Mining

One of the biggest challenges in robotics is developing autonomous systems that can reliably operate in unmapped environments. This is why, for example, leading self-driving car company Waymo only tests in areas it’s spent countless hours at creating detailed 3D maps. Exyn Technologies, a spin-off of the University of Pennsylvania’s GRASP lab founded by Vijay Kumar, is making tremendous…

Sigdo Koppers Group subsidiary Enaex said this week it launched the Robominer teleoperated robot designed for mine safety and exploration. The Robominer platform, developed in collaboration with SRI International, is designed with an intent to improve miner safety and increase access to minerals which are difficult or expensive to reach with human workers. “SRI is…

Caterpillar Inc. recently revealed the newest capabilities and improvements to its Komatsu 930E autonomous mining truck, developed with Torc Robotics, the latest move in the company’s efforts to develop autonomous mining vehicles. “We want to do all we can to help our customers get the most out of their existing equipment assets,” Caterpillar Mining Technology…

Chilean mining company Enaex Group launched the first versions of its RoboMiner and Mine-iTruck, developed to protect human employees of the mining industry. “These projects were specially created to continue enhancing the mining operation and its resources, but taking care of our greatest value, which are the people,” Enaex CEO Juan Andrés Errázuriz said in…

General Electric subsidiary Avitas Systems is using artificial intelligence technology from AI company Nvidia to automate industrial inspections, reducing costs, turnaround time and risk. Using a team of drones, crawlers or wheeled robots and autonomous underwater vehicles, Avitas performs inspections at sites in the energy, transportation and oil and gas sectors, such as power plants,…

Blue River Technology has been acquired by John Deere* for $305 million. The acquisition of the Silicon Valley artificial intelligence and farm equipment making startup by farming’s largest equipment manufacturer (Deere), is a great success story with a bit of a twist.

Two reputable research resources are reporting that the robotics industry is growing more rapidly than expected. BCG (Boston Consulting Group) is conservatively projecting that the market will reach $87 billion by 2025; Tractica, incorporating the robotic and AI elements of the emerging self-driving industry, is forecasting the market will reach $237 billion by 2022. Both research firms…

Conferences and trade shows, held in interesting locations around the world, can be entertaining, informative and an opportunity to explore new places, meet new people and renew acquaintances. Three recent examples: Xponential, the mostly defense-related unmanned land, sea and air show, held in Dallas; Innorobo, focused on service robotics, in Paris; and ICRA, the IEEE's premier robotics…

Today’s automation connectivity support IIoT and Industry 4.0. setups, but the threat of cyber attacks on robots is very real. In fact, robots are just as exposed to corporate networks and the internet as other setups in industrial plants and applications — leaving them and their environments vulnerable. Now a new report from Trend Micro […]

April 2017 had 17 robotics-related companies get funding totaling over $390 million – a fourth solid month for 2017 – $1.05 billion year-to-date. Acquisitions also continued to be substantial with ABB's $2 billion acquisition of Bernecker & Rainer, plus Baidu, iRobot and Cognex each making strategic acquistions. Fundings Mobvoi, a Chinese voice recognition startup, signed a strategic partnership to…

Although the original articles (2016 was best year ever for funding robotics startup companies) and (Over $19 billion paid to acquire 50 robotic companies) have been updated to reflect the omissions of 2016 fundings and acquisitions, listed below is a recap of those updated transactions: Fundings: $100 million for China-based RooBo – A China-based service robot maker…

2016 was a banner year for acquisitions of companies involved in robotics and automation: 50 sold; 11 for amounts over $500 million; five were over a billion. 30 of the 50 companies disclosed transaction amounts which totaled up to a colossal $18.867 billion! UPDATED 1-31-17: Our December story about the acquisition of Liquid Robotics by Boeing didn’t have any financial details but a flurry…

It was a busy and abundant year for seed, crowd, series A,B,C,D and VC funding of robotics-related startups. 128 companies got funded, some multiple times. $1.95 billion, 50% more than 2015 which was also a phenomenal year with over $1.32 billion  funded. UPDATED 1/30/17: Added $100 million in China-based RooBo, $50 million for Israeli Roboteam, $9.5 million for Matternet, $2…

October fundings for robotics-related startups totaled $291.75 million bringing the year-to-date funding figure very close to $1.5 billion. For acquisitions, three of the six companies acquired reported that $390.5 million traded hands. All in all another strong month for robotics. UPDATED 11/2/2016: Supporting the “another strong month for robotics” statement is an announcement from the RIA…

CB Insights Drone Quarterly Financing Trends to VC-Backed Companies shows a downward trend. The Robot Report's monthly funding reports shows something different: a change in the nature of drone applications getting funded. According to CB Insights, there was $55 million invested in eight VC deals for the drone industry in the third quarter, compared with…

September continued the big-money spree for funding robotic startups. 10 good-sized deals and three little ones. Almost $220 million (bringing the year-to-date total well over $1 billion)! Plus another $2.2 billion paid in September for six acquisitions. Fundings Carbon 3D, a Silicon Valley 3D printer startup, raised $81 million from a group of 6 investors led by BMW Group and Sequoia…

Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI) and Sharp have teamed up to produce the Sharp INTELLOS Automated Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV) for security. This automated security robot brings innovation to the security industry by offering a safer, more efficient deterrent for enhanced security. The INTELLOS A-UGV, launched today at the ASIS International show in Orlando, Florida, is […]

Case IH (Case New Holland International Harvester) displayed their new cab-less tractor at a farming show in Iowa. The presentation was to show off what they hope will be the future: an autonomous tractor without a steering wheel, pedals or a cab for the driver.  Case IH isn't the only tractor maker with a cab-less vehicle. Deere has had…

Despite all the high-profile billion-dollar acquisitions, eg: ARM by SoftBank, KUKA by Midea and Uber China by Didi Chuxing, M&A are down 19% this year according to both Forbes and CB Insights.  Buyers are buying, but they are seeking cash-positive market-realistic targets. Values (both monetary and vanity) are taking a hit. What’s a startup to do? According…

Orlaco is introducing a shock-resistant ethernet camera with a lightning-fast 100 Mb/s connection. The images produced by the EMOS are for all intents and purposes displayed in real time. The camera is also suitable for use in extreme conditions, making it perfect for use on trucks, cranes, heavy construction and mining equipment, semi-automatic or remote […]

Most car companies are remaking themselves into tech startups as they move toward offering fully autonomous self-driving vehicles. Yet thousands of tractors already use self-driving kits as do hundreds of tugs, lifts and trucks. Self-driving aftermarket kits are beginning to be offered in multiple markets. What’s going on? Cruise Automation just got acquired by GM for $1 billion.…