Robotics fundings, mergers, and acquisitions in July 2020 stayed at comparable levels with transactions from a year ago and June.
Robotics investments recap: July 2020
In July 2020, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation, and surgical robots continued to receive funding at steady levels in comparison with the same period last year.
Force/torque sensor developed by ATI, NASA ready for launch of Mars 2020 Rover
ATI developed a space-rated force/torque sensor for the Perseverance Rover, which will explore the Martian surface.
Drone analytics firm Kespry releases Summer 2020 Aerial Intelligence updates
Drone analytics provider Kespry has announced its Summer 2020 Aerial Intelligence feature updates, and its CEO explains how drone inspections are evolving.
Microdrones offers four new 3D, lidar survey drones as a service
Microdrones said its new mapping and survey equipment is available as a service for 3D mapping and modeling applications.
RMUS to distribute Sarcos Robotics’ Guardian S crawler robot in North America
RMUS, or Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems, will distribute, integrate, and service Sarcos Robotics’ Guardian S robotic crawler system. The mobile robot is designed to be a rugged platform for industrial inspection, public safety, and more.
AI pilots developed at Aarhus University to take over quarry measurement
Researchers Aarhus University and the Technical University of Denmark have developed AI pilots to control drones scanning and measuring terrain such as quarries.
Team CoSTAR wins Urban Circuit of DARPA Subterranean Challenge
The second phase of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge concluded late last week with the completion of the Urban Circuit, held at an unfinished nuclear power plant in Elma, Wash. Similar to the challenge’s first phase, the urban circuit challenged teams to use robots and drones to rapidly map, navigate and search underground environments. Team CoSTAR…
AeroVironment Expands from Military to Commercial Drone Applications
AeroVironment, which claims to be the largest supplier of drones to the U.S. military, is also an example of a pure-play robotics company that is profitable.
Energid to provide SDK to help power Motiv’s RoboMantis platform
BEDFORD, Mass. – Energid and Motiv announced today a software development kit that would allow users of Motiv’s RoboMantis modular robotic system to more easily program the robot. The companies said Energid’s Actin SDK is a real-time adaptive robotic control tool kit that can help RoboMantis extend its capabilities within sophisticated applications in…
Exyn drone maps inactive mine on the fly
Ascot Resources geologists knew from surface drilling programs that there was still some gold in a mine that had been inactive since the 1940s. But they needed more information to determine how much resource remained. Surveying a previously active mine typically would be done by a specialist with handheld laser tools, but areas of the…
DroneDeploy raises $35M Series D to expand drone inspection capabilities
DroneDeploy has updated its software offerings, entered into international partnerships, and raised funding for drone inspections.
Volvo Autonomous Solutions unit created to address transport demands
Volvo Autonomous Solutions is a new business unit that will focus on autonomous, connected, and electric vehicles.
DARPA Subterranean Challenge harnesses creativity, seeks integrated solutions
Teams participating in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge must develop systems that can navigate and explore complex environments to “make the inaccessible accessible.”
Team Cerberus readies for Round 2 in DARPA Subterranean Challenge
Nevada’s Team Cerberus advanced in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge, along with 10 other teams from around the world.
CMU, OSU team wins first event in DARPA Subterranean Challenge
A team from CMU and OSU beat 10 competitors in the Tunnel Circuit stage of the DARPA Subterranean Challenge. The robots conducted a mock search-and-rescue scenario.
Wenco, Hitachi Construction Machinery announce open ecosystem for autonomous mining
Hitachi Construction Machinery and Wenco have declared their support for open interoperability standards to grow the ecosystem for autonomous mining.
Persistent Drones From CyPhy Works Provide Awareness for Emergencies, New Markets
Not only can persistent drones such as PARC relay communications during emergencies; they are also serving security and commercial needs now, explains CyPhy Works CEO Lance VandenBrook.
Robotics & geopolitics: World problems, from food to crime, get robot help
AI and robotics are becoming sophisticated enough that they can help solve world problems such as hunger, alternative energy, disease, and crime. But we need to be realistic about the work still needed to develop them.
Infrastructure robots rise to meet urgent needs
The U.S. needs help with inspecting and repairing its aging pipes, power lines, and other utilities. Providers are turning to infrastructure robots and aerial drones.
Exyn Technologies enabling advanced autonomous navigation
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…
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE announces finalist round
The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE has announced the nine finalists in its three-year competition to develop unmanned deep-ocean mapping using a variety of technologies.