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Robotics 2014 in a word: MORE
Frank Tobe
18 Dec 2014
The list of top stories in robotics for 2014 is a story of "MORE": MORE uses of and for robots; MORE serious discussions about robots; MORE robots in unusual places; MORE news in the financial press; ...
Robot Startup Series #7: Interview with Soft Robotics’ Carl Vause
Andra Keay
18 Dec 2014
[tweetquote]Soft robotics is finally leaving the research lab and entering the real world. [/tweetquote] One of the companies leading the way is a Boston-based startup that is commercializing the inn...
South Korean gov’t robotics budget grows 8.3%, to almost $146 million (US) in 2015
Jong-Oh Park
17 Dec 2014
South Korea has finalized its 2015 robotics budget at around $145.8 million (US), an increase of about 8.3 percent from last year. ...
10.1% CAGR projected for material handling robots through 2020
Frank Tobe
15 Dec 2014
UPDATED 12.16.14: Robots for palletizing, logistics, packaging, and speciality materials handling (e.g.: in life science labs and for pharma, food and beverage, semiconductor and electronics) are pro...
Berlin hardware startup Skysense launches drone range
Ben Fisher
15 Dec 2014
Skysense is a Berlin-based start up designing and manufacturing a range of products to enable the remote operation of drones. Their first two products are the Skysense Charging pad and Skysense Hanga...
The Drone Center’s Weekly Roundup: Weekly Roundup 12/8
At the Center for the Study of the Drone
In 2007, Addie Wagenknecht started using drones to make abstract paintings. Her works both challenge and celebrate the aerial robot and its power. In an in-...
25% of KUKA shares trade hands
Frank Tobe
08 Dec 2014
Voith GmbH, among the biggest family-owned businesses in Europe, acquired 25% of robot maker Kuka AG by buying the shares held by Grenzebach GmbH.
The transaction was valued at €555 million ...
GoPro to start making drones
Ben Fisher
04 Dec 2014
[tweetquote]GoPro is to start making its own line of drones and have them ready for release as early as Christmas 2015.[/tweetquote] Early indications of price point range from $500 to $1,000 for the ...
Ozobot, Knightscope, HiBot and Airware all get funding
Frank Tobe
02 Dec 2014
UPDATED 12.03.14 Four interesting funding announcements: Ozobot got $2 million; HiBot got $3.1; Knightscope got $3.7; and Airware got an undisclosed amount but from a substantial partner, GE Venture...
MecklerMedia launches RoboUniverse
Frank Tobe
24 Nov 2014
MecklerMedia, a trade show organizer, is launching a new three-day, two-track workshop, seminar and exhibition on most verticals in robotics (other than heavy industry, military and space) to be held ...
Google commits $1.36 billion for NASA facility, to house their robotics, space and flight technologies
Frank Tobe
12 Nov 2014
Google subsidiary Planetary Ventures has committed to a 60-year $1.16 billion lease of the 1,000 acre Moffett Field Naval Air Station. The agreement includes an additional $200 million to refurbish th...
Are agricultural robots ready? 27 companies profiled
Frank Tobe
12 Nov 2014
Agriculture is one of our most important industries. It provides food, feed and fuel necessary for our survival. With the global population expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, agricultural production...
ABB invests in AI startup Vicarious
Frank Tobe
11 Nov 2014
ABB Technology Ventures, the VC arm of ABB, joins a long list of notables investing in artificial intelligence startup Vicarious Systems that include Peter Thiel, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Mu...
Latest research report shows 10.4% CAGR for robotics to 2025
Frank Tobe
10 Nov 2014
Boston Consulting Group (BSG) recently released a global robotics market study that projects industry growth of 10.4% CAGR (Compounded Annual Growth Rate)....
ROBO-STOX® introduces European Robotics and Automation Index
Frank Tobe
06 Nov 2014
ROBO-STOX® licenses their proprietary index to ETF Securities to provide European investors with highly diversified access to a new age of growth in robotics and automation....
Google news: Rubin leaves; Pichai promoted to #2; and Google invests in Magic Leap
Frank Tobe
31 Oct 2014
Andy Rubin leaves Google; Sundar Pichai promoted to #2 man at Google; and Google invests in $542 million B funding for Magic Leap....
Rethinking iRobot, Samsung and Dyson robotic vacuum cleaners
Frank Tobe
29 Oct 2014
At a break in a conference in San Diego, I was sitting enjoying my tea, when up walked Rodney Brooks (of Rethink Robotics and Baxter fame) and said (with a mischievious smile):
I have a bone to pick ...
How a bunch of startups are trying to make a business case for robotics in India | TechCircle
Hallie Siegel
29 Oct 2014
Robotics startups have been mushrooming over the last two years. Why? One may ask and be tempted to think that certain natural and man-made calamities forced the entrepreneurs behind these startups to...
Just launched: Fellow Robots’s OSHbot
Andra Keay
28 Oct 2014
Fellow Robots, in partnership with Lowes Hardware, today launched the OSHbot as a customer assistant robot at the Orchard Supply Hardware store in San Jose. Although the robot can only give informatio...
Skyward announces first commercial drone network demonstration | SUAS News
Hallie Siegel
28 Oct 2014
http://vimeo.com/109968038
SkyWard, a leading software platform for the aerial robotics ecosystem, today announced the Urban SkyWays Project, the first end-to-end demonstration of a commercial dron...
2013 IFR stats; RIA Q3 results for US set new records
Frank Tobe
27 Oct 2014
The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) recently released their annual statistical recap and four-year forecast for the robotics industry. The IFR produces two research books: one that covers...
IBM reinvents itself by establishing a frontier homestead for cognitive computing | Forbes
Hallie Siegel
27 Oct 2014
At the forefront of IBM’s reinvention journey is a $1 billion investment in Jeopardy-winning Watson, which it hopes will usher in a new era of “cognitive computing.” Earlier this month, Rometty ...
Google adds to DeepMind, acquiring 2 UK startups and partnering with Oxford U
Frank Tobe
27 Oct 2014
In January, 2014, Google acquired London-based DeepMind Technologies for $643 million. Now it is adding to that purchase with two more companies, ten new hires and a substantial contribution to Oxford...
Seegrid files for Chapter 11 protection
Frank Tobe
24 Oct 2014
Seegrid filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier this week. The bankruptcy judge authorized Seegrid to borrow from its lender and biggest shareholder, Giant Eagle, so that it could continu...
Medrobotics, Monsieur and Arago get funding
Frank Tobe
22 Oct 2014
Venture funding is continuing to flow. Three recent recipients: $20 million to Medrobotics, $2 million to Monsieur and $55 million to Arago AG....
Michigan latest state to ban direct Tesla sales | The Verge
Hallie Siegel
22 Oct 2014
Michigan has become the latest state to ban Tesla from selling its cars straight to consumers, with Governor Rick Snyder signing a law yesterday that prohibits direct sales. Michigan joins a growing n...
KUKA acquires Swisslog for $357 million
Frank Tobe
20 Oct 2014
Late last month KUKA made a public offer to Swisslog shareholders to purchase their shares at 8.9% above the market price. Swisslog’s Board of Directors have recommended that the offer be accepted....
Driven by care needs, will it be the booming senior population that spurs wider acceptance of robots?
Abate De Mey
19 Oct 2014
Tony Prescott, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Sheffield Center of Robotics believes that [tweetquote]the medical industry could be at the forefront of changing the public per...
RE.WORK: Meeting the challenges of commercialising robotics
Adriana Hamacher
16 Oct 2014
Robots to install underfloor insulation in draughty homes, bots for edutainment, intelliTables and tiny robust drones flying with real bees wings - tantalising glimpses of a technology on the cusp of ...
RoboBusiness startup Pitchfire winners
Frank Tobe
16 Oct 2014
At RoboBusiness this week in Boston, Pitchfire - a Shark Tank-like pitch and question session - presented 14 start-up companies who pitched their wares to 5 judges. Two honorable mentions a...
4 reports predict steady growth for robotics
Frank Tobe
15 Oct 2014
Four recent research reports covering service robots, vision guided robotics, material handling robots, and robot component speed reducers, all predict steady growth, particularly in China....
RobotShop continues acquisition spree
Frank Tobe
14 Oct 2014
RobotShop, one of Canada's fastest growing small companies, continues to expand and acquire. Its most recent acquisition is FlyingEinstein, a Florida-based manufacturer that designs and...
Breakout Labs looking for robots that can change the world
Andra Keay
09 Oct 2014
I’m at Breakout Labs 3rd ‘unboxing’ today at the Terra Gallery in San Francisco. Founded by the Thiel Foundation in 2011, Breakout Labs provides seed stage funding of up to $350,000 to early st...
Drone startups: Anura pocket drone
Dronologista
09 Oct 2014
Miniature drones are becoming very popular, and one of the first successful miniature drone designs was The Pocket Drone. A remarkable Kickstarter campaign for this project raised almost $1M, while ...
Building a robotics company
Clearpath Robotics
30 Sep 2014
By Ryan Gariepy
As we’ve made more of a name for ourselves within various startup communities, we’re commonly asked how we moved from our beginnings with little resources and no connections to ...
Liquid Robotics continues its growth by partnering with Boeing
Frank Tobe
24 Sep 2014
Sunnyvale-based Liquid Robotics continues their growth-by-partnering formula by striking another collaboration, this time with Boeing....
