In Episode 177 of The Robot Report Podcast, we feature an interview with Ben Wolff, co-founder and CEO of Palladyne AI.
What is Palladyne AI?
This week, editors Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre chat with Palladyne AI’s Wolff. He discusses the company‘s evolution from focusing on robotics hardware to a more software-centric approach.
Wolff shares insights on the challenges faced during this transition, the impact of special-purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), and how Palladyne AI differentiates itself in the competitive landscape of artificial intelligence for robotics. Its software can teach robots complex tasks in less than 20 minutes, according to Wolff.
He also highlights the importance of government contracts and the company‘s hardware-agnostic strategy. In addition, Wolff looks ahead to market opportunities for automation and AI.
Show timeline
- 6:00 – News of the week
- 27:00 – Interview with Ben Wolff
Now accepting session submissions!
News of the week
GM will no longer fund Cruise’s robotaxi development
General Motors Co. has announced that it will no longer fund Cruise LLC’s robotaxi deployment work. It cited long development times, high costs, and an increasingly competitive robotaxi market as the reasons behind its decision.
Since acquiring the self-driving startup in 2016, GM has poured more than $10 billion of funding into Cruise. In June, for example, GM invested another $850 million into the self-driving startup, despite it losing $3.48 billion in 2023.
GM currently owns around 90% of Cruise and has agreements with other shareholders that will raise its ownership to 97%. It plans to acquire the remaining shares so it can restructure and refocus Cruise’s operations.
Universal Robots picks China for first overseas production facility
Universal Robots A/S is looking to significantly expand its presence in China, the world’s largest market for industrial robots. The world’s leading developer of collaborative robot arms is also introducing two robots that will be available exclusively to the Chinese market.
UR told The Robot Report that the UR7e has a 7.5 kg (16.5 lb.) payload and a reach of 850 mm (33.4 in.), while the UR12e has a 12.5kg (27.5 lb.) payload and a 1,300 mm (51.1 in.) reach.
UR said the specification of these models has been “specifically chosen to meet the needs of China’s automotive, electronic, and metals and machinery industries, alongside others.”
Embodied in financial trouble
Reportedly, critical financing didn’t come through for Embodied, the creator of the Moxie social robot, putting the company is a dire financial situation. The company has posted a FAQ document on its website.
2025 RBR50 awards open for nominations
You can now submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards. They will recognize technology and business innovations in the calendar year 2024, and the awards are open to any company worldwide that produces robotics or automation.
The categories include:
- Technologies, products, and services: This category includes primary or applied research focusing on robotics and supporting technologies such as motion control, vision, or machine learning. It also includes new products and business, engineering, or technology services.
- Business and management: This category covers initiatives positioning a company as a market leader or an organization as an important thought leader in the robotics ecosystem. Significant mergers and acquisitions are relevant, as are supplier, partner, and integrator relationships.
- Applications and markets: The RBR50 will also recognize innovations that improve productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, as well as those that automate new tasks.
In addition, the RBR50 awards will celebrate the following at the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo:
- Startup of the Year
- Application of the Year
- Robot of the Year
- Robots for Good Award
The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.
Podcast sponsored by FlexQube
This week’s show is sponsored by FlexQube. Move material with any size, shape, and weight with the FlexQube Navigator AMR (autonomous mobile robot), the world’s first multi-purpose and non-load-carrying robot.
The FlexQube Navigator AMR features a standardized coupling interface to connect with an ecosystem of different load carriers, depending on the customer’s needs.
The system also features a safety-rated identification of load carrier footprint to secure a safe and efficient scale-up of different use cases in a factory or warehouse.
FlexQube Navigator – robotics that delivers!
To learn more about FlexQube’s solutions, go to: https://www.flexqube.com
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Embodied shut down. An investment round fell through at the last minute, but the company is still operating for the time being.
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