WiBotic, a leader in wireless charging for mobile robots, said it plans to use its investment to expand its product offerings and enhance customer support.
Olis Robotics, Aleron Subsea partner to upgrade ROV controllers
Olis Robotics, whose Olis Master Controller uses machine learning for more precise controls, is working with remotely operated vehicle maker Aleron Subsea to offer easy ROV upgrades.
New sensors for underwater robots could benefit science, industry, say researchers
Remotely operated vehicles used by the oil and gas sector can be enhanced to gather more scientific data, according to Australian researchers.
March 2020 Robotics Transactions Slow, But Continue During COVID-19 Crisis
As the COVID-19 pandemic slowed global manufacturing and trade, investments in robots, drones, and self-driving cars continued in March 2020, with both more shutdowns and an eventual recovery to come.
Marine robotics maker Hydroid acquired for $350M
Hydroid, a developer of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) for the defense and maritime markets, is being acquired by shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) for $350 million. The acquisition is subject to regulatory review and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2020. Pocasset, Mass.-based Hydroid will become part of HII’s Technical Solutions division.…
January 2020 Robotics Transactions Start Off Strong
In January 2020, robotics investments and mergers and acquisitions showed continued strength across applications, even as economic challenges affected manufacturing and food service robots.
Silicon Sensing inertial measurement technology to guide autonomous Mayflower voyage
The Mayflower Autonomous Ship will repeat the trans-Atlantic voyage of the Pilgrim ship Mayflower 400 years ago.
AutoNaut, Seaglider combination to safely survey oceans
Researchers at the University of East Anglia is working with AutoNaut Ltd. on a combination of a unmanned surface vessel and an autonomous underwater vehicle to explore difficult-to-reach portions of the ocean.
Robotics investments recap: November 2019
Autonomous vehicles, sensors, food preparation, and surgical robots received funding in November 2019.
Advanced Navigation raises $13M for AI guidance for robots, self-driving cars
Advanced Navigation has raised Series A funding to expand its business and accelerate research and development of precise navigation technologies based on machine learning.
ROV controls go digital in Olis Robotics, Forum Energy Technologies partnership
Olis Robtics and Forum Energy Technologies have successfully demonstrated a digital controller for undersea remotely operated vehicles that replaces prior analog models.
SPRINT Robotics Awards recognize innovative inspection and maintenance robots
The Sprint Robotics Awards, presented at a conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, recognized three leaders in developing inspection and maintenance robotics systems.
‘Roboats’ from MIT can now autonomously change configurations
MIT researchers have added capabilities to ‘roboats,’ allowing them to form pop-up bridges, stages, and other structures.
Jellyfish unharmed by new soft robotic underwater gripper
A new ultra-soft underwater gripper developed at Harvard’s Wyss Institute safely catches and releases jellyfish without damage.
Sea Machines Robotics to demonstrate autonomous spill response
Sea Machines and MARAD have agreed to demonstrate the capabilities of autonomous systems installed aboard an MSRC oil spill response vessel.
‘Boaty McBoatface’ shows promising future of AUVs
The biggest mystery in the universe could possibly be right here on Earth. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as much as 95% of the oceans and 99% of the ocean floor has yet to be explored. Given more than 70% of the planet is covered by water, the promise for unmanned…
Toyota AI Ventures looks for Fund 2 partners to find where robotics is heading
Toyota AI Ventures is looking for innovative startups for its second $100 million fund. Learn about its criteria, the types of companies receiving investment, and Toyota’s outlook for the short and long term.
Roboats, autonomous boats from MIT and AMS Institute, can connect for different applications
MIT and the Advanced Metropolitan Solutions Institute in Amsterdam have developed “roboats,” autonomous boats that can connect for a variety of uses. Researchers are scaling up their designs to be more stable.
XPRIZE releases fiction anthology to inspire engineers for World Oceans Day
Robotics developers and the general public can find inspiration for exploring the oceans in a new fiction anthology from XPRIZE entitled Current Futures: A Sci-Fi Ocean Anthology.
Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE announces winners advancing robotic undersea exploration
The Shell Ocean Discovery XPRIZE winner was the GEBCO-NF Alumni team, which consisted of people from 14 countries. The executive director of the competition describes the teams and goal of advancing undersea mapping technology.
MIT engineers program marine robots to take calculated risks
We know far less about the Earth’s oceans than we do about the surface of the moon or Mars. The sea floor is carved with expansive canyons, towering seamounts, deep trenches, and sheer cliffs, most of which are considered too dangerous or inaccessible for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to navigate. But what if the reward…
Underwater robot autonomously hunts invasive lionfish
If asked to name an oceanic apex predator, sharks are usually the first to come to people’s minds. But ask a fisherman or conservationist in the Carribean or coastal U.S. and you might get a different answer. There, a much smaller creature is terrorizing the underwater ecosystem. Lionfish, a colorful aquarium fish native to the…