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Realtime Robotics’ RapidPlan software automates the programming, deployment and control of industrial robots. | Source: Realtime Robotics

Realtime Robotics and Siemens have partnered to integrate Realtime’s RapidPlan software with Siemens Process Simulate. RapidPlan will be offered as part of Siemens’ Tecnomatix portfolio. 

The partnership will allow Siemens customers to use Realtime’s robot motion planning and control software, RapidPlan, without leaving Siemens Process Simulate. The integration enables users to visualize, prioritize and simulate robot task plans. Users can then validate those task plans through virtual commissioning. 

Realtime’s RapidPlan software, which was released in June 2022, automates the programming, deployment and control of industrial robots. The software calculates robot paths and avoids collisions during operation. With the software, users create a digital twin of their robotic work cell in simulation and then point and click on robots are target points to create task plans. 

“Robot programming and task planning has been a time-consuming – and frankly, difficult – process for far too long. We founded Realtime Robotics to change that once and for all,” George Konidaris, co-founder and chief roboticist at Realtime Robotics, said. “This integration with Siemens will make it much easier for those using Process Simulate to eliminate collisions and quickly take robot task plans from simulation to reality.”

The integration will help Siemens’ customers streamline cell commissioning, improve decision-making, quickly evaluate and validate options and create automatic via points and interlocks all while working directly in Process Simulate. 

“The combination of Process Simulate with Realtime Robotics’ automated motion planning and interlocking has provided a significant improvement to our efficiency, reducing our off-line programming efforts by more than 80%,” Michael Schaubmayr, the Group Manager of Mechanical Engineering Simulation at VALIANT TMS, said. “This presents to us a tangible and strategic advantage in the industry.”

Realtime recently raised $14.4 million in funding for its motion planning software. Soundproof Ventures led the funding round, which also included participation from Heroic Ventures and SIP Global Partners. The latest round brings the company’s total funding to date to more than $60 million. 

The company is a former resident startup of MassRobotics. It moved out in 2019 after it grew to 30-plus employees. You can read more about the founding of Realtime Robotics in this profile written by MIT.