Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (South Korea). Source: Minseong Kim via Wikimedia Commons

The South Korean government funded Samsung $14.8M to develop and manufacture industrial robots; the US FDA just gave approval to Corindus Vascular Robotics for a new medical device; and the US FAA set up a task force and put them on a tight deadline to figure out how to register drone owners.

SAMSUNG

The South Korean government’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said they would invest $14.8 million for Samsung to develop product specs for factory robots that can carry out complex tasks normally reserved for “nimble human fingers.” The government wants Samsung to help develop an in-country high-precision robot industry instead of the current situation of importing them from Japan and Europe and farming out manufacturing to off-shore cheap labor countries. Additionally the government wants Samsung to build precision components: speed reducers, servos, controllers and sensor encoders. The new robots will be put to work making consumer electronics products, and the components (in addition to being incorporated into the robots) will be available for sale to other South Korean robot manufacturers to help minimize the importation of foreign-made robots.

“Once affordable robots reach the market and are more widely used, it can lead to the creation of ‘smart factories’ and bring about far-reaching innovations to the manufacturing sector,” the ministry said in a statement.

 

CORINDUS VASCULAR ROBOTICS

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given Corindus Vascular Robotics clearance for their robotic-assisted CorPath angioplasty system. The CorPath device and system has a control console from which the cardiologist controls the movements of guidewires, stent catheters and balloons used in the procedure — a procedure (PCI) that begins in an artery in the wrist but has been guided by a doctor heavily clad in radiation protection gear as he or she guides a catheter into the patient’s heart using a fluoroscopy device that gives off radiographic exposure. The new FDA-approved CorPath method enables the cardiologist, sitting at a console removed from the radiation, to drive the catheter to the correct location using joysticks and touchscreen controls.

“The CorPath System’s ability to protect cath lab personnel during these cases is more important than ever with the increasing prevalence of radial and complex PCI in today’s cath lab,” said David Handler, President and CEO, Corindus.

 

FAA TASK FORCE TO DEVELOP REGISTRATION RECOMMENDATIONS BY NOVEMBER 20

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) set up a task force to develop recommendations for a registration process for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) of all types. The task force must deliver their recommendations by November 20, 2015.

“Registering unmanned aircraft will help build a culture of accountability and responsibility, especially with new users who have no experience operating in the U.S. aviation system,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said.  “It will help protect public safety in the air and on the ground.”

“Because safe operations are essential for all users of the national airspace, AUVSI is also looking forward to continuing its work with the FAA and other supporters of the ‘Know Before You Fly’ campaign to educate newcomers to UAS technology about where they should and shouldn’t fly.”

See also: What we know about the FAA’s new drone registration requirement, and what we don’t

I have a bone to pick with you! Robotic vacuum cleaners didn’t just become mainstream as you said in your article. We have sold 12 million by now and are the biggest seller in Samsung’s home (Korea).

He went on to say that Dyson is a small player in the global vacuum marketplace and that Samsung has gone through many iterations of improvement yet iRobot’s Roomba’s still outsell them in their core market.

Robo Vacuums: Samsung (left) and Dyson (right)

Brooks was referring to my two articles in The Robot Report where I commented about Samsung’s and Dyson’s new robotic vacuums. He wasn’t really angry; just having fun. But I began to think about what he was referring to, considering whether I had said something incorrect or possibly hurtful. The second of my two articles had the headline: Latest robotic vacuum product launches change industry from niche to mainstream.

In those articles I said:

Should iRobot be worried? Definitely! Dyson has considerable experience in the higher-end vacuuming market – selling more than 10 million devices a year! Dyson generated nearly $10 billion in revenue in 2013 of which at least 40% is vacuum-related versus iRobot’s $487 million. Consequently, if the new Dyson 360 Eye robotic vacuum is as good as other Dyson vacuum cleaners, there is much reason for iRobot to worry.

iRobot, over the past 10 years, has sold 10 million Roombas, mostly through online distribution methods. With the global consumer distribution channels that both Dyson and Samsung bring, it’s conceivable that either (or both) could sell 10 million of their products in a single year!

In the two articles, I was attempting to describe the transition that often happens with unique consumer products as they switch from niche markets of early adopters to the massively larger mainstream household products market. And even though iRobot has sold 10 million Roombas over a 10-year period, that’s just a fraction of the 50+ million global vacuums sold annually for $11 billion (source: TechNavio).

Both Dyson and Samsung have upgraded the vacuuming function of their robotic cleaners to be equivalent to non-robotic cleaners. Consequently, they have endorsed what iRobot invented many years ago: a convenient robotic method of cleaning carpets and floors. But their endorsement comes at the expense of competition that is sure to happen in the years to come.

Recent robotic vacuum cleaner product launches by Dyson and Samsung have transformed what once was a niche market of early adopters and robot enthusiasts into a marketplace of serious consumer products for home cleaning.

Both Dyson and Samsung have upgraded the vacuuming function of their robotic cleaners to be equivalent to non-robotic cleaners. Consequently, they have endorsed what iRobot invented many years ago: a convenient robotic method of cleaning carpets and floors.

But until these two new products, particularly the Dyson one, the marketplace has been small and limited. One could characterize the buyers as early adopters of new technology, particularly those fascinated with robotics. They were fun to have and own… but they weren’t really good cleaning devices. Dyson has changed that with the introduction of their 360 Eye product and Samsung has followed suit with their new Powerbot VR9000. Both were displayed last week at the IFA Consumer Electronics Show in Berlin. Dyson had quite large crowds surrounding their new robotic vacuum cleaner.

iRobot, over the past 10 years, has sold 10 million Roombas, mostly through online distribution methods. With the global distribution channels that both Dyson and Samsung bring, it’s conceivable that either (or both) could sell 10 million of their products next year thereby doubling 10 years of worldwide sales in a single year!

The future is ripe for automated devices in the home and over the next few years we are likely to see many of these capture the home market for floor cleaning, sanitizing of kitchen and bathroom floors, carpet cleaning, etc. iRobot pioneered the concept with their Roombas and Scoobas but now the big players (Dyson, Samsung and LG) are stepping in, bringing up the quality of the product and performance to the level needed to satisfy the general consumer market and then to manufacture, distribute, market and service the product in massive quantities, which they are very good at doing.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Why is Japan the first to get Dyson’s new 360 Eye?
• Housework 2.0: The battle of the robot vacuum cleaners begins!
• Has Dyson’s robotic dream become a reality?
• Dyson invests £5m in robot lab

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

The public may be expecting to see robot cyborgs battle it out in distant galaxies, but back here on earth the battle of the robots is taking on a distinctively quotidian reality. The double announcements today of Dyson’s 360 Eye and Samsung’s Powerbot VR9000 come as a challenge to robot vacuum market leader iRobot’s Roomba, and hails the arrival of a new competitive era of the robot-as-appliance .

http://youtu.be/OadhuICDAjk

While Dyson is a relative giant on the appliance scene, and Samsung is an electronic powerhouse in its own right, Roomba currently boasts dominance in the more niche robot vacuum market. In a recent report, iRobot claims to have sold over 10 million robot vacuum cleaners since 2002, and counts more than 50 countries in its distribution network.

With those figures in mind, it’s no wonder that iRobot responded to today’s announcement of the 360 Eye in lock step with a video riposte that subtly pokes at Dyson for its appliance-based roots:

http://youtu.be/SYm4oLyHpCA

While the video suggests that iRobot’s advantage is that it has always been a robot company (their YouTube description says: “We’ve always believed certain tasks are better left to a robot”), it’s ironic that iRobot only started to make money once it realized that people didn’t want to buy robots as much as they wanted to buy appliances. As iRobot CEO Colin Angle has been quoted as saying:

It took me becoming a vacuum cleaner salesman to actually have some success for my company, my investors and myself.

Andra Keay from Silicon Valley Robotic comments on how tough it can be for a high-tech startup to break into the more traditional appliance market: “iRobot didn’t really start making money until they embraced online sales; the established appliance market was too tough to make a big dent in. Yet they’ve now become the most widely distributed robot in the world.”

Is there room for two more robot vacuums in what many have previously thought of as a novelty market?  Or is the “novelty” market now becoming mainstream?

Clearly Dyson and Samsung have done their homework, or they wouldn’t have launched competing products. And with Dyson investing £5m in a lab at Imperial College London, they obviously have their longterm sights set on the robotics community.

iRobot has been doing its own market research, too. In the above-mentioned report, iRobot claims that the robot vacuum business is at an explosion point, with a “huge addressable market” and a “$7 billion annual market opportunity”. With those kinds of numbers, it’s no wonder that other players are jumping into the game.

Which company is likely to emerge victorious in this battle for the consumers pocketbook? It may be too early to tell. Keay says that “Dyson is definitely upping the ante though with a smart phone connected vacuum cleaner. And with Dyson’s distribution networks and reputation, it will be interesting to see how the public adopts Housework 2.0.”

One thing is for certain, though: competition is a sure sign of growth in this space.

With contributions by Yannis Erripis, Andra Keay, John Payne, and Frank Tobe.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Why is Japan the first to get Dyson’s new 360 Eye?
• Recent robotic vacuum launches change industry from niche to mainstream
• Has Dyson’s robotic dream become reality?
• Dyson launches new robotic vacuum cleaner
• Dyson invests £5m in robot lab

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems – Predator A /B

These are probably the most widely recognizable military robots; their characteristic design frequently appears in pop culture, art and even in protests. Originated by the work of Abe Karem that later developed into DARPA’s project Amber, under the ownership of the Aeronautical division of General Atomics it evolved into a family of UAS. Based on the GNAT drone, the first RQ-1A Predators were initially used for reconnaissance in the Balkan wars during the 90s. The later MQ-1 armed version in 2002 flying over Afghanistan and operated by CIA was the first drone to shoot a missile at a car convoy. MQ-1 is similar in size to a light passenger plane (it has a 6cyl. reciprocating engine) and is still in use today by many countries while its later -C variant (with a diesel engine) recently entered service with US Army.

The similar in concept but much bigger MQ-9 (Predator B according to GAASI or Reaper as called by USAF) is the main large drone currently used by the US in almost every place there is military action. It has a turboprop engine and can carry a bigger payload. A completely new model, the turbofan stealthy Predator C is currently under development. In a similar fashion to its predecessors it is funded internally — an unusual model for the defense sector but financially very successful for the company.

https://www.ga-asi.com/products/aircraft/

Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk

Another DARPA project, the RQ-4 was designed by Ryan Aeronautical (later absorbed by Northrop Grumman). It is one of the larger UAVs and it operates in high altitude / long endurance flight profiles. Although it is probably the most capable system of its kind, it is also one of the most expensive to the point that USAF is on the verge of dropping it in favor of the manned U-2 aircraft that it was supposed to replace. However newer versions with more capabilities are still being developed (and even delivered) while an armed version (MQ-4C Triton) is being developed for the US Navy.

http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/GlobalHawk/Pages/default.aspx

Samsung-Techwin SGR-A1

Military robots are still in their early days and this is a very characteristic example of a system that was developed for very specific needs. The SGR-A1 is an automated gun turret that is designed to replace an armed guard. It has an electro-optical detection system and a machine gun. It can detect a human, shout warning messages and even exchange passwords orally or understand gestures (like raising hands for surrender). Of course it can also shoot bullets, but usually (though not necessarily) a human is in the loop for that decision. It will be fielded along the borders between North and South Korea. The de-militarized zone here isn’t the biggest in the world lengthwise, but due to local tension it is guarded for its entire length.

http://www.samsungtechwin.com/product/product_01_01.asp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMkV8E2re9U
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/sgr-a1.htm

Northrop Grumman MQ-8 Fire Scout

Fire Scout is one of the first VTOL UAVs. The MQ-8B is an improved and armed version of the initial RQ-8A and both are based on the manned commercial Schweizer helicopters (330 and 333 respectively). MQ-8 is already in use by the US Navy and it had been deployed to Afghanistan and Libya. The next more capable version, the MQ-8C will be based on the Bell 407, a completely different aircraft, providing a good example of the hierarchy inside an unmanned system where the aerial platform isn’t always (or usually) the primary component.

http://www.northropgrumman.com/Capabilities/FireScout/Pages/default.aspx

Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel

This is probably the first UAV designed to operate in a hostile environment where air-superiority isn’t a given. The RQ-170 was revealed from ‘paparazzi’ photos shot in the Kandahar airfield in 2009 that gave it the “beast of Kandahar” nickname. It was officially declared RQ-170 (an out of line number and a non-too accurate RQ- designation, in similar fashion to the F-117 stealth bomber) but most details were revealed when Iran captured one in late 2011. From the images and video released from Iran media, the RQ-170 appeared to be much smaller than initially estimated and not as high-tech. It has a low rcs design but it appears to be simple in construction, for example it has a mesh in the engine inlet (like the first generation stealth aircraft) instead of a serpentine duct. Even so it is probably the only large UAV that can operate undetected and it is rumored that it was used in the operation that lead to the kill of Osama bin Laden.

http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=16001

iRobot Packbot

Packbot is a very successful robot made by iRobot. It uses a patented variable geometry track system that enables it to overcome obstacles like climbing stairs while being very stable. There are many versions and it can be equipped with various accessories like manipulators and cameras. More than 2000 packbots are already in use in several roles such as disposing IEDs, reconnaissance and more.

http://www.irobot.com/us/learn/defense/packbot.aspx

Insitu Scan Eagle

ScanEagle is a military derivative of SeaScan, a small UAV designed by Insitu for the fishing industry. A patented system that uses a catapult with a slingshot for launch, and a wire-hook pole called Skyhook, enable its deployment and recovery from a small ship. This concept is the core of Insitu products and it is very useful for military use as a portable system. Insitu is now owned by Boeing, and although SeaScan wasn’t successful commercially, the Scan Eagle is widely used and it has developed into a family of UAVs that includes the larger ‘integrator’ and others.

http://www.insitu.com/systems/scaneagle

Qinetiq-NA Talon

Talon is a small tracked robot initially developed by Foster-Miller (now part of Qinetiq North America). It is a versatile platform that can carry many sensors and actuators, and it can move through difficult terrain like a small tank. An armed version called SWORDS is equipped with a machine gun, a first for a robot like this, although it is not yet in use.

https://www.qinetiq-na.com/products/unmanned-systems/talon/

Aerovironment RQ-11 Raven

The smallest system in this post, the RQ-11 looks like a small R/C plane. It is hand launched by throwing and it ‘crash’ lands with the wing detaching from the fuselage. It has many capabilities for its size, and can be easily transported. Almost 20 000 have been produced and are in use by many militaries around the world.

http://www.avinc.com/uas/small_uas/raven/

Samsung Electronics president, Young Sohn, explained that these diverse strategies represented Samsung’s commitment to looking further ahead than 3-5 years, to commercializing innovative research and connecting with entrepreneurs at every level. Samsung is also proud of their proven ability to invest in hardware and components, in part because they control their own supply chain.

Through their Innovation Fellows and partnerships with research groups, Samsung hope to focus on disruptive platforms; the Internet of Everything; Mobile Health; Computer Human Interface; Cloud and Data Center Architecture; and Mobile Privacy. They’d also like to hear from you if you are building something that will play nicely with their new ultra thin flexible display.

Because Samsung is focussing on disruptive technology, its new Innovation Center will be headquartered at Sand Hill Road in Silicon Valley, and will be led by Samsung Electronics president and chief strategy officer Young Sohn. “Being in Silicon Valley is critical because this is the epicenter of disruptive innovation,” Sohn said.

“By 2020, Sohn said, Samsung expects there to be 120 billion connected devices around the world. And the company wants to connect all of those devices, hopefully capturing an ever-larger portion of the electronics market in the process. Samsung hopes to double its revenue between now and 2020 and grow to a $400 billion company by that time. With the growing number of devices, Samsung sees the need for new technologies around cloud infrastructure, mobile privacy, Internet of Things, and other related topics.” [http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/04/samsung-strategy-and-innovation-center/]

Samsung’s Venture Americas Fund has already invested $160 million in 2012 in 20 deals, and over the years has seen more than 60 exits, with 47 IPOs and 16 acquisitions. The fund increase to $1 billion shows a strong commitment to hardware and component companies. Alongside the Ventures Fund, the Innovation Fellows and the Catalyst Seed Fund, Samsung are launching an entrepreneur challenge later this year. Aimed at identifying and nurturing artists and engineers, with $10 million in seed funding and access to Samsung’s R&D, Innovation Fellows and SSIC, the SamsungCreate Challenge is a must.

This post was originally published at Robot Launchpad