Who let the robodogs out? Meet Swiss-Mile’s wheeled quadruped

In Episode 171 of The Robotic Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman study the newest video from XPENG, exhibiting the Iron humanoid robotic working on the ground of the corporate‘s automation manufacturing plant.

Featured interview with Swiss-Mile

Within the featured interview this week, Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre interview Marko Bjelonic, co-founder and CEO of Swiss-Mile, discussing its quadruped robotic that mixes wheels and legs for enhanced mobility. They discover the evolution of the robotic from tutorial analysis to a industrial product, the engineering challenges confronted, and the distinctive functionalities that set it aside.

The dialogue additionally covers potential purposes in safety and logistics, the significance of autonomy in robotics, and the longer term path of Swiss-Mile as a technology-focused firm.

Present timeline

• 1:13 – Boston Dynamics humanoid video dialogue
• 9:27 – Information
• 25:37 – Interview with Marko Bjelonic, co-founder and CEO of Swiss-Mile

Apply to talk.

Information of the week

2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open for nominations

Now you can submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. They may acknowledge know-how and enterprise improvements in calendar 12 months 2024, and the awards are open to any firm worldwide that produces robotics or automation.

The classes embrace:

1. Applied sciences, merchandise, and providers: This class consists of main or utilized analysis specializing in robotics and supporting applied sciences akin to movement management, imaginative and prescient, or machine studying. It additionally consists of new merchandise and enterprise, engineering, or know-how providers.
2. Enterprise and administration: This class covers initiatives positioning an organization as a market chief or a corporation as an necessary thought chief within the robotics ecosystem. Important mergers and acquisitions are related, as are provider, associate, and integrator relationships.
3. Purposes and markets: The RBR50 may also acknowledge improvements that enhance productiveness, high quality, and cost-effectiveness, in addition to people who automate new duties.

As well as, the 2025 RBR50 awards will rejoice the next:

• Startup of the 12 months
• Utility of the 12 months
• Robotic of the 12 months
• Robots for Good Award

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

iRobot lays off one other 105 workers

iRobot, maker of the favored Roomba robotic vacuum, has layed off one other 105 workers as a part of its restructuring plans. The variety of workers being let go represents 16% of iRobot’s world workforce as of Sept. 28. Because the begin of 2024, iRobot has decreased its world workforce by practically 50%.

There are a number of causes iRobot, which has offered greater than 50 million robots worldwide, is struggling. One of many most important causes is the failed acquisition from Amazon, which was referred to as off earlier in 2024. Amazon needed to amass iRobot for $1.7 billion, however the deal was finally referred to as off as a result of regulators mentioned the deal would limit competitors. Amazon paid iRobot $94 million to terminate the deal.

Bodily Intelligence raises $400M for basis fashions for robotics

Bodily Intelligence has raised $400 million to proceed its growth of AI for a spread of robots. The corporate acknowledged that basis fashions that may management any robotic to carry out any job “are nonetheless of their infancy.” It mentioned it’s engaged on the information and partnerships to pretrain these fashions and allow new ranges of dexterity and bodily functionality.

Bodily Intelligence raised $70 million in seed financing earlier this 12 months, and the corporate advised The Robotic Report that its valuation has risen to $2.4 billion. Jeff Bezos, govt chairman of Amazon, led the corporate’s newest funding spherical, together with Thrive Capital and Lux Capital.

Pipedream Labs deploys underground supply system in Texas drive-thru

Pipedream’s robotic operates by means of pipes to maneuver ready meals from a fast service restaurant (QSR) to finish customers in, say, a industrial constructing. The pipe is like two to 3 toes in diameter with a observe, and the automated shuttles can carry a tote from the restaurant out to numerous pickup places. It’s fastened infrastructure, but it surely’s fully underground and out of the climate. 

The corporate’s acknowledged imaginative and prescient is that this infrastructure could be put in place in an city setting, and assist the logistics of supply between the QSR location and varied company campuses.Pipedream mentioned it could drastically cut back supply occasions and streamline restaurant operations. Robust monetary backing has fueled fast progress, it mentioned.

Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics

The present this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics 

Is your autonomous cell robotic (AMR) struggling in dynamic environments? Is your small business caught as a result of it takes months to fee a brand new website?

RGo Robotics’ Notion Engine is revolutionizing the AMR enterprise by means of superior Imaginative and prescient AI notion know-how. Not like conventional options, The corporate’s software program permits AMRs to adapt to altering environments and navigate complicated areas with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning course of is shorter and less complicated.

Main AMR firms are enhancing their fleets with RGo’s AI-powered notion, enabling their groups to speed up use of superior AI capabilities like basis fashions and digital twins.

Don’t let outdated navigation maintain your small business again.

To study extra about RGO’s options, go to: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/