The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Exoskeletons
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Markets
    • Agriculture
    • Healthcare
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mining
    • Security
  • Financial
    • Investments
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Earnings
  • Resources
    • Careers
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Issues
    • Publications
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
      • Robotics Business Review
    • RBR50 Winners 2022
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
    • Leave a voicemail

SoftBank Robotics America announces global strategic partnership with Autonomous Solutions, Inc.

By Mike Oitzman | June 7, 2022

Listen to this article
Voiced by Amazon Polly

ASI brings deep experience in outdoor navigation, perception and compute. | Credit: ASI

SoftBank Robotics America (SBRA), the North American arm of Softbank, today announced a strategic development and equity partnership with Autonomous Solutions Inc. (ASI), a developer of industrial ground vehicle automation. The partnership will expedite the development and deployment of a wide range of autonomous commercial service vehicles. As part of the agreement, SBRA has acquired a minority stake in ASI.

Softbank has invested in a variety of indoor autonomous mobile robot solutions over the last decade. This list includes solutions such as Pepper and Whiz. The company stopped production of Pepper in 2020, and then sold off the IP and resources recently to United Robotics Group in April, 2022.

Trust is key to service robot design, says SoftBank Robotics

United Robotics Group acquired Softbank Europe and the IP for Pepper in early 2022. Source: SoftBank

The Whiz + Gambit solution, an autonomous floor cleaning robot, has found success throughout the world, and Softbank continues to market, sell and support this solution worldwide.

details of the whiz gambit

Whiz Gambit is a combination of two separate technologies. | Image credit: Softbank

A focus on the outdoors

With a focus on outdoor automation, this new partnership will accelerate the development of practical landscaping care solutions and logistics solutions (i.e. warehouse terminals and shipping ports). As labor shortages continue in the landscaping and logistics industries in the wake of the pandemic, SBRA’s expansion into the outdoor automation market is an extension of the indoor automated solutions that the company has successfully commercialized across multiple industries. 

Both of these markets have thriving and emerging competition, validating the market opportunity. But it is still early, and there is room for any number of autonomous solutions. The global labor shortage in these market segments support the need for additional automation. This new market direction for Softbank appears to be more strategic.

With over 21 years of data and customer feedback from deployed solutions, ASI has developed a highly scalable hardware and software platform that is helping partners in markets like Mining and Automotive Testing exceed human performance. Automation and optimization of adjacent vehicle applications is fast, thanks to the ability to retrofit new and existing vehicle fleets and the ability to control them from anywhere in the world.

“We are very excited to work with ASI. With decades of cross industry data and customer interaction and feedback, their technology platform Mobius is uniquely positioned for immediate scalable commercialization,” said Brady Watkins, General Manager of SoftBank Robotics America. “This partnership enables SBRA to expand our focus on automation by addressing the same labor concerns for outdoor work that we have answered with our indoor solutions.”

“SoftBank Robotics America is leading the way in the scaling of robot commercialization and we are thrilled with the complementary strengths we are now fusing together to solve the crippling labor and efficiency challenges facing industry,” said Mel Torrie, CEO of Autonomous Solutions Inc. 

About The Author

Mike Oitzman

Mike Oitzman is Editor of WTWH's Robotics Group and founder of the Mobile Robot Guide. Oitzman is a robotics industry veteran with 25-plus years of experience at various high-tech companies in the roles of marketing, sales and product management. He can be reached at [email protected]

Comments

  1. Mel Torrie says

    June 8, 2022 at 7:06 am

    Thanks for carrying our announcement! We sure appreciate it!

    Reply

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Related Articles Read More >

impossible mining auv
Impossible Mining raises $10.1M for underwater mining robot
UR20 cobot Universal Robots
Anders Beck introduces the UR20; California bans autonomous tractors
John Deere autonomous tractor
Calif.’s ongoing ban of autonomous tractors a major setback
cruise robotaxis in San Francisco
Cruise hits milestone by charging for robotaxis rides in SF

2021 Robotics Handbook

The Robot Report Listing Database

Latest Robotics News

Robot Report Podcast

Anders Beck introduces the UR20; California bans autonomous tractors
See More >

Sponsored Content

  • Magnetic encoders support the stabilization control of a self-balancing two-wheeled robotic vehicle
  • How to best choose your AGV’s Wheel Drive provider
  • Meet Trey, the autonomous trailer (un)loading forklift
  • Kinova Robotics launches Link 6, the first Canadian industrial collaborative robot
  • Torque sensors help make human/robot collaborations safer for workers

RBR50 Innovation Awards

Leave us a voicemail

The Robot Report
  • Mobile Robot Guide
  • Collaborative Robotics Trends
  • Field Robotics Forum
  • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
  • RoboBusiness Event
  • Robotics Business Review
  • Robotics Summit & Expo
  • About The Robot Report
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2022 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search The Robot Report

  • Home
  • News
  • Technologies
    • Batteries / Power Supplies
    • Cameras / Imaging / Vision
    • Controllers
    • End Effectors
    • Microprocessors / SoCs
    • Motion Control
    • Sensors
    • Soft Robotics
    • Software / Simulation
  • Development
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Human Robot Interaction / Haptics
    • Mobility / Navigation
    • Research
  • Robots
    • AGVs
    • AMRs
    • Consumer
    • Collaborative Robots
    • Drones
    • Exoskeletons
    • Industrial
    • Self-Driving Vehicles
    • Unmanned Maritime Systems
  • Markets
    • Agriculture
    • Healthcare
    • Logistics
    • Manufacturing
    • Mining
    • Security
  • Financial
    • Investments
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Earnings
  • Resources
    • Careers
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Issues
    • Publications
      • Collaborative Robotics Trends
      • Robotics Business Review
    • RBR50 Winners 2022
    • Search Robotics Database
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
  • Events
    • RoboBusiness
    • Robotics Summit & Expo
    • Healthcare Robotics Engineering Forum
    • DeviceTalks
    • R&D 100
    • Robotics Weeks
  • Podcast
    • Episodes
    • Leave a voicemail