The Insulator Maintenance Solution uses remote operation technology to reach locations known for their difficult access. | Source: Duke Robotics

Duke Robotics Corp. this week announced initial revenue generation from its agreement with the Israel Electric Corp. Per the agreement, the company provides high-voltage insular washing services with its IC Drone. 

The IEC agreement reflects Duke’s transition from development to active service and revenue generation within the civilian sector, it said. The the robotics and drone company said the IEC Agreement establishes it as a provider of aerial cleaning systems designed to enhance the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of utility maintenance operations.

IEC has committed to a minimum utilization of services, with a guaranteed payment in the low seven figures (in NIS, or Israeli new shekels) within the first year of the agreement. With the IC Drone fully operational for cleaning electric utility insulators, Duke now aims to expand its offering to other utility providers globally.

“We are excited to launch our IC Drone services with the IEC,” stated Yossef Balucka, CEO of Duke Robotics. “It also marks the beginning of revenue generation for Duke Robotics, as we reported in our quarterly financial statements for the third quarter ending Sept. 30, 2024.”

“We believe that this deployment is a testament to the effectiveness and value of our drone-enabled solutions,” he added. “We look forward to bringing these benefits to utility companies worldwide as we continue to grow our service offerings.”

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More about Duke Robotics’ technology

Duke Robotics offers its drone technology for both civilian and military applications. For civilian use, the company said its drones can be remotely operated, user-friendly, and portable. They can make dangerous jobs safer, quicker, and more efficient. 

In addition, it said its drones can provide access to difficult-to-reach areas for tasks such as cleaning. Duke Robotics said the IEC agreement demonstrates its devotion to innovative drone applications in the civilian sector and to advancing sustainability in utility maintenance alongside its existing military offering.

Duke’s military offering is called TIKAD, a platform that enables remote, real-time, and accurate firing of lightweight firearms via an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV). The company said it designed TIKAD to serve the growing demand for combat technologies that provide stand-off capabilities to minimize military casualties.

Formerly known as UAS Drone Corp, Duke Robotics said it is focused on bringing advanced stabilization and autonomous systems to both military and civilian sectors. The IC Drone is based on the company’s intellectual property and know-how, integrating algorithms, autonomous systems, and robotic technologies used in mission-critical applications.

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Red Cat’s Black Widow drone features forward-looking obstacle-avoidance capabilities and an integrated FLIR Prism AI software stack. | Source: Red Cat

Red Cat Holdings Inc. this week announced that it won the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance, or SRR, program of record contract. The company replaced Skydio on this contract. The U.S. Army set an initial acquisition target of 5,880 systems over a five-year period. 

Skydio first earned this contract in 2021. At the time, it was valued at $99.8 million with a base year value of $20.2 million. While the company did compete for the contract this time around with its X10D drone, the Army said Red Cat’s system was more aligned with its requirements. 

“This is a powerful moment in time, coming after five years of blood, sweat, and tears put into SRR by our incredible team” stated George Matus, chief technology officer of Red Cat and founder of Teal, a subsidiary of Red Cat. “The long-awaited production selection marks a new era for our company and the future of American drones.”

“We were selected based on soldier feedback, technical performance, volume manufacturability, and system cost,” he said. “Our top priority now is to start ramping production of the next-generation system, recently announced as the Black Widow and WEB, and give warfighters the tools they need to be successful on the modern battlefield.”

Red Cat expects increased defense demand

San Juan, Puerto Rico-based Red Cat provides integrated robotic hardware and software for military, government, and commercial operations. Through its Teal Drones and FlightWave Aerospace Systems subsidiaries, the company offers drones including:

• Black Widow, its flagship product, a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) with advanced capabilities
• TRICHON fixed-wing vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle for extended endurance and range
• FANG, a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant, first-person view (FPV) drone optimized for military operations with precision-strike capabilities

Red Cat said it is preparing to meet increased demand across the rest of the U.S. Department of Defense, the federal government, and allied countries. The company’s Black Widow won the contract. Part of the company’s ARACHNID family of systems, the drones are designed for electronic warfare operations. 

Black Widow has a modular architecture, enabling swift adaptation to requirements for missions such as short-range reconnaissance, said Red Cat. It can also handle secondary payloads.

The company said its system is purpose-built for the warfighter, manufactured in the U.S., and intended to increase survivability and warfighter safety.

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Army gives new ARACHNID line a lift

The Army made the production selection after a test and evaluation process of Teal’s next-generation sUAS. The Army Project Management Office for Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, Army Maneuver Battle Lab, Army Test and Evaluation Command, and Army Operational Test Center evaluated the systems.

Red Cat said the SRR contract selection builds on momentum from its September acquisition of FlightWave, last month’s announcement of the ARACHNID line, and the creation of the Red Cat Futures Initiative. This week, Red Cat also said it is working with Palladyne AI Corp. to integrate Palladyne’s software into Teal drones.

“Both the operational and tactical levels of war and maneuver of combat elements have evolved significantly over the past couple of years,” observed Paul Edward Funk II, a retired four-star Army general and Red Cat board member.

“Operational success today depends on the ability to seamlessly move data across the battlefield,” he said. “From a tactical perspective, small unmanned aerial systems that are rucksack-portable are playing a vital role in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, as well as surgical-strike capabilities based on the real-time needs of the warfighter.”

Skydio brings in $170M in funding

This latest news comes a little over a year after Skydio grounded its consumer drone operations to focus on its enterprise and public-sector customers.

According to the San Mateo, Calif.-based company, its drones are being used to put sensors in dangerous and important places to perform inspections, find missing children, and keep the military safe. They also make core industries, like public safety, transportation, energy, construction, and defense, safer and more efficient, it claimed.

It wasn’t all bad news for Skydio this week. TechCrunch reported that the company raised $170 million in a Series E extension round. This adds to the $230 million it raised last year. Skydio reached “unicorn” status, or $1 billion valuation, around its Series D in 2021.

Investors in the latest round include KDDI, a Japanese telecom operator, and Axon, which develops tasers and other technology for police forces. The extension also included previous investors such as Linse Capital, which currently owns more than 21% of Skydio. 

Skydio said its X10D drone provides timely information using advanced sensors. Its computing power can support team operations and inform the best decisions in real time, it asserted. Six custom-designed navigation lenses provide 360-degree visibility, eliminating blind spots.

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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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The Falcon digital twin platform provides high-fidelity, domain-tailored simulation for a variety of use cases. | Source: Duality AI

Duality AI yesterday launched an EDU license and subscription for its Falcon simulation platform. The company said it designed this new program to equip aspiring artificial intelligence developers with the synthetic data skills needed to create advanced AI vision models.

This educational, non-commercial license is intended to expand access to digital twin simulation, said Duality. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company said it will enable students and developers to build cutting-edge AI models and meet the growing demand for AI professionals across industries.

“Digital twin simulation has unlocked a future where anyone can build AI models safely, rapidly, and affordably,” said Mike Taylor co-founder and chief product officer of Duality AI. “Now is the perfect time to invest in building a community that can harness these tools.”

“Whether learners come from an engineering, research, or creative background, we’re excited to share our expertise and help them discover how their skills can play a vital role in the evolving AI industry,” he stated.

Falcon generates accurate data for modeling, training

Founded in 2018, Duality AI said its multidisciplinary team includes engineers, simulation specialists, AI and machine learning experts, and technical artists. They have more than over 70 patents across robotics, simulation, and visualization.

The company specializes in cases where real-world data is insufficient for achieving the precision required for AI modeling and training of complex operations. Duality said it has developed proven techniques that drive successful outcomes for its customers. 

By bringing high-fidelity digital twins of environments and operating systems into Falcon, organizations can generate accurate data and predictive behavior modeling, said Duality AI. This enables them to deploy automated systems robustly and at scale, the company claimed.

Organizations are using the Falcon platform to help solve problems in AI, robotics, and smart system engineering, said the company. Their applications span off-road autonomous driving, high-volume manufacturing, warehouse automation, and disaster management.

Duality AI told The Robot Report that it is taking a similar approach with the EDU license to its work with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the DARPA RACER, enabling students to generate synthetic data for outdoor environments and train and test AI models for autonomous off-road vehicles.

Duality AI to extend its expertise to students

As the need for accurate AI vision models continues to grow, so does the need for skills in digital twin simulation and synthetic data generation, said Duality AI.

“There is currently a lack of some key skills — such as creating digital twins or best-practice techniques for getting the most out of synthetic data — that are not that difficult to learn, but make a huge difference,” said a Duality AI spokesman. “We’re helping close that gap.”

The EDU program offers subscribers full access to Falcon’s feature set. It also includes guided exercises and community resources developed by Duality AI’s experts.

“As an example: In Exercise 1 of the program, we are showing roboticists another way to develop the object-detection models that run on their systems,” the spokesman said. “In fact, it’s a method that many in our field don’t think is possible. We went to show them that not only is it possible, but [also] that we can teach them how to bring these skills into their own development patterns.”

To further support all learners, Duality is launching an online community where anyone can ask questions, collaborate on projects, and share their work.

The company said the curriculum itself is designed to build a strong foundation in digital twin and synthetic data workflows, equipping participants with the skills to create high-performance AI vision models independently.

“Falcon is the platform I wish I had as a graduate student,” said Dr. Felipe Mejia, an AI vision engineer at Duality. “I was always searching for datasets to test new algorithms, and working with digital twins in Falcon offers endless opportunities to experiment and explore.”

“It allows me to simulate scenarios not well-covered by real data, and easily investigate model failure modes — like how does object detection success rate change based on obstruction, distance, lighting? Or any other variable,” he noted.

Duality AI added that its EDU subscription is intended to inspire innovation, and it encouraged users to experiment, develop their projects, and apply their learnings across a variety of fields. The company said it “hopes to foster a vibrant community of innovators eager to explore the full potential of synthetic data and digital twin simulation in modern AI applications.”

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ANELLO offers an evaluation kit for its navigation and positioning system. Source: ANELLO Photonics

Self-driving vehicles, mobile robots, and drones need multiple sensors for safe and reliable operation, but the cost and bulk of those sensors have posed challenges for developers and manufacturers. ANELLO Photonics Inc. yesterday said it has closed its Series B funding round for its SiPhOG inertial navigation system, or INS.

“This investment not only validates our SiPhOG technology and products in the marketplace, but will [also] allow us to accelerate our manufacturing and product development as we continue to push the boundaries and leadership for navigation capabilities and performance to our customers who want solutions for GPS-denied environments,” stated Dr. Mario Paniccia, co-founder and CEO of ANELLO Photonics.

Founded in 2018, ANELLO has developed SiPhOG — Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope — based on integrated photonic system-on-chip (SoC) technology. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based company said it has more than 28 patents, with 44 pending. Its technologies also include a sensor-fusion engine using artificial intelligence.

“I spent 22 years at Intel and started this field of silicon photonics, which is the idea of building optical devices out of standard silicon processing, mostly focused on the data center,” recalled Paniccia. “Mike Horton, my co-founder, was a sensor gyro expert who started a company called Crossbow coming out of UC Berkeley.”

“Everyone doing autonomy was saying lidar and radar, but customers told Mike that if we could build an integrated photonic chip, they’d be very interested,” he told The Robot Report. “If you look at fiber gyros, they work great but are big, bulky, and expensive.”

“The stuff on our phones are MEMS [micro-electromechanical systems]-based today, which is not very accurate and is very sensitive to temperature, vibration, and EM interference,” Paniccia explained. “With the the same concept as a fiber gyro — the idea of light going around a coil, and you measure the phase based on rotation — we integrated all those components on a single chip, added a little laser, and put electronics around it, and you now get SiPhOG, which fits in the palm of your hand.”

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SiPhOG combines compactness and precision

SiPhOG brings high-precision into an integrated silicon photonics platform, claimed ANELLO. It is based on the interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) but is designed for compactness, said Paniccia.

“It’s literally 2 by 5 mm,” he said. “On that chip, we have all the components — the splitters, the couplers, the phase modulators, and the delay lines. We measure about 50 nano-radians of signal, so a tiny, tiny signal, but we measure it very accurately.”

The system also has a non-ASIC, two-sided electronics board with an analog lock-in amplifier, a temperature controller, and an isolator, Paniccia said. It has none of the drawbacks of MEMS and uses 3.3 volts, he added.

Paniccia said the SiPhOG unit includes an optical gyro, triple-redundant MEMS, accelerometers, and magnetometers. It also has two GPS chips and dual antennas and is sealed to be waterproof.

The ANELLO IMU+ is designed for harsh environments including in construction, robotics, mining, trucking, and defense. Source: ANELLO

Navigation system ready for multiple markets

Autonomous systems can work with ANELLO’s technology and the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for navigation, positioning, and motion tracking for a range of applications, said the company.

“We’re shipping to customers now in orchards, where the leaves come in, and the water in them essentially acts like a tunnel, absorbing GPS,” Paniccia said. “Our algorithm says, ‘I’m losing GPS, so weigh the navigation algorithm more to the optical gyro.’ You want the robot to stay within a tenth of a meter across a distance of half a mile. Long-distance, we’re looking at 100 km of driving without GPS with less than 100-m lateral error.”

In addition, SiPhOG is built for scalability and cost-effectiveness.

“VC friends tell me that automakers are putting six lidar systems on a car, and each one is $10,000 each. It’s never going to get to mass market,” Paniccia said. “We have an optical technology for land, air, and sea. And whether that land vehicle is for agriculture or construction, or in the longer term, trucking or autonomous cars, we can do it.”

“You can literally tape SiPhOG to a dashboard and plug it into the cigarette lighter,” he said. “We have self-alignment correction, and within 15 minutes, you can have GPS-denied navigation capability. We’re also shipping this system for indoor robots like in construction.”

“If I put three SiPhOGs in a cube, I can have the same performance but at one-fifth the size and weight and a quarter of the power for precision in three dimensions,” said Paniccia. “That’s exciting for drones and maritime.”

Investors to accelerate ANELLO 

Lockheed Martin, Catapult Ventures, and One Madison Group co-led ANELLO’s unspecified Series B round. New Legacy, Build Collective, Trousdale Ventures, In-Q-Tel (IQT), K2 Access Fund, Purdue Strategic Ventures, Santuri Ventures, Handshake Ventures, Irongate Capital, and Mana Ventures also participated. 

“We’re committed to fostering the art of the possible with investments in cutting edge technologies, including advancements in inertial navigation that have the potential to enhance autonomous operations in GPS-denied environments,” said Chris Moran, vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures. “Our continued investment in ANELLO reflects our mission to accelerate technologies that can ultimately benefit national security.”

ANELLO said it plans to use its latest funding to continue developing and deploying its technology. The company has worked with the U.S. Department of Defense to optimize its algorithms against jamming or spoofing.

“Every week, there’s an article about a commercial flight or defense-related mission getting GPS jammed, like thousands of flights to and from Europe affected by suspected Russian jamming,” noted Tony Fadell, founder of Nest and a principal at investor Build Collective. “GPS has become a single point of failure because it’s too easily compromised with various jamming and spoofing techniques.”

“ANELLO’s proven and commercially available optical gyroscope is the only navigational tool that can take over, [offering] precision over long periods of time, the size of a golf ball, low-power, low-cost, that’s immune to shock and vibration,” he added. “ANELLO will save lives in the air, on the road, and over water.”

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The Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites payload sits in the cryogenic thermal vacuum chamber at the Naval Center for Space Technology. | Credit: Sarah Peterson, U.S. Navy 

Satellites in geosynchronous orbit about 22,000 miles above Earth are crucial for military, government, and commercial communications, as well as Earth-observing science. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, or NRL, and the Defense Advanced Projects Agency last month completed the development of a spaceflight-qualified robotics suite capable of servicing satellites in orbit.

Under DARPA funding, the laboratory‘s Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST) developed the Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS) Integrated Robotic Payload (IRP). The organization delivered this new space capability to commercial partner Northrop Grumman’s SpaceLogistics. The company will integrate the robotic payload with its spacecraft bus, the Mission Robotics Vehicle (MRV).

“The recent completion of thermal vacuum testing marks a major milestone toward achieving the program’s goal of demonstrating robotic servicing capabilities on orbit in the near future,” said Dr. Bruce Danly, NRL director of research.

“NRL’s contributions to the robotic payload are an essential part of realizing this vision, which promises to transform satellite operations in geostationary orbit, reduce costs for satellite operators, and enable capabilities well beyond what we have today,” he continued. “In fact, the anticipated capabilities are potentially revolutionary for both national security and civil applications.”

NRL has longstanding relationships with academia and industry as a collaborator and contractor. It participates in technology-transfer efforts such as commercial licensing, cooperative research and development, and educational partnerships.

The scientific and engineering command is dedicated to research for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, from the seafloor to space and the information domain. NRL is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with major field sites in Stennis Space Center, Miss.; Key West, Fla.; and Monterey, Calif. It employs approximately 3,000 civilian scientists, engineers, and support personnel.

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NRL aims to unlock satellite servicing opportunities

Currently, spacecraft face significant challenges, in part because of the inability to perform in-orbit repairs or upgrades. To compensate for the lack of servicing options, satellites are often loaded with backup systems and excess fuel, leading to increased complexity, weight, and cost. 

“The military regularly fixes aircraft, tanks, ships, and trucks that break,” said Glen Henshaw, Ph.D., senior scientist for robotics and autonomous systems at NRL. “We upgrade aircraft and ships with the latest radars, computers, and engines.”

“Satellites are the only expensive equipment we buy that can’t be repaired or upgraded once they are in the field, and this costs the taxpayer money,” he added. “RSGS is intended to change this situation. We intend to demonstrate that we can upgrade and repair these valuable assets using robots.”

As DARPA’s robotic payload developer for the RSGS program, NRL looked to design, build, integrate, and test new satellite-servicing capabilities. Should this project prove successful, satellites could receive in-orbit upgrades to extend their service lives, said Bernie Kelm, superintendent of the Spacecraft Engineering Division at NRL NCST.

“This collaboration unlocks new servicing opportunities for both commercial and government satellites, enabling usual-close inspections, orbital adjustments, hardware upgrades, and repairs,” he said. “We’ve created advanced spaceflight hardware and software that will significantly enhance satellite servicing operations, including all robotic controls.”

Steven Butcher, Technology Service Corp. space robotics and mechanisms engineer, inspects the RSGS payload after completing testing at the NRL’s Naval Center for Space Technology. | Credit: Sarah Peterson, U.S. Navy

About the Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing process

The test campaign put the robotic payload through its paces across the range of temperatures it will face while in orbit and under vacuum conditions similar to space. Engineers tested all aspects of the payload including avionics, cameras, and lights.

They also demonstrated all operations with each of the two robotic arms, including launch lock deployments, calibrations, and tool changing. The test also verified SpaceWire communications, robotic compliance, and visual servo control modes.

NRL worked for over two decades to mature the technology enabling the RSGS program. Its intent is to safely and reliably repair and upgrade satellites, some of which cost over a $1 billion.

In the near future, robotic satellite “mechanics” may extend the useful life of satellites with new electronics, propulsion, or sensor capabilities, said NRL. RSGS robots could demonstrate broad servicing as a precursor to building large structures in orbit such as an observatory or solar power stations, said the researchers.

Following its anticipated 2026 launch on the Northrop Grumman’s MRV spacecraft bus, the robotic payload will undergo initial checkout and calibration with full operational servicing missions to follow.

“NRL’s Team RSGS has spent nearly 10 years focused on the goal of completing this first-of-a-kind, robotic servicing payload,” said William Vincent, NRL RSGS program manager. “The completion of IRP TVAC represents a huge milestone and countless hours of work from an incredible group of dedicated personnel. Like sending a child off to college for the first time, shipping the IRP to Dulles is a bittersweet experience.”

Once on-orbit, the RSGS payload will inspect and service satellites in geosynchronous orbit. | Source: Sarah Peterson, U.S. Navy

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Ascento AG launched the latest generation of its two-wheeled autonomous security robot called Ascento Guard 2.0. Enhancements in this new platform include integrated cameras and spotlights three times brighter than its predecessor.

The new cameras provide better nighttime visibility than in the mobile robot’s the first generation. They can detect people at twice the distance in front and five times further on the sides and rear.

A new thermal camera with 160% higher resolution ensures precise monitoring, said Ascento Robotics. The Zurich-based startup has raised a total of $4.8 million (U.S.) since its founding, according to Crunchbase.

Early customers approve of Ascento

Ascento said it is on a mission to secure assets with robotics and artificial intelligence. The company launched the first generation of Ascento Guard in September 2023.

The robot is designed for on- and off-road operations and can traverse a wide range of terrain. Guard self-balances, and it can self-right and recover if it is tripped up by an obstacle.

Alexander Grêt is a group manager at Swiss Securitas Group, a top security company in Switzerland and an early Ascento customer. He stated: “We’ve been using Ascento Guard for over a year to manage parking and night security at our site. We’ve also rolled out several Ascento Guard 2.0 units for our customers in manufacturing and logistics.”

“In 2024, we tripled the number of Ascento Guards installed, and they’re now fully integrated into our security operations after moving forward from initial pilots,” Grêt added. “This is an exciting step forward, as it helps us deliver better solutions to our customers and tackle the growing demand for security solutions. The speed at which the Ascento team improves is incredible, and we’re proud to be part of this game-changing technology.”

Severin Debrunner, head of safety and security at Mettler Toledo, also expressed approval of the robot.

“We initially deployed Ascento Guard to help with outdoor night patrols, but we’re keeping it for the full transparency it provides,” he said. “Every morning, I can see which cars were parked illegally overnight, which lights were left on, and if there were people wandering within the fence line. The upgraded side cameras significantly improve monitoring, especially for perimeter control.”

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Ascento Guard 2.0 can take longer shifts

Ascento Guard 2.0 monitors perimeters, detecting anomalies such as holes in fences, intruders, ladder intrusions, and open gates. Using AI and camera technology, the updated robot can efficiently surveil large areas, said the company.

It added that Guard 2.0 has a larger battery and can operate for up to eight hours, enabling the robot to operate for a full security shift without interruption. Charging can be accomplished at a 4:1 charging ratio, allowing it to recharge fast and get back outside to patrol again.

In addition, Ascento Guard 2.0 can automate visual inspections of equipment, identifying potential malfunctions or irregularities. Its integrated thermal camera can detect overheating, allowing for early maintenance and preventing equipment failures, said Ascento. The system can also detect flood and storm damage, minimizing potential losses, it said.

“We call our Ascento Guard ‘Loomi.’ Everyone around the Bildung Campus likes it and feels we are living in the future,” stated Nikolaus Schlüter, team lead of SchwarzCampusService, “We are now moving to the next stage. We want to integrate it with our facility management platform, and expand to more robots in other locations of the Schwarz Group.”

Guard 2.0 can be deployed on demand for various tasks, such as escorting visitors or monitoring specific areas during planned or unplanned events. These deployments can be remotely controlled and monitored.

The system can operate independently through the Ascento Web app or integrate with existing video management systems and facility management software.

Although Ascento is a young company, it has gotten some market traction. Over the past three months, Ascento has doubled its robot fleet, with projections to achieve 5x growth year over year by the end of 2024. The company said its robots are on track to patrol over 6,500 km (4,038.9 mi.) every month by the end of 2024.

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In Episode 171 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman examine the latest video from XPENG, showing the Iron humanoid robot operating on the floor of the company‘s automation manufacturing plant.

Featured interview with Swiss-Mile

In the featured interview this week, Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre interview Marko Bjelonic, co-founder and CEO of Swiss-Mile, discussing its quadruped robot that combines wheels and legs for enhanced mobility. They explore the evolution of the robot from academic research to a commercial product, the engineering challenges faced, and the unique functionalities that set it apart.

The discussion also covers potential applications in security and logistics, the importance of autonomy in robotics, and the future direction of Swiss-Mile as a technology-focused company.

Show timeline

• 1:13 – Boston Dynamics humanoid video discussion
• 9:27 – News
• 25:37 – Interview with Marko Bjelonic, co-founder and CEO of Swiss-Mile

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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 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.

iRobot lays off another 105 employees

iRobot, maker of the popular Roomba robot vacuum, has layed off another 105 employees as part of its restructuring plans. The number of employees being let go represents 16% of iRobot’s global workforce as of Sept. 28. Since the start of 2024, iRobot has reduced its global workforce by nearly 50%.

There are several reasons iRobot, which has sold more than 50 million robots worldwide, is struggling. One of the main reasons is the failed acquisition from Amazon, which was called off earlier in 2024. Amazon wanted to acquire iRobot for $1.7 billion, but the deal was ultimately called off because regulators said the deal would restrict competition. Amazon paid iRobot $94 million to terminate the deal.

Physical Intelligence raises $400M for foundation models for robotics

Physical Intelligence has raised $400 million to continue its development of AI for a range of robots. The company acknowledged that foundation models that can control any robot to perform any task “are still in their infancy.” It said it is working on the data and partnerships to pretrain these models and enable new levels of dexterity and physical capability.

Physical Intelligence raised $70 million in seed financing earlier this year, and the company told The Robot Report that its valuation has risen to $2.4 billion. Jeff Bezos, executive chairman of Amazon, led the company’s latest funding round, along with Thrive Capital and Lux Capital.

Pipedream Labs deploys underground delivery system in Texas drive-thru

Pipedream’s robot operates through pipes to move prepared meals from a quick service restaurant (QSR) to end users in, say, a commercial building. The pipe is like two to three feet in diameter with a track, and the automated shuttles can carry a tote from the restaurant out to various pickup locations. It’s fixed infrastructure, but it’s completely underground and out of the weather. 

The company’s stated vision is that this infrastructure would be put in place in an urban setting, and support the logistics of delivery between the QSR location and various corporate campuses.Pipedream said it can drastically reduce delivery times and streamline restaurant operations. Strong financial backing has fueled rapid growth, it said.

Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics

The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics 

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The post Who let the robodogs out? Meet Swiss-Mile’s wheeled quadruped appeared first on The Robot Report.

Fulcrum can ensure that Cantilever has high-quality infrastructure data to analyze. Source: Gecko Robotics

Robotic maintenance of large structures and critical infrastructure is only as useful as the data it yields. Gecko Robotics Inc. has announced its Fulcrum software for data acquisition and quality. Its first public use was this week.

The Pittsburgh-based company, best known for its robots that can climb and maintain tanks, has also developed drones and software. It said its Cantilever operating platform uses artificial intelligence and robotics (AIR) for data analysis and to support fast decision-making at scale.

Jake Loosararian, co-founder and CEO, and Jennifer Padgett, engineering manager at Gecko Robotics, explained to The Robot Report how Fulcrum and Cantilever can enable new levels of insights from robotic inspection.

Fulcrum enables data analytics from multiple sources

What is Fulcrum?

Loosararian: Jenn designed and built Fulcrum. Its design is centered around creating an API [application programming interface] for robots.

It’s all in support of our goal for Gecko — to protect critical infrastructure. This requires information about the built world.

Robots armed with different sensors turn the physical world of atoms into bits. The key is ensuring those bits drive useful outcomes.

The sensors on robots and drones can collect a lot of data — how do you determine what’s useful?

Loosararian: We collect so much and different types of information with our robots that climb walls or from fixed sensors. It’s not enough to just gather and post-process this data. We want to get as close to the process as possible.

Fulcrum is specifically built to gather data sets for high-fidelity foundation models. It’s designed not just to ensure quality data from all types of robots and sensors, but also to accelerate our ability to capture data layers for our Cantilever enterprise software.

For example, they can be used to predict when a tank would leak, a bridge collapse, or a naval vessel need to be modernized.

Padgett: We’re building a validation framework with our subject-matter expertise. We’ve collected millions of data points, while humans typically gather data points every square foot or two.

With Fulcrum, we understand the data as you’re collecting it and double-check it. We’ve optimized for inspections of concrete in missile silos, as well as tanks and boilers.

Gecko Robotics offers understanding of infrastructure health

How is Gecko Robotics pivoting from robotics hardware to AI?

Loosararian: We’ve traditionally developed hardware for data collection. Data quality is the starting point.

We’re helping people to understand what their livelihoods are based on by giving a full picture. Inspections affect everything from driving across a bridge to turning on the electricity.

We believe in democratizing data. We can’t build all the robots ourselves, and I recently talked onstage about the potential for humanoid robots like Tesla’s Optimus.

We’ve developed AI and built an ontology to connect things to monitor and maintain infrastructure health. Building and operating critical infrastructure is a matter of global competitiveness.

Padgett: With AI for pre-processing and low-level heuristics on key modules, Gecko can deliver useful data for customers. Fulcrum is really meant to provide higher-level analytics at the edge.

Jake, you mentioned the API and working with other robots. Who are you working with?

Loosararian: We’ve already made partnerships and are vetting a dozen companies for the kinds of tools that will be certified under the Gecko umbrella. We want to onboard as many robots as we can.

At the same time, we’re very skeptical of which robots are actually valuable. As we go to market with the platform, we understand which tools are good for marketing versus actually helping the business.

We’re not interested in research projects; we’re interested in companies that want specific, real-world impacts within 90 days. Right now, there’s a lot of skepticism around hardware and software, but with our robots and AI-powered software, the savings are real.

We’ve built up abstracts for how to interact with certain types of robots, drones, and marine systems. This makes it easy to add; by working them into our communications protocol, we’re language-agnostic.

We’re also interested in new types of sensors and how they can affect outcomes.

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Predictive maintenance key to value proposition

What industries can this help?

Loosararian: It’s not one industry; it’s everyone. Infrastructure is huge — from aircraft carriers to mining companies. We’ve got products and services that help them understand the state of their assets.

Right now, we’re focusing on built structures using next-generation IoT [Internet of Things] sensors. With fixed robots, mesh networks, and 5G, we’re imagining beyond that.

Cantilever is already providing data on 500,000 assets, and it’s already making changes in the way customers operate.

We’re constantly being pinged by companies that want us to integrate automated repairs and cleaning, which are important functions to maintaining safety and environmental sustainability.

We want to ensure that we can meet growing demand for things like shipyard maintenance with the growing scarcity of qualified people. Fulcrum has the ability to offer relevant information, changing the standard operating procedures from human-collected data.

So is the goal to apply IoT and AI to spot issues before they become problems?

Loosararian: We can know what the robot is doing, what it should be collecting, and get the analysis. With the life-extension AIR module, we can look at the data layers in concrete, carbon steel, and stainless steel to extend the useful life of critical infrastructure.

Fulcrum is also part of capex [capital expenditure] optimization. Users want to avoid replacing things, having downtime, or suffering from catastrophic failures. They need specific data rather than broad strokes so they don’t have to worry about overpaying to replace something that doesn’t yet need to be replaced.

Another opportunity is process optimization. For example, an oil company needs to understand how a higher sodium concentration in the Gulf of Mexico will impact its assets. That’s built into the Cantilever data pipeline from Fulcrum.

The post Fulcrum provides inspection data pipeline for Cantilever analysis, explains Gecko Robotics appeared first on The Robot Report.

The ROAMEO Gen 4 autonomous security robot is equipped with an array of sensors that enable it to patrol remote areas of a facility. | Credit AITX RAD

Robotic Assistance Devices Inc., or RAD, this month announced the specifications of the fourth generation of its ROAMEO wheeled security robot. The Ferndale, Mich.-based company also today celebrated the deployment of 1,000 devices.

RAD said that ROAMEO Gen 4 will provide security and concierge services with enhanced capabilities and artificial intelligence integration. The vehicle can autonomously patrol large corporate, college, and university campuses, stated the subsidiary of Artificial Intelligence Technology Solutions Inc. (AITX).

“The market for a robot like ROAMEO remains untapped, and based on our years serving this space, we are certain that it is a significantly large market,” said Steve Reinharz, chief technology officer and CEO of AITX and RAD.

“Having solved a myriad of technical challenges and deployed many earlier versions of ROAMEO, we are perfectly positioned to define and capture this market,” he added. “This is the cumulation of years of creation, testing, and perseverance. We are beyond thrilled with today’s big reveal and excited for what this robot will do for the industry and AITX.”

ROAMEO builds on previous models for faster ROI

RAD said it gained insights from deployments of ROAMEO 1.x and 2.x, as well as from work on the unreleased Version 3.x. The latest design includes fully autonomous recharging, as well as a software architecture built around AITX’s proprietary Autonomous Intelligent Response (AIR) technology.

Patrolling outdoor spaces can be tedious, expensive, and dangerous work, noted the company. It said the robot enables campus security teams to extend their presence and mission scope without expending additional resources. 

“From an industry perspective, demand for ROAMEO is so strong because it addresses a significant pain point for these end users,” said Reinharz. “That’s why we’re seeing so much interest and unsolicited outreach to us.”

“ROAMEO can make a positive financial impact even with as few as 25 deployments,” he said. “We’ll be working to hit 100 deployments as soon as possible, forecasted by the end of 2026, and that will be quite remarkable. Looking ahead, we’re anticipating hundreds of units being deployed in the coming years, marking a major step forward in our growth, path to profitability, and continued innovation.”

RAD acknowledged delays in bringing ROAMEO to market, citing the need to shift priorities from other systems including stationary sensors. It has completed work on ROSA and RIO Gen 4, as well as AVA Gen 4. The company will initially integrate its AIR technology into RADCam, set to begin shipping in December. RAD will then roll it into all of its other systems and ROSS software.

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New vehicle is taller to see over traffic

ROAMEO Gen 4 is the largest autonomous security device RAD said it has produced to date, and it is designed for high-visibility outdoor applications. 

ROAMEO stands at a height of 6 ft., 9 in. (205.7 cm), width of 5 ft., 5 in. (165 cm), and length of 8 ft. 4 in. (254 cm). This is smaller than a midsize automobile but larger than the typical security golf cart. The taller robot has a clear line of sight over vehicles and people in high-traffic areas for both advanced detection and person/vehicle engagement, said RAD.

The vehicle weighs 1,609 lb. (729.8 kg) and delivers up to 16 hours of continuous run time, offering two-shift coverage on a single charge. With a ground clearance of up to 9.4 in. (23.8 cm) and four-wheel drive, ROAMEO can climb up to a 20% incline.

ROAMEO Gen 4 features lidar, radar, vision, microphones, and ultrasonic sensors. It sends data to an onsite command center in real time, alerting security staff to unusual situations.

ROAMEO Gen 4 is equipped with 215/45R17 wheels and tires, making transition to snow tires and or mud terrain tires quick and inexpensive, added RAD. The company claimed that ROAMEO Gen4 will be capable of SAE Level 5 autonomous operation in weather including rain and snowstorms.

The ROAMEO Gen 4 is tall enough so that its the sensors can see over most parked vehicles. | Credit: AITX RAD

RAD celebrates growth, expects more public safety demand

Robotic Assistance Devices today said that it has surpassed 1,000 deployed and contracted security devices as of late October.

“Reaching this 1,000-device milestone validates RAD’s role in transforming the security landscape,” said Reinharz. “Our clients are choosing RAD to address their most pressing security needs with efficiency and impact.”

The company said it anticipates a renewed commitment to public safety and security from federal, state, and local governments in the coming months. RAD asserted that it is prepared to support evolving government initiatives with responsive security systems that also offer cost savings.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in interest and opportunity from municipalities and regional jurisdictions looking for advanced security solutions that can meet their communities’ needs,” Reinharz added. “Our solutions provide an efficient approach that enhances security without the high costs traditionally associated with physical security measures. We’re committed to supporting these evolving public safety initiatives with technology that’s accessible, non-biased, and impactful.”

The company estimated that 250 deployed ROAMEO units could generate as much as $20 million in recurring revenue. RAD said it has a prospective sales pipeline of more than 35 Fortune 500 companies and numerous other client opportunities.

The post ROAMEO specs revealed by AITX RAD as company marks 1,000 security systems appeared first on The Robot Report.

The new See3CAM_CU83 4K RGB-IR camera can be used in precision agriculture and surgery. Source: e-con Systems.

e-con Systems Inc. last week launched its latest camera, the See3CAM_CU83, a 4K superspeed USB Camera featuring onsemi’s AR0830 sensor. The latest See3CAM, an RGB-IR camera, promises performance for a wide range of applications, including biometric access control, in-cabin monitoring, crop health monitoring, image-guided surgeries, and smart patient monitoring, said the company.

“See3CAM_CU83 represents a significant milestone in our product lineup,” stated said Prabu Kumar, head of the Camera Solutions Unit at e-con Systems. “With over 20 years of experience in embedded vision, e-con Systems has generated multiple patents.”

“This camera uses e-con’s own proprietary algorithm that processes RGB-IR frames from the single sensor into separate RGB and IR frames,” he added. “The camera’s ability to capture both visible and infrared light at the same time with a dual band-pass optical system also allows it to operate seamlessly in both day and night modes across a wide range of vision applications.”

e-con’s product portfolio includes ToF (time-of-flight) cameras, MIPI (Mobile Industry Processor Interface) camera modules, GMSL (Gigabit Multimedia Serial Link) cameras, USB 3.1 Gen 1 cameras, stereo cameras, GigE cameras, and low-light cameras. The Riverside, Calif.-based company last month also demonstrated its 3MP and 5MP global shutter cameras for basketball posture analysis and precision agriculture, respectively.

See3CAM_CU83 eliminates sensors, filters

“See3CAM_CU83 sets a new standard in the industry with its ability to simultaneously stream RGB-IR frames, capturing high-quality 4K images in both visible and IR lighting conditions,” said e-con Systems.

By separating visual light and infrared frames, the new camera eliminates the need for separate RGB and IR sensors, the embedded vision provider claimed. It can deliver clear, precise images with low latency and is a cost-effective system, e-con asserted.

The camera’s reliability is further enhanced by the absence of mechanical switch filters, it added. e-con said its expertise in image signal processing (ISP) fine-tuning enables See3CAM to deliver high-resolution images.

“By integrating our AR0830 sensor into their 4K RGB-IR superspeed USB camera, See3CAM_CU83, and combining it with their RGB-IR separation algorithm, e-con Systems delivers a composite camera system that now can be extensively deployed in both visible and NIR spectrums,” said Steve Harris, senior director of marketing in onsemi‘s Industrial and Commercial Sensing Division. “This combination enables superior performance and color accuracy across a wide range of embedded vision applications.”

e-con Systems addresses vision pain points across industries

e-con Systems said the See3CAM_CU83 addresses pain points of embedded vision applications across multiple industries:

• Biometric access control: RGB-IR can enhance biometric accuracy, distinguishing between live persons and spoofing attempts, said the company. This promises to improve security for facility entry, attendance systems, and high-security environments.
• In-cabin monitoring: RGB-IR functionality maintains clear video in varying light conditions for driver or passenger monitoring, explained e-con. 4K resolution enhances detail for advanced computer vision techniques, enabling drowsiness detection and cabin occupancy tracking. In addition, the wake-on-motion feature of the camera ensures rapid response of the camera along with power efficiency, it said.
• Crop health monitoring: Dual RGB and IR imagery can capture near-infrared spectral data, revealing crop health indicators like chlorophyll content and water status. This can help detect crop distress, diseases, or pest infestations for targeted interventions.
• Image-guided surgeries: IR imaging functionality can provide surgeons with additional visual cues and information beyond what is available in the visible spectrum alone. For example, IR imaging can help differentiate between healthy and diseased tissue, enhance visualization of blood vessels, or aid in tumor identification during precision surgeries.
• Smart patient monitoring: The latest See3CAM captures both visible and infrared light, ensuring clear images even in low-light conditions and enhancing the accuracy of patient monitoring applications. This helps with early detection of critical changes in health status, according to e-con.

See3CAM is now availabile

e-con Systems said that its expertise in OEM innovation and the new camera’s advanced features stand out in a competitive landscape. “See3CAM_CU83 is also the only RGB-IR camera with 4K resolution available in the market,” the company claimed.

e-con also offers customization services and integration support for the See3CAM meet the requirements of unique applications. For customization or integration support, contact the company at camerasolutions@e-consystems.com.

The post See3CAM_CU83 camera from e-con Systems offers RGB-IR tech for diverse applications appeared first on The Robot Report.

A Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft. Palladyne AI is continuing to validate its industrial robot software for media blasting of complex aircraft components. Source: Adobe Stock

Robots and the latest software to control them are becoming essential to aircraft maintenance in both the civilian and defense sectors. Palladyne AI Corp. today announced that it has completed Phase I of its multi-million-dollar contract with the Air Logistics Complex at Warner Robins Air Force Base in Georgia.

Phase II will continue integration and use-case validation of the Palladyne IQ software for use in remediation activities including media blasting for complex aircraft components. This is the second year of a planned four-year effort valued at $13.8 million.

The competitive Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) program selected Palladyne AI for the contract. STRATFI came out of the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX AFVentures innovation incubator.

Software supports curved surface prep

In Phase II of the contract, the Air Force will use Palladyne IQ software to prepare complex, high-value aircraft components of varying types and sizes. It will use detection, identification, and surface mapping to maintain the correct distance and angle for optimal application of surface-preparation materials.

“The Palladyne AI software is a transformational technology that will benefit both commercial and Department of Defense industrial and maintenance automation advancements,” said Shane Groves, a robotics expert at Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex (WR-ALC).

“The software has successfully shown the ability to autonomously prepare contoured surfaces using sanding and media-blasting techniques and has delivered high value to our repair and maintenance operations in a short amount of time,” he said. “I have no doubt that this critical work will deliver long-term benefits for Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex industrial automation and productivity.” 

“The U.S. Air Force continues to broaden access to disruptive technologies through their support and engagement with emergent technologies and novel commercial solutions,” said Ben Wolff, president and CEO of Palladyne AI. “We look forward to this continued partnership to advance our Palladyne AI autonomy software with agility, focus, and speed to automate dull, boring, and dangerous tasks that have historically been too challenging and complex to automate.”

Palladyne continues pivot to enabling robot autonomy

Formerly known as Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corp., Palladyne AI has pivoted from teleoperated robotics to software and artificial intelligence for industrial automation in unstructured environments. The Salt Lake City-based company rebranded in March but has continued its defense business under the Sarcos Defense brand.

At the time, Wolff said: “This rebranding is not just a change in name, but a reflection of our commitment to delivering a fundamentally superior type of intelligence for both mobile and stationary robots by enabling robots to observe, learn, reason and act in a manner akin to humans, which enhances robot versatility, substantially shortens robot training time, and materially reduces power required for AI processing.”

Last week, Palladyne AI announced that it is providing its Pilot sensor-fusion software to Red Cat Holdings Inc.‘s drones. The partners said they plan to create a network of collaborating drones and sensors that self-orchestrate to provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities.

“Palladyne AI is enabling cost-effective small drone platforms that incorporate some of the same autonomy capabilities typically only found on large drone platforms costing tens of millions of dollars,” said George Matus, chief technology officer at Red Cat.

“Their Palladyne Pilot autonomy software provides our drone systems with generalizable autonomy that enables a high level of adaptability and performance in challenging environments, materially reducing the cognitive load on drone operators and enhancing the operational capabilities and mission effectiveness of our drone platforms,” he added.

Editor’s note: At RoboBusiness 2024, there will be a Field Robotics track, including a panel discussion on how to overcome the challenges in designing outdoor systems.

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The post Palladyne AI completes Phase 1 of U.S. Air Force robot software contract appeared first on The Robot Report.

The Xtender is a micro tactical indoor ISR for multi-payload tasks in confined space scenarios. | Credit: XTEND

XTEND’s stated mission is to “Win the mission and get home safely.” The drone company has been heavily involved in supporting the Israeli Defense Forces, or IDF, during current Middle East conflicts.

Starting out as a gaming company, XTEND launched a league where “anyone could fly drones,” said Aviv Shapiro, co-founder and CEO. It developed first-person view (FPV) technology that was easy to use and with a short learning period.

The company then pivoted to enterprise use cases such as search and rescue, agriculture, and policing. At the beginning of the Gaza confict, XTEND redesigned its drone technology to meet the IDF’s specific and urgent reconnaissance needs.

Among the challenges that the company faced were GPS-denied environments, limited space and energy in tunnels, and the need for portability.

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XTEND builds rugged autonomy

XTEND built technology that uses AI perception algorithms and an operator interface designed for ease of use. It enables the drones to identify open doors and windows in real time.

The company has innovated to overcome several obstacles to robust operations in the field, including a lack of GPS access and signal jamming. Indoors or underground, signal strength might be weak due to the interference of walls, buildings, or earth.

An operator can simply click on the remote screen, and the drone will autonomously navigate through the desired portal. The drone uses obstacle avoidance to avoid obstacles indoors and outdoors.

The primary use case for drones in the current conflict has been to provide cost-effective battlefield visibility to commanders while minimizing the risk to soldiers’ lives.

XTEND has developed autonomy for drones to detect and enter openings in walls. Source: XTEND

Robots, AI overcome environmental challenges

Underground tunnels restrict aerial drone operations, which have a battery life of only 15 to 20 minutes. XTEND put its XOS operating system and controls on quadruped robot dogs to enable reconnaissance.

The quadruped robots help overcome this limitation, allowing soldiers to extend their presence and capabilities in such environments, said the company. XOS enables the control of multiple machines simultaneously and augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) over an artificial intelligence layer.

“We want to reduce the cognitive load on operators, allowing them to have situational awareness and perform their missions,” said Gal Nir, chief commercial officer at XTEND. “AI capabilities help the drone to detect and classify targets.”

“It’s the AI capabilities that you can integrate easily because of the open architecture of our software that allows the user to perform cutting-edge missions in very complex scenarios and do it very easily because most of the hard part is done by AI,” Nir told The Robot Report. “At the end of the day, the user is in the loop and makes the final decision to perform whatever action is necessary.”

XTEND has quickly pivoted from drone racing to defense and other applications. Source: XTEND

Quick training, development required

The IDF has had to call up reservists to serve in the field. These reservists may not have prior drone experience or a lot of time to learn how to operate them in the field.

“Getting qualified now takes hours rather than weeks,” said Nir. “With IDF feedback, we have closed-loop product development with soldiers both in the field and in the office,” he added. “We’ve been pushing out service packs every month and are up to Version 156.”

The U.S. government and allied nations are major customers, but XTEND is torn between building to specifications drawn up two to three years ago and keeping up with current defense needs, noted Shapiro.

“We need to build products that support tasks both underground and in mountainous forests,” he said. “Everything is evolving during the conflict itself. Cybersecurity is also a huge issue because we know that everything that falls on the ground will be taken to Iran or Russia.”

The post XTEND drones rapidly evolve to support defense missions appeared first on The Robot Report.

In Episode 165 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Mike Oitzman and Steve Crowe discuss the latest robotics news from the past week.

It’s drone week on the podcast, and we feature two interviews from the world of aerial robotics. A month ago we featured a story about a drone industry group formed to lobby against the Countering CCP Drone Act in the U.S. Congress. This is a group of ag-spraying service providers who’ve built their business around DJI drones. Today, we talk with Hylio Drones CEO and Co-founder Arthur Erickson. He and his fellow University of Texas, Austin co-founders are focused on the ag-spraying industry and are the largest U.S.-based ag-spraying drone company. The company manufactures its drones entirely in the U.S., and a DJI-drone ban will hand them a monopoly in the U.S.

The second featured interview is with Heven Drones CEO and co-founder Bentzion Levinson. Heven (pronounced “heaven”) Drones are innovating in the drone market by using hydrogen fuel cells instead of lithium-ion batteries to achieve fight times of up to eight hours. Heven is deploying its drone platform into use cases such as infrastructure inspection, security, long-distance package delivery, and military applications.

A Heven Drones H2D200 long-distance drone platform. | Credit: Heven Drones

If you want to sponsor a future episode of The Robot Report Podcast, contact Courtney Nagle at cnagle@wtwhmedia.com.

Show timeline

• 8:01 – News of the week
• 24:24 – Interview with Arthur Erickson, CEO and Co-founder, Hylio Drones
• 53:10 – Interview with Bentzion Levinson, CEO and Co-founder, Heven Drones

News of the week

Skydio launches the Dock for X10

At its annual Ascend event, Skydio unveiled its latest innovation: the Dock for X10. This automatic drone hangar is designed to support remote autonomy and Flight Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. As Skydio continues to focus on autonomous drones for police surveillance, security patrols, and industrial inspections, the Dock offers a crucial solution for recharging and protecting these unmanned aerial vehicles. By enabling drones to respond to emergency calls alongside human first responders, Skydio is pushing the boundaries of public safety technology.

IFR World Robotics report says 4M robots are operating in factories globally

The operational stock of industrial robots worldwide. | Source: IFR

According to the International Federation of Robotics’ World Robotics report, the number of industrial robots operating globally reached a new high of 4,281,585 units in 2023, marking a 10% increase from the previous year. For the third consecutive year, annual robot installations surpassed half a million units. Asia continued to dominate the market, accounting for 70% of all newly deployed robots, followed by Europe at 17% and the Americas at 10%.

Boston Dynamics unleashes Spot v4.1

Boston Dynamics has expanded Spot’s capabilities with new sensor integration options. A Spot-mounted Fluke SV600 can now collect acoustic vibration data, enabling automated predictive maintenance and reducing unplanned downtime. Additionally, laser-scanning integration with Orbit, Boston Dynamics’ fleet management software, allows for the creation of digital twins of facilities. Operators can plan reality-capture missions using Spot-mounted Leica BLK ARC laser scanning payloads, and the data can be easily processed in various digital twin software. The Spot Core I/O enhances the robot’s visual semantic context, enabling it to navigate around obstacles more efficiently and perceive a wider area for alternative paths.

Kiva Systems founders to enter Logistics Hall of Fame as mobile robot pioneers

Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman and Raffaello D’Andrea (Left to Right), Co-founders of Kiva Systems, are 2020 inductees in the National Inventors Hall of Fame. | Credit: National Inventors Hall of Fame

In 2003, Mick Mountz, Dr. Peter Wurman, and Prof. Raffaello D’Andrea invented a mobile robot for fulfillment in intralogistics, founded Kiva Systems, and created a category of automation that has grown over the past two decades. A jury has voted to recognize their innovation by inducting them into the Logistics Hall of Fame.

The post Drone Week: Innovation in agriculture and hydrogen fuel appeared first on The Robot Report.

Organization: Kodiak Robotics
Country: U.S.
Website: https://kodiak.ai/
Year Founded: 2018
Number of Employees: 101-500
Innovation Class: Application & Market

Kodiak Robotics unveiled in late 2023 its first autonomous test vehicle for the U.S. Department of Defense. A Ford F-150 pickup truck is outfitted with the Kodiak Driver system for autonomy. It is designed to handle complex military environments, diverse operational conditions, and areas with degraded GPS, as well as off-road variables like rocks, dust, mud, and water. The truck can be teleoperated if needed.

Since its founding in 2018, Kodiak has primarily focused on developing autonomous trucks. But the road to scaling autonomous vehicles has turned out to be longer than many expected.

Working with the military could be a quicker path to revenue for the company, which won a two-year, $50 million contract with the Army in December 2022.

Kodiak Robotics said it took less than six months to build the autonomous Ford F-150. If all goes well, the company could become one of the Army’s future technology partners.

The self-driving pickup truck introduces new possibilities for enhancing military logistics and operations. Unmanned transportation of supplies and personnel offers the military greater flexibility, efficiency, and safety in fulfilling its mission-critical objectives, according to Kodiak.

This work also highlights the importance of a modular, vehicle-agnostic autonomous driving system. The F-150 runs the same software as Kodiak’s autonomous long-haul trucks. The test vehicle features Kodiak DefensePods, an adapted version of Kodiak’s swappable SensorPods.

Mountain View, Calif.-based Kodiak Robotics said finding multiple use cases for its autonomous driving system is key to its future.

“Finding applications of technology that can apply to military use simultaneously with civilian and commercial use cases is the future,” the company said. “That’s where the efficiency is. That’s where the iteration is.”

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Explore the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024.

RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024

The post RBR50 Spotlight: Autonomous pickup truck could enhance U.S. military operations appeared first on The Robot Report.