plans to be acquired by Karl Storz on June 7. The deal was initially valued at 35¢ per share in cash.

Karl Storz Endoscopy-America, a wholly-owned direct subsidiary of Germany-based Karl Storz, agreed to acquire all outstanding shares of Asensus. The company formally entered talks to buy Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based Asensus in April.

The companies previously collaborated on surgical robotics marketing and development more than a year ago.

The purchase price of 35¢ per share represents a 67% premium on the closing price of the company’s stock on April 2, when they initially announced their intent to merge. It marks a 52% premium on the stock’s closing price on the final trading day before the announcement.

“As described more fully in the proxy statement, we solicited interest from other potential partners and acquirers, but none of these discussions led to a proposal other than the proposal from Karl Storz,” said Fernando. “Since the announcement of this transaction on April 3, 2024, no other company has expressed interest in offering a higher price than Karl Storz.”

“I cannot overstate the importance of every single stockholders’ participation in this vote,” he concluded. “Whether you support the merger or not, your vote matters.”

Asensus sales beat Wall Street estimates, earnings miss

Asensus also announced second-quarter results that beat Wall Street revenue estimates but missed on earnings. The company reported $2.2 million in sales, doubling its Q2 2023 revenues. Asensus had profit losses of $25.7 million in Q2 with a diluted earnings per share loss of 9¢.

Adjusted to exclude one-time items, earnings per share were -7¢, 2¢ behind The Street, where analysts were looking for sales of $1.23 million. Shares in ASXC were down 2.19% to 31¢ apiece in premarket trading.

Editor’s Note: This article was syndicated from The Robot Report sibling site MassDevice. 

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Symbotic Inc., a leading developer of logistics automation, has acquired “substantially all of the assets” of Veo Robotics Inc. for $8.7 million. Symbotic confirmed the deal via email to The Robot Report. We are trying to learn exactly what the company acquired, but it sounds like most of Veo’s intellectual property and employees are now at Symbotic.

Symbotic told The Robot Report that it now owns Veo Robotics’ FreeMove technology, which supports safeguarding for industrial robots and promotes human-robot collaboration. FreeMove essentially turns large, high-speed industrial robots into collaborative robots.

FreeMove’s 3D time-of-flight sensors are positioned on the perimeter of an industrial robot work cell to capture image data of the entire space. It uses that data to identify the work cell, including the robot, workpiece, occlusions, and any people to track. Veo’s software calculates all possible future states.

If a person gets closer to a robot than the system’s Protective Separation Distance (PSD), FreeMove tells the robot to stop. Once the person steps out of the PSD and the violation is cleared, Veo’s system allows the robot to safely restart.

The company said its system implements dynamic speed and separation monitoring as defined by the ISO 10218-2:2011 and ISO/TS 15066:2016 standards for enabling safe interaction between humans and robots.

“The innovative FreeMove vision system allows Symbotic to enhance productivity for customers and provide the highest levels of safety in environments where humans interact with robots,” said Rick Cohen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Symbotic. “We are pleased to have the former Veo Robotics team join Symbotic where they will continue this exciting work as they bring their talent, expertise, and cutting-edge technology to our company.”

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Veo Robotics team joins Symbotic

The companies are located about 20 miles apart in Massachusetts: Symbotic in Wilmington and Veo in Waltham. Since it was founded in 2016, Veo Robotics had raised $57 million, according to Crunchbase. It closed a $29 million Series B round in early 2023 and a $15 million Series A in 2019.

Veo Robotics co-founder, President, and CEO Patrick Sobalvarro is now president of FreeMove at Symbotic. Veo co-founder and Vice President of Engineering Scott Denenberg is now VP of engineering for FreeMove at Symbotic. Veo co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Clara Vu is now distinguished engineer, FreeMove, at Symbotic. 

“We are delighted to welcome the former Veo Robotics team to Symbotic, who will continue this exciting work — and more — as they bring their talent, expertise, and cutting-edge technology to the company,” a Symbotic spokesperson told The Robot Report.

FreeMove enables industrial robots to operate at speed but sense people and slow when they approach. Source: Veo Robotics

Symbotic rides logistics automation wave

Symbotic won a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for its modular warehouse automation system. The company is selling its system to retailers, wholesalers, and grocers with large distribution operations. Walmart is a large customer of Symbotic’s.

Symbotic in late July reported its Q3 2024 financial results. It generated $492 million in revenue for a net loss of $14 million and adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) of $15 million.

In Q3 2023, Symbotic had revenue of $312 million, a net loss of $39 million, and an adjusted EBITDA loss of $3 million. Symbotics said cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities on hand decreased by $81 million from the prior quarter to $870 million at the end of the Q3 2024.

“Symbotic continues to innovate” stated Cohen. “During the quarter, we extended the future capabilities of SymBot by incorporating an enhanced sensor array and we advanced development of our new minibot for BreakPack.”

“Our teams continue to focus on execution of the 39 systems we have in deployment, which is reflected in our record revenue for the quarter,” he added. “Our system gross margin fell below expectations due to elongated construction schedules and implementation costs. We are focused on improving our planning, speed of implementation, and project management to improve performance.”

Symbotic said it expects revenue between $455 million and $475 million and adjusted EBITDA of $28 million to $32 million in its fiscal fourth quarter.

“As planned, system deployments reaccelerated from last quarter. We started five system deployments and completed three operational systems,” said Carol Hibbard, Symbotic chief financial officer. “Looking ahead, improving our deployment process may temporarily slow our revenue growth. However, we expect system costs to decline and gross margin to return to historical levels during our fourth fiscal quarter.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated with the cost of the acquisition and Clara Vu’s new role at Symbotic.

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Soft Robotics spinoff Oxiptal AI’s vision tech can detect bruises on produce, excess fat on proteins, burn marks on snacks, and more. | Credit: Oxipital AI

After two straight record years during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial robot sales have crashed back to reality, especially in North America. According to industry association A3, sales of industrial robots in North America declined 30% in 2023. Sales dipped 6% in North America during Q1 2024 compared with Q1 2023.

While many analysts agree that industrial robots will eventually become ubiquitous, the timeframe for that happening remains unknown. The slowdown is partially responsible for several robotics companies shutting down or laying off staff. Mark Chiappetta, president and CEO of soft gripper maker Soft Robotics Inc., was determined to not fall into that category.

Soft Robotics today divested its soft robotic gripper business to J. Schmalz GmbH for an undisclosed amount. Glatten, Germany-based Schmalz is a leading developer of vacuum technology, making everything from suction cups and vacuum generators to complete gripping and clamping systems.

Chiappetta told The Robot Report that Schmalz is acquiring Soft Robotics’ intellectual property as well as a number of employees and facilities.

“When COVID was happening, the talk was, ‘We don’t have a choice. [Installing robots] is a matter of keeping up with demand,'” he said. “We all fully expected those buying habits to stay, which would’ve led to a tectonic shift in robotics. But those habits didn’t stay.”

Soft Robotics was founded in 2012 by Dr. George M. Whitesides of Harvard University. He envisioned the use of soft materials and microfluidics to change the way robots were made, opening the door for new markets and applications. He keynoted the inaugural Robotics Summit & Expo, produced by The Robot Report, in 2018.

Oxipital AI diversifies the business

While Soft Robotics’ grippers are now under the Schmalz umbrella, the company is no longer. It has spun off its mGripAI 3D vision and artificial intelligence technologies into a new company called Oxipital AI, for which Chiappetta holds the same job title.

Oxipital AI will focus on visual inspection tasks such as defect detection, volume estimation, SKU classification, attribute segmentation, and conveyor counting. It will also on robotic picking in various industries, starting primarily in the food business where Soft Robotics had built its reputation.

The company plans to create core object models that Chiappetta said are pre-trained using 100% synthetic data. He added that Oxipital AI requires zero imagery to be gathered, nor does it need human labeling.

A no-code feature enables customers to set rules for what constitutes a good product or bad product for inspection tasks, and a cloud-based dashboard collects and analyzes real-world data, he explained. Oxipital AI’s technology stack interfaces with all existing industrial robot arms, as well as conventional automation systems such as conveyors, said Chiappetta.

Oxipital AI is a new company focusing on AI visual inspection tasks. | Credit: Oxipital AI

Food industry forces Soft Robotics shift in focus

Besides not selling robotic grippers, the main difference from the former company is that Oxipital AI will have a major emphasis on applications that don’t use robots, he noted. For example, in the food industry, AI-based vision technologies can improve yield, increase throughput, and reduce waste, Chiapetta said.

“Food processors aren’t ready to rip out human picking lines and replace them with robotic lines,” Chiappetta said. “They are willing to put in a camera to expose how to optimize their current processes.”

Chiappetta said floor space is the biggest reason food processors aren’t adopting robotics. Most of the larger organizations, he said, are built by acquiring smaller producers. This makes every manufacturing plant different and puts floor space at a premium.

Another major problem, according to Chiappetta, is that food-processing companies are reluctant to take the initial leap of faith into robotics.

“[The food industry] hasn’t been a strong adopter of robotics to date,” he said. “Processors need to allocate capital with high interest rates, select a bidder, have a solution developed, take an existing line down, put the solution in place, have acceptance and quality done, and then they’ll know if the investment was worth it.”

“Once you take out humans, it’s hard to go back,” said Chiappetta.

He said on LinkedIn that Soft Robotics had nearly 1,000 soft grippers deployed in the field.

OnRobot is another well-known developer of soft robotic grippers. Founded in 2015, the Odense, Denmark-based company initially offered a variety of robotic end effectors.

However, it too has diversified its business by launching various sensors, tool changers, and software packages for applications such as palletizing, packaging, CNC machining, and more.

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Former Soft Robotics divests in move to AI

The Bedford, Mass.-based company has updated its website to reflect the new direction. One page details how a “leading sweet corn producer in the United States” recently implemented the AI-powered vision technology to inspect its produce for defects.

This system looks for various flaws such as missing kernels and misshapen or undersized produce. It then relays this information to the quality control team for necessary actions.

Why did Soft Robotics divest its gripper business instead of just increasing its focus on 3D vision and AI?

Chiappetta replied that this wasn’t an “adapt-or-die” situation, but that the increased cash from the divestiture certainly helps. The main benefit is to keep the company focused, he said.

“Robotic picking is really hard, and grippers are a niche business,” said Chiappetta. “The visual AI needed to do these things is the common denominator to do all these applications. And we’ve got the tech to do it.”

“Without focus, it’s difficult to survive,” he added. “I had many conversations with strategic partners and others who didn’t know how to look at a company that’s eyes (vision), hands (grippers), and brains (AI).”

Not 100% dependent on robot sales

December 2022 was the best month Soft Robotics ever hard financially, Chiappetta told The Robot Report. January is typically a slow month as companies figured out their budgets, but January 2023 was horrible, and February didn’t get any better, he said.

“Our partners were seeing the same thing,” recalled Chiappetta.

Soft Robotics last raised $26 million in November 2022. It had raised $86 million since its founding, according to Crunchbase.

Soft Robotics’ business was 100% dependent on robot sales, but Oxipital’s won’t be, Chiappetta asserted.

“The Schmalz transaction is the start of what we hope is a strategic partnership,” he said. “They have a great reputation and global distribution. It’s a natural fit for us. We need a company like Schmalz to grow soft robotic grippers. And the more soft gripping becomes the standard, the more opportunities we’ll have for our AI vision tech.”

Schmalz had developed its own soft robotic grippers, such as the OFG HYG SI-70. Source: Schmalz

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The Senhance Surgical System keeps time and cost per procedure comparable to traditional laparoscopies. | Source: Asensus Surgical

Challenges facing developers of surgical robots include regulatory approvals, low tolerance for error, and financing. Asensus Surgical Inc. and Karl Storz SE this week issued a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission defending the proxy statement about their planned merger.

On June 7, the Asensus Surgical agreed to be acquired by Karl Storz for 35¢ per share in cash. Asensus’ board unanimously approved the agreement, and the company filed a definitive proxy statement on July 5. That statement called for a special meeting of stockholders scheduled for Aug. 7.

Research Triangle Park, N.C.-based Asensus recently obtained Food and Drug Administration approval for its Senhance Surgical System.

Asensus Surgical refutes stockholder allegations

After filing the proxy statement, Asensus Surgical said it received a number of demand letters from purported stockholders. Those letters alleged that there were disclosure deficiencies in the proxy statement. Asensus refuted the allegations.

“The company denies that it has violated any laws or breached any duties to the company’s stockholders, denies all allegations in the demand letters, and believes no supplemental disclosures to the proxy statement were or are required under any applicable law, rule or regulation,” it said in a statement.

However, Asensus decided to voluntarily supplement its proxy statement with new disclosures. The company said it decided to do this to eliminate the burden and expense of potential litigation, to moot claims under the demand letters, to avoid a potential delay or disruption for the merger, and to provide additional information to stockholders.

Asensus said its disclosures comply fully with the applicable law. Nothing in the disclosures reflects an admission of the legal necessity or materiality under applicable law, the company added.

More on the alleged disclosures

The seven disclosures center around confidentiality agreements, the use of consultants, financial advisors, and certain contacts with companies.

Disclosure 1 covers meetings held between Asensus CEO Anthony Fernando representatives of three global medical device manufacturers. Discussions centered around the possibility of strategic collaborations. In connection with those discussions, the company entered into a confidentiality agreement with three companies and a financial sponsor. None contained a standstill provision, asserted Asensus Surgical.

Disclosure 2 amends disclosures made for update calls on which alternatives and a Plan B were discussed. The Asensus board authorized the retention of a consultant to assist management with a preliminary analysis of the company’s cash, sources of cash and secured and unsecured obligations.

Disclosure 3 modified the company’s description of its engagement with Jefferies as a financial advisor. Asensus engaged Jefferies to offer financial advice and assistance in connection with a sale or other transaction. The only offer the company received related to this was its letter of intent from Karl Storz.

Disclosure 4 covered discussions around the activities of management over the two years prior to finding a buyer. That included the discussions with the companies in Disclosure 1. The Asensus board also formed a transaction committee for a number of reasons outlined in the filing.

Disclosure 5 outlined contact between Fernando and the companies engaged in Disclosure 1. Representatives from three companies congratulated Asensus’ CEO on the proposed letter of intent from Karl Storz. The company said none demonstrated any interest in any potential transaction.

Disclosure 6 amended a statement of Jefferies’ calculated terminal values by adding “per the management of Asensus.”

Disclosure 7 clarified that cash flow values were derived from a weighted average cost of capital calculation.

Editor’s note: This article was syndicated from The Robot Report sibling site MassDevice. 

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Comau’s robot family, including its recently released S-Family of small robot arms. | Source: Comau

Stellantis NV, one of the world’s largest automakers, and One Equity Partners, a middle-market private equity firm, today said they have signed a binding agreement in which One Equity Partners will make a majority investment in Comau S.p.A. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the private transaction.

One Equity Partners (OEP) said it expects the transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions, to close by the end of 2024.

“Comau is a leading-edge industrial automation company with first-rate robotics technology that has tremendous growth potential,” stated Ante Kusurin, partner at One Equity Partners. “We have deep expertise in executing complex corporate carve-out transactions, and we believe we have the resources to help position Comau as a successful standalone business.”

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Comau continues shift beyond automotive

Founded in 1973, Comau specializes in industrial automation and advanced robotics. The Turin, Italy-based company also supplies collaborative robots, wearables, vision-based systems, and software. 

At Automate this year, Comau announced new products. They included its S-Family welding and materials handling systems, the MI.RA/OnePicker system, and the MATE-XB and MATE-XT exoskeletons.

The former Stellantis subsidiary recently said it is shifting from traditional robotics to software-driven systems and industry-agnostic technologies.

“In its over 50 years of history, Comau has consistently demonstrated the ability to transform its business, technology, and approach to innovation,” said Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Comau. “This operation is consistent with Comau’s strategic plan, which aims to expand its business beyond the automotive sector, targeting the global demand growth for industrial automation.”

“This will also consolidate the company’s position as a strong international leader in its sector, maintaining solid Italian roots,” he added.

Executive team to stay in place

Comau’s spinoff from Stellantis was part of the strategic agreement set in January 2021, when Peugeot SA and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV merged to form the automaker and mobility provider. Executive Chairman Alessandro Nasi and CEO Pietro Gorlier will retain their responsibilities, as will Comau’s executive team.

“Comau has positioned itself as a recognized player in the field of automation solutions over the past 50 years,” said Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares. “This planned transaction is designed to help Comau achieve autonomy and further strengthen its success in support of all its stakeholders, specifically for their employees and customers. It also gives Stellantis the ability to focus on core business activities in Europe.”

Comau said it has a local presence in all regions and a global network that is strengthened by its business and leadership continuity. As an autonomous company, it asserted that it can now independently identify and pursue new opportunities and investments.

Under the new ownership, Comau said it will have access to additional funds to grow its competencies in diversified sectors.

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igus has acquired Atronia, its partner for the iSense EC.W sensor. Source: igus

The combination of sensing with motion plastics, which eliminate the need for lubricants, promises easier-to-maintain machinery for Industry 4.0. igus, a global leader in motion plastics and moving cable management systems, last week acquired the majority stake in Atronia Tailored Sensing.

“The acquisition of Atronia by igus is a promising partnership that will undoubtedly lead to further breakthrough innovations and improved technology integration,” stated Carlos Alexandre Ferreira, manager at Atronia Tailored Systems. 

Gafanha da Nazaré, Portugal-based Atronia develops wireless products for measuring and monitoring applications. The company said it supports product-development strategies including innovation, renewables, and sensing.

Since 2016, Atronia has supported igus with smart plastic sensors. These sensors monitor the condition of the product, whether it needs to be serviced or replaced, or whether a problem is occurring. igus said this strategic acquisition is intended to help expand its market offerings for for networked plastic components.

Industry 4.0 demands mass production of critical sensors

Industry 4.0 encompasses automation, artificial intelligence, and networking for greater productivity, agility, and safety. igus said its goal is to mass-produce next-generation products and make them accessible to small and midsize businesses (SMBs).

For years, igus has invested in research and development for new types of smart plastics. The Rumford, R.I.-based company‘s lines include plain bearings, energy chains, and cables that are equipped with sensors and integrated into the Internet of Things (IoT).

“Intelligent predictive-maintenance software calculates optimum maintenance times and alerts technicians in good time via e-mail and text message in the event of critical conditions to prevent expensive system failures,” explained igus. The company recently won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winner for a gripper for its ReBeL collaborative robot.

Michael Blass, CEO of igus e-chain Systems, and Carlos Alexandre Ferreira, manager of Atronia Tailored Systems, celebrate the development of new Industry 4.0 products together. Source: igus GmbH

Atronia acquisition part of igus strategy

“By acquiring Atronia, we can harmonize the processes, systems, and teams of both companies even better, which will lead to synergies and efficiency gains in the long term,” said Michael Blass, CEO of e-chain Systems at igus. “This allows us to start series manufacturing for the Industry 4.0 era and make the products accessible to small and medium-sized companies with limited budgets and little experience.”

The collaboration between igus and Atronia resulted in the iSense EC.W sensor. Mounted on energy chain crossbars, it records the chain’s state and remaining service life.

Customers have given positive feedback about the sensor’s cost-effectiveness and intuitive design, said Atronia and igus. The partnership plans to jointly create more products in the future.

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The Intelligent Surgical Unit applies AI and machine vision to robot-assisted procedures. Source: Asensus Surgical

Asensus Surgical Inc., which has been developing “intra-operative augmented intelligence technology for operating rooms,” today announced that it has entered a definitive merger agreement with KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America Inc. KARL STORZ said the transaction will strengthen its position in the growing surgical robotics market, particularly with Asensus’ next-generation LUNA system.

“We are pleased to have reached this agreement with KARL STORZ, which we believe maximizes value for our stockholders,” stated Anthony Fernando, president and CEO of Asensus Surgical.

“This transaction is a testament to the value of our innovative robotic and digital technology, intellectual property, and the hard work of our talented team,” he added. “We are excited to enter the next chapter for Asensus with KARL STORZ, which will allow us to continue to develop and deliver precise, safer, predictable surgery and digital tools to patients and surgeons around the world.”

The companies have been collaborating for more than a year, and the deal follows the terms of an April letter of intent from KARL STORZ. Under the agreement, KARL STORZ will acquire all outstanding shares of the surgical robot maker for $0.35 per share in cash.

The purchase price represents a premium of about 67%, based on the per-share closing price of the Asensus common stock on the NYSE American on April 2. It also represents a premium of approximately 52% to the closing price of the common stock on the last trading day prior to the announcement. 

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Asensus works to digitalize surgery

The company was founded as TransEnterix Inc. in 2006 and rebranded as Asensus Surgical in 2021 to reflect its vision of using machine learning and computer vision to advance surgical robotics and deliver “consistently superior outcomes.”

The Morrisville, N.C.-based company has offices in Milan and Klinikum Idar-Oberstein, Germany. It said it has more than 200 employees, and over 300 surgeons have used its technology to perform more than 10,000 procedures.

Asensus said its digital laparoscopy technology is approved for use around the world. The Senhance surgical system offers precise manipulation in robot-assisted surgeries, said Asensus. It works with human clinicians through smart tracking of eye movements for minimally invasive procedures. In January, the company placed its first Senhance robot for pediatrics in Japan.

The company offers Senhance along with Performance-Guided Surgery (PGS) and Intelligent Surgical Unit (ISU). Senhance Connect is designed for teleoperation, and Senhance Simulation can aid with training. Asensus said its Augmented Intelligence can deliver real-time insights beyond the robots, similar to GPS, enhancing rather than replacing human capabilities.

The LUNA system in development includes include a surgeon console with unconstrained handles, a touchscreen, and an Ultra-HD 3D monitor. It also has up to four independent robotic arms and a drive system supporting various instrumentation options.

Asensus showed LUNA to physicians in January. The company planned to manufacture LUNA with Flex and said it was aiming for U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2025.

KARL STORZ to take surgical unit private

Asensus Surgical’s board of directors has unanimously approved the transaction. The company said it expects the merger to close in the third quarter of 2024, subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of approval from the Asensus stockholders.

Upon completion of the transaction, Asensus Surgical will become a subsidiary of KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America and will no longer be publicly listed or traded on the NYSE American Exchange.

KARL STORZ Endoscopy-America is a subsidiary of KARL STORZ SE & Co. KG, an independent, family-owned global medical technology company founded in 1945 in Tuttlingen, Germany. A leader in endoscopy, KARL STORZ employs 9,400 people in more than 40 countries worldwide.

The company‘s portfolio includes 13,000 products for human and veterinary medicine, and it recorded preliminary sales in fiscal of 2023 of €2.17 billion ($2.34 billion U.S.). KARL STORZ has production sites in Germany, the U.S., Switzerland, and Estonia.

Jefferies LLC served as financial advisor to Asensus Surgical, and Ballard Spahr LLP served as legal counsel to Asensus Surgical. UBS Investment Bank served as financial advisor to KARL STORZ, and Ropes & Gray LLP served as legal counsel to KARL STORZ.

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Joby Aviation says it hopes to eventually use Xwing technology for fully autonomous operations. | Source: Joby Aviation

Joby Aviation Inc. this week announced that it is acquiring the autonomy division of Xwing Inc. The acquisition will cover all of Xwing’s existing automation and autonomy technology activities and was paid for with Joby shares. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal. 

Founded in 2016, Xwing has operated autonomous aircraft since 2020 using its Superpilot software. Developed in-house, the software enables safe, uncrewed operations, supervised from the ground, said the San Francisco-based company. Xwing claimed it offers “fully autonomous gate-to-gate flight technology.”

The company said it has completed 250 fully autonomous flights and more than 500 auto-landings to date. Last year, it received an official project designation for the certification of a large unmanned aerial system (UAS) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“Xwing’s goal of connecting communities with clean and affordable autonomous flight aligns closely with Joby’s long-term vision,” stated Maxime Gariel, co-founder, president, and chief technical officer of Xwing.

“For the past seven years, our team has broken barriers to advance aviation autonomy,” she added. “Now, as we join forces with the leading electric air-taxi developer, I can’t imagine a better home for the Xwing team to realize our shared vision.”

Pilot assist to come before fully autonomous flights

Joby Aviation is developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger services. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based company said its acquisition of Xwing will help it be a leader in aviation autonomy and will build on its 2021 acquisition of high-performance radar developer Inras GmbH.

Founded in 2009, Joby said that Xwing’s expertise in perception technology, systems integration, and certification will benefit both near-term piloted operations as well as fully autonomous operations sometime in the future.

“The aircraft we are certifying will have a fully-qualified pilot on board, but we recognize that a future generation of autonomous aircraft will play an important part in unlocking our vision of making clean and affordable aerial mobility as accessible as possible,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby.

“The exceptionally talented Xwing team has not only made unparalleled progress on the development and certification of vision systems, sensor fusion, and decision-making autonomous technologies, but they’ve also successfully demonstrated the real-life application of their technology, flying hundreds of fully autonomous flights in the national airspace,” he said.

Xwing tech to enable Joby to deliver on DoD contracts

Joby added that Xwing’s staff and technology will help accelerate its execution of existing contract deliverables with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and expand the potential for more contracts.

Xwing’s engineers, researchers, and technologists will help Joby focus on its automation and autonomy roadmap. They will also offer increased opportunities to partner with the DoD on technology development, said Joby.

Xwing’s autonomous flights were completed using a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan aircraft. They allowed the team to focus on areas such as vision system processing, detect-and-avoid algorithms, decision making, and ground control stations, said Joby. The aircraft also supported remote operations, the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and mission management (including trajectory planning and real-time updates.

The U.S. Air Force gave Xwing a Military Flight Release earlier this year. The company’s aircraft participated in the Air Force’s Agile Flag 24-1 Joint Force exercise.

During this exercise, Xwing’s aircraft completed daily flights, covering around 2,800 miles and landing at eight public and military airports. The company also demonstrated its ability to integrate autonomous aircrafts into the national airspace system. 

“Autonomous systems are increasingly prolific in the private sector and bring potentially game-changing advantages to the Air Force as well,” said Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force. “We created Autonomy Prime to keep up with this shift and to stay engaged as a partner while this technology evolves, so that we can adapt and evolve along with the private sector, maintaining our competitive advantage.”

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