Realtime Robotics, a Boston-based developer of responsive motion planning for robotics and autonomous vehicles, today launched its Realtime Controller. It claims the controller simplifies the programming and deployment of robotic workcells.

The Realtime Controller will be available in North America, Europe, Japan and China beginning in May 2020. The Realtime Controller is an industrial hardware computing platform with proprietary hardware and software that supports both offline programming and run-time operation of single and multi-robot work cells.

The software toolkit and API enable integration with PLCs, picking systems, robot controllers, simulation software, and other task planning solutions. Its web-based interface allows companies to configure and monitor robot workcells, including visualizing robot motions and managing fault conditions. Realtime’s motion planning also enables immediate and autonomous fault recovery solutions for multi-robot workcells.

“Our vision is to reduce the friction associated with deploying robots in industrial settings,” said Peter Howard, CEO, Realtime Robotics. “The Realtime Controller is a catalyst for accelerating and simplifying robotic automation across the globe, enabling manufacturers to finally benefit from the power of industrial robots working together.”

Using Realtime’s Controller, manufacturers can now more easily plan, simulate, and validate automation through the entire deployment. The Realtime Controller connects with the customer’s PLC and robot controller so that they can autonomously calculate, communicate, and execute collision-free motions. Both development time and cycle time are reduced with automated interlocks and interference zone-free multi-robot workcells.

“Realtime’s RapidPlan technology and the new Realtime Controller provides the power to transform how we deploy and operate industrial robots,” said Gurpreet Ghataore, Advanced Research Engineer, The Manufacturing Technology Centre. “The solution dramatically reduces time for motion planning and eliminates interlocking, so our engineers can focus their efforts on designing fully capable work-cells and efficient multi-robot deployments.”

Realtime Robotics is the most successful robotics startup to graduate out of MassRobotics, the Boston-based nonprofit group serving as an innovation hub for robotics and smart connected devices. Realtime Robotics moved out of MassRobotics’ space at the end of April 2019. At the time, it had grown to 30 employees, including about a half-dozen from Rethink Robotics. Realtime Robotics spun out of Duke University in 2016.

Realtime Robotics in October 2019 closed a $11.7 million Series A round. The round was led by SPARX Asset Management and included participation from Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, and OMRON Ventures.