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Drone registration coming to the UK
The UK government has announced a plan to require drone owners to register their devices. It says the incoming rules are aimed at ensuring safer use of the technology. Read More
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Helping students transition from the laboratory to robotics startup
A student at Monday’s TC Sessions: Robotics event in Cambridge asked me “How do I launch a successful startup?” I explained that I might not be the person at the show best equipped to answer, but I offered some simple advice nonetheless: find a problem that needs solving, address a need that already exists and don’t go offering solutions in search of problems. Oh, and get… Read More
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Sami Atiya from ABB says industrial robots will add jobs, not take them away
In and interview earlier this week at the TechCrunch Robotics Session held on the MIT campus in Cambridge, MA, Sami Atiya, president of ABB’s Robotics and Motion division, said he believes bringing robots into the manufacturing process actually adds jobs instead of killing them. Read More
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Watch all of the panels from TC Sessions: Robotics right here
The robotics industry is at an important crossroads. We were honored to host many of the greatest minds in the field as industry and university leaders joined us at TC Sessions: Robotics, including Amazon Robotics’ Tye Brady, Disney Robotics’ Martin Buehler, MIT CSAIL director Daniela Rus, ABB’s Sami Atiya and all three iRobot co-founders, Colin Angle, Helen Grenier and… Read More
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Anti-drone radio wave startup SkySafe secures $11.5M from Andreessen
Drones are a threat to both military and public safety, whether flown by a terrorist or just a reckless pilot. SkySafe’s radio wave technology can detect and stop rogue drones from entering unauthorized areas like military bases, stadiums, prisons and airports. Read More
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Here’s what robotics investors say they’re looking for in startup pitches
Robotics investing has taken off in recent years. We sat down with top robotics investors Josh Wolfe of Lux Capital, Helen Zelman Boniske of Lemnos and Manish Kothari of SRI Ventures to ask what they’re shopping for right now and what they hope to hear in startup pitches. Read More
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This famous roboticist doesn’t think Elon Musk understands AI
Earlier this week, at the campus of MIT, TechCrunch had the chance to sit down with famed roboticist Rodney Brooks, the founding director of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, and the cofounder of both iRobot and Rethink Robotics. Brooks had a lot to say about AI, including his overarching concern that many people — including renowned AI alarmist Elon Musk… Read More
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Four robot demos you missed at TC Sessions: Robotics
TC Sessions: Robotics featured robots for as far as the eye could see, and several took the stage for special demonstrations. We were honored to play host as these innovative companies and teams showed off their latest creations. The videos are below are well worth your time. The latest version of MIT’s Cheetah robot made its stage debut at TC Sessions: Robotics. It’s a… Read More
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Self-driving robot AI company Brain Corp raises $114M
A San Diego-based company that believes “tomorrow’s robots will be intelligent autonomous machines that can take care of us,” which will be “as commonplace as computers and mobile phones are today” has raised $114 million in Series C funding led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund, with participation from Qualcomm Ventures. Read More
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ReWalk Robotics shows off a soft exosuit designed to bring mobility to stroke patients
ReWalk has been talking up its upcoming “soft exoskeleton” since January. The company finally took the system out for a spin in the daylight, showing what it’s capable of at a robotics event held on the MIT campus this weekend. The version on display is a prototype, but all the functionality is in place, using a motorized pulley system to bring mobility to legs. Read More
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Disney showed us the inner workings of its Avatar robot and it’s just incredible
Back at the end of May, Disney opened an Avatar-themed area within its Animal Kingdom park. Given that it’s only been open for a few weeks, most folks still haven’t been inside — but if you do go, do yourself a favor and take the time to check out the Na’vi River Journey ride. At our TechCrunch Sessions: Robotics event in Boston this afternoon, we got a look at… Read More
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The solar-powered Tertill robot keeps weeds in check
This September marks the 15th anniversary of the first Roomba — but in spite of the device’s massive popularity, no companies have managed to successfully follow in its footsteps with another mainstream home robot. The Tertill, however, could be the product to change that, drawing on a number of the Roomba’s lessons and applying to to an outdoor setting for regular garden… Read More
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Reach Robotics closes $7.5M Series A for its augmented reality bots
After years of research and development, Reach Robotics has closed a $7.5 million Series A, co-led by Korea Investment Partners (KiP) and IGlobe, to bring its augmented reality bots to market in a big way. The Bristol-based startup is looking to expand into the U.S., and the team is exploring opportunities for growth into other European and Asian markets. Read More
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Meet the adorable robot camera Japan’s space agency sent to the ISS
Science can be cute as hell when it wants to be – take the JEM Internal Ball Camera (“Int-Ball” for short). The device, created by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), was delivered to the International Space Station on June 4, 2017, and now JAXA is releasing its first video and images. The purpose of Int-Ball is to give scientists on the ground the ability to… Read More
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MIT’s Cheetah 3 robot is built to save lives
The latest version of MIT’s Cheetah robot made its stage debut today at TC Sessions: Robotics in Cambridge, Mass. It’s a familiar project to anyone who follows the industry with any sort of regularity, as one of the most impressive demos to come out of one of the world’s foremost robotics schools in recent years. Earlier versions of the four-legged robot have been able to run… Read More
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The Canvas autonomous cart can ferry goods around chaotic factory floors
Most Econ 101 classes start with an explanation of fixed and marginal cost in the context of factories. The factory is the principal fixed cost — expensive and permanent. Canvas wants to smash this assumption of expensive, inflexible, factories by replacing infrastructure with autonomous vehicles designed to shuffle goods around factory floors. Read More
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Here are some of the groundbreaking robots you’ll see at TC Sessions: Robotics next week
TC Sessions: Robotics takes place on Monday, July 17 at MIT, and the agenda is stacked with the best minds, engineers and founders in the robotic industry. And many are bringing some mechanical friends. Throughout the event, a bunch of robotic demos will take place. Some will happen during fireside chats, others in workshops, and there’s even a pitch-off event where three robotic… Read More
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Researchers 3D print a soft artificial heart that works a lot like a real one
The science of prosthetics has been advancing by leaps and bounds over the last few years, and research into soft robotics has been especially complementary. The same techniques that go into making a robot arm that flexes and turns like a real one can go into making more complex, subtle organs — like the heart, as Swiss researchers have demonstrated. Read More
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Hungry? There’s a robot for that at TC Disrupt SF
Robotics has the potential to change the world. From jobs that are difficult or dangerous to jobs that people simply don’t want to do, robotics will undoubtedly step in. Two such jobs are cooking and delivering some of our favorite comfort foods, burgers and pizzas. We’re thrilled to announce that Miso Robotics and Zume will be joining us at Disrupt SF to chat about food tech. Read More
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I watched two robots chat together on stage at a tech event
I got a glimpse into the future world of our robot overlords today. It was nervy at times. I watched two robots go on stage at a tech event to “debate” the future of humanity with each other. The robots in question are Sophia and Han, and they belong to Hanson Robotics, a Hong Kong-based company that is developing and deploying artificial intelligence in humanoids. The duo took to… Read More
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