Daily Archives: February 6, 2021

Robotic microsurgery can not only improve care for existing procedures but enable procedures that have never been done before.

Mark Toland, Medical Microinstruments

(Image courtesy of Medical Microinstruments)

In consumer technology, everything is getting smaller. TVs are now as thin as a notebook and early cellphones the size of a small brick have been replaced by slim devices that easily slide into our pockets. By making technology smaller, it becomes more agile and easier to use. The same is true for medical technology.

However, the race to make technology smaller in medicine has life-saving potential, especially in medical robotics, a rapidly expanding field that is expected to reach $27 billion in value by 2027. I attribute much of that growth to the untapped potential in medical procedures in which robotics can improve outcomes, reduce readmissions and limit complications. Not only can robotic devices make existing procedures safer and more reproducible, but the evolution of smaller instruments and more sophisticated software and data-integration enable procedures that have never been attempted and create entirely new fields of medicine.

Microsurgery is the manipulation and suturing of very small anatomy such as vessels, ducts or nerves, performed under high visual magnification. Until recently, the capabilities of human hands limited the size of the anatomy that could be addressed, and therefore, which procedures physicians could successfully perform.

By making surgical instrumentation smaller, adding wrist-like mobility to the distal end and manipulating it with a robot, we can reduce physiological tremor and scale the surgeons hand movements to enable procedures that seemed unimaginable just a few years ago.

Interest in robotic microsurgery is growing because recent technological developments have brought new treatment options to conditions that affect broad patient populations across a range of disease states. For example, breast cancer survivors who suffer from lymphedema have no cure, only life-long treatments with poor results. Thanks to the advent of supermicrosurgery, which enables surgeons to reconnect the lymphatic channels, patients can avoid permanent damage and the need for ongoing interventions. By advancing microsurgery with robotic assistance, more surgeons will be able to perform these complex and delicate procedures that afflict nearly 250 million people worldwide, including one million people in the U.S.

In plastic surgery, robotic technology allows surgeons to treat trauma with a competency never seen before. They can reattach severed digits and rebuild limbs for victims of car crashes. Also, neurosurgeons have an opportunity to mitigate the risks associated with brain surgery through robotics by minimizing the size of the incision they need to make.

Over the next few years, the robotics field will explore how small we can go and how far we can push the limits of surgical capability within microsurgery and supermicrosurgery connecting vessels that are less than 0.8 mm in diameter. Even minor advancements will open the door for expanding areas of medicine such as pediatric surgery, particularly with newborns and infants, where precision is crucial. These emerging practices will allow us to repair the tiny vessels and nerves and address procedures that are well beyond the scope of manual surgery.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the public has scrutinized care delivery in an unprecedented way. The crisis has exposed many inefficiencies in healthcare, but especially the need to use technology more effectively. Providers are completing more robot-assisted procedures every year and the pandemic has created an even greater appreciation for the technologys ability to reduce morbidity and truncate the length of hospital stays. More than ever, patients want to spend as little time as possible in the hospital and improved outcomes from robotic surgery may offer a solution.

The pandemic also begs the question of how robotic platforms can limit the spread of communicable disease. Robotic procedures inherently create physical distance between the physician and patient in a traditional model, but online robotic systems can execute remote procedures, in which the operating physician is in a different room, or even in a different country. Additionally, many microsurgical procedures treat emergent conditions and remote capability can empower surgeons to start treatment from home before they even arrive at the hospital.

The number of companies in the robotic space also shows the industry-wide belief in the technology. From the largest healthcare companies in the world, like Siemens Healthineers and Johnson & Johnson, to startups that have yet to enter the arena, the field has never been more crowded.

Consumer technology will always move faster than the highly regulated field of medical devices, but this decade promises the introduction of more devices that are as sleek as a flatscreen TV. Particularly in microsurgical robotics, the confluence of the pandemic and emerging technologies that are on the verge of major disruption will contribute to a better, safer healthcare system for patients around the world.

Mark Toland is the CEO of Medical Microinstruments (MMI SpA), a surgical robotics company dedicated to improving clinical outcomes for patients undergoing microsurgery.

The opinions expressed in this blog post are the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of Medical Design and Outsourcing or its employees.

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Supermicrosurgery could lengthen the reach of robotics | Medical Design and Outsourcing - Medical Design & Outsourcing

When the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted everything and threw the economy into a whirlwind, numerous industries witnessed ever seen business growth. For instance, the proliferation of telehealth and rapid drug development enabled healthcare technologies to reach a new horizon. In a socially distanced world, robotics demand gained new heights as companies across almost every industry sought new ways to drive innovation. Now looking ahead to the new year, many tech purists expect that robotics trends will likely continue in 2021. The International Federation of Robotics forecasts that the global sales of robotic services will top US$55 million by 2023, up from US$17 billion in 2019.

Here is the top robotics funding raised in January/ February 2021.

Amount Raised: US$750 Million

Transaction Type: Series F

Key Investor(s): Alkeon Capital and Coatue

Widely known as the RPA leader, UiPath raised a whopping amount of US$750 million in Series F funding round at a post-money valuation of US$35 billion. The round was co-led by existing investors Alkeon Capital and Coatue, with participation from other returning investors Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, IVP, Sequoia, Tiger Global, and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price Associates, Inc.

Amount Raised: US$ 400 Million

Transaction Type: Series C

Key Investor(s): Baillie Gifford, Contemporary Amperex Technology, CPE, YF Capital

Horizon Robotics, a developer of artificial intelligence chips for robots, closed US$400 million in a Series C2 financing round. The round was led by Baillie Gifford, YF Capital and battery-maker CATL. This fresh fund enables Horizon Robotics to stimulate its autonomous vehicle chips research and commercialization.

Amount Raised: US$55 Million

Transaction Type: Series B

Key Investor(s): XN

AMP Robotics is a developer of AI-based robotic systems that sort recyclable material at a fraction of the cost of the current technology. To scale its business operations and expand its business reach, the company bagged US$55 million in a Series C funding round. The round was led by XN, with participation from new investors Valor Equity Partners and GV as well as existing investors Sequoia, Sidewalk Infrastructure Partners, Congruent Ventures, and Closed Loop Partners.

Amount Raised: US$12.5 Million

Transaction Type: Series A

Key Investor(s): Lydia Partners

OxeFit, an artificial intelligence and advanced robotics platform that provides the smartest and most effective training system for safely improving businesses performance, closed US$12.5 million in a Series A round. The financing round was led by Lydia Partners, with additional participation from pre-eminent professional athletes and sports medicine experts. OxeFit offers an integrated fitness ecosystem and aims to bring advanced robotics and AI to the world of strength training.

Amount Raised: US$7.9 Million

Transaction Type: Seed Round

Key Investor(s): True Ventures

Bear Flag Robotics is an ag-tech company that develops autonomous technology for farm tractors to yield productivity and improve safety. To accelerate the development of self-driving tractors, the company raised US$7.9 million in a Seed round led by True Ventures, with participation from Graphene Ventures, AgFunder, D20 and Green Cow VC. Bear Flag Robotics mission is to fortify global food production and lessen the cost of growing food through machine automation.

Amount Raised: 2 million (US$2.3 Million)

Transaction Type: Seed Round

Key Investor(s): Earlybird Venture Capital

The developer of software solutions for mobile inspection robots, Energy Robotics received 2 million, approximately US$2.3 million, in a seed funding round. The financing was led by Earlybird, alongside other prominent business angels. Headquartered in Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany, Energy Robotics has introduced one of the first commercially available software platforms for industrial applications that coalesces three essential intelligent control components of mobile autonomous robots: a hardware-independent robot operating system, cloud-based fleet management, and AI-powered data analysis.

Amount Raised: US$2 Million

Transaction Type: Venture Round

Key Investor(s):

Augmented Pixels is a Palo Alto, CA-based technology company that specializes in the field of augmented reality navigation and 3d mapping for mobile phones, drones, and robots. The company has closed a US$2 million in funding for the expansion of the team based in the United States and for innovative R&D activities. Augmented Pixels creates a world where drones and robots can see and navigate as humans do.

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Latest News Top Robotics Funding Raised in January/ February 2021 - Analytics Insight

In a departure of sorts for Orange Intelligenz, the spotlight on robotics shifted from manufacturing processes to the world of entertainment. From the motion picture industry to themed attractions, KUKA Robotics now stars in a new role, helping these markets make fantasy a reality and bringing joy to the masses.

Mike Beaupre, Sales Director for Entertainment at KUKA Robotics, and ED Volcic, Engineering Manager at KUKA Robotics, spoke about this lighter robotics side.

Pulling the curtain back to find out how the entertainment path came about, Beaupre said he first heard of KUKA working on robotics projects for theme park attractions as early as 2000. In 2006, Beaupre took over responsibility for the companys entertainment business in the U.S. and, eventually, in overseas markets.

Volcic, also a 20-plus-year veteran of KUKA Robotics, got involved in the businesss entertainment side in 2005.

My first foray into it was putting together a simulation system to simulate the motion our customer at that time wanted to review to see how smooth robot motion could be and the types of motions a robot could achieve, Volcic said.

When we originally started, our focus was on just a single robot, two passengers on the end of the robot, and how to do that safely, Beaupre said. Initially, the market was for small-use entertainment applications. We really didnt expect it would take off the way it did and look at larger theme-park rides for the big players.

Now, there are multiple robots on multiple vehicles moving around scenery with projection screens.

And these robotic technologies expand beyond motion simulated rides. Motion picture cameras also employ KUKAs robotics to make the once impossible possible. Films like Gravity, with its award-winning effects, utilized unique cameras operated by KUKA solutions.

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Robotics in The Entertainment and Theme Park Industries - MarketScale

One woman set up the Australian Centre for Robotic Visionthe worlds first such centerand then led efforts to create Australias first Robotics Roadmap. One co-founded a robot vacuum cleaner company and changed housework forever. Another, in Stockholm, is working with the United Nations in disease and natural disaster response. Yet another is helping close the skills gap in manufacturing. If there is a common thread found in the women Smart Manufacturing identified as making their mark in robotics and automation, it is a heightened awareness of the impact humans have on the planet without trying, as well as the positive impact we can have with concerted efforts. They see robots and drones as Jills of all trades that serve as helpful companions in education, health care and aging, as eyes that open new worlds in ocean depths, as positive-impact devices and as what (when paired with other automation technology) can enable indoor farming and sustain the things we care about. The 20 women profiled here are helping create a better world. On behalf of humanity, the magazine thanks them for their hard work, sharp minds and true grit. Because community building is so important, we are thrilled to see that Amy Elliott, Gillan Hawkes, Elena Messina, Roberta Nelson Shea and Nicole Renee Williams are members of SME.

Le Matre was inspired to become an engineer while reading The Mysterious Island, a Jules Verne tale of American Civil War escapees who used teamwork, scientific knowledge, engineering and perseverance to build a colony from scratch on an uncharted Pacific island. This was an interesting metaphor of how people are able to change the world and make it a better place by engineering new devices, she said. Making the world better is a theme that permeates her thinking: I strongly believe that as engineers, we have a moral obligation to change the world to make it a better place. As humans, by design, we have a negative impact on earth. Therefore, it is our duty to build things that may balance that. I believe that by focusing on Green IT, clean data centers, energy-efficient components, we can create positive-impact devices and make the world a better place. Unfortunately, the first positive-impact device she built, a retail and hospitality robot named Heasy, lived a short life before a fire destroyed the business in October 2019.

Yakoob was inspired to pursue a career in robotics and automation by the Daleks, an extraterrestrial race from the British television program Dr. Who, and by R2-D2 and C-3PO from the Star Wars movies. Since then, my fascination and curiosity have always steered methrough high school and beyondin identifying and selecting subjects and courses that brought me closer and closer to understanding the workings of my childhood robotic heroes. Having been in the field, shes eager to dispel the thought that robotics and automation are fields only for men. The skills required to be successful can be attained irrespective of what gender you are, she said. Yakoob sees a role for herself and her robots beyond manufacturing, including health care, hospitality and farming: I would like to contribute toward applying robotics in assistive technologies, such as smart prosthetics, in improving the quality of life for the increasingly growing senior population and applying robotics and automation in enabling indoor farming, making healthy, affordable food available to all.

Nelson Shea lives by advice that is helpful to anyone: Get involved in trade organizations. For her, becoming involved in developing standards for robotics safety provided terrific networking opportunities. Clearly a joiner, Nelson Shea is a lifetime member of SMEand enjoys benefits like great conferences, networking, and speaking opportunities, she said. Partly through her efforts, Nelson Shea said the United States took the lead on robot safety. I was part of a team of people who deeply believedthat automation could be done in a safe way that would work well for the people interfacing with the equipment while having high productivity, she said. I believe that having a strong robot safety standard contributed to the success of the industrial robotics market. There is more to come, she said, citing a quote from John Lizzi, executive director of robotics at GE Global Research. We see robots, and specifically industrial robotics, as moving through three phases: robots as tools to robots as partners and, ultimately, to robots that sustain the things we care about.

Hawkes spotted the shift to people ordering online for home delivery early. She knew it would be a major growth area. That allowed her to leverage my path to go into supply chain management, but traditional tactics werent exciting, she said. The innovation was happening in robotics and automation. I wanted to be a part of that. Hawkes joined 6 River Systems (6RS) in 2018 and got to work improving its services and warehouse products. This made 6RS well positioned to support its customers when the pandemic hit. I am proud to have contributed to not only improving efficiencies but maintaining safety in our customers workplaces and keeping the supply chain moving, she said. Next, Hawkes would like to democratize robotics and automation in the marketplace. If 6RS could have touchpoints in large fulfillment centers, shopping centers and even in small local businesses, she said, I would consider that a massive achievement.

About eight years ago, Lau began looking for more impactful work. Inspired by a project at Willow Garage that enabled people with quadriplegia to program robots, Lau joined the robotics research lab for about a year and subsequently turned her professional attention to robots. She started a service robot company with several Willow alum and then established her own firm. While I had spent my life up to that point developing software, I realized that robotics had immense potential to improve peoples lives on a daily basis, she said. Unlike software, which is confined to a screen, robots live out in the human world. Today, Laus robots provide mistake-free, data-driven layout at construction sites that is derived from building information modeling software, improving productivity and the lives of workers, designers and engineers. Our next milestone is truly scaling up our robotics product to get it on every commercial construction site in the U.S., she said. Scaling a robotics product requires a different set of skills, and a different organization versus building the first prototype.

Wises entry into the robotics industry was serendipitous. She joined a team sponsored by Willow Garage founder Scott Hassan building an autonomous vehicle for the DARPA Urban Challenge in 2007. After the vehicle did an autonomous lap around the parking lot of the robotics R&D firm, Hassan soon offered her a job. That kind of real-world demonstration echoes in Wises career accomplishment: building autonomous mobile robots at her company, Fetch Robotics, that function in factories and high-volume distribution centers. In robotics, you can do almost anything one time in a lab and make a video of it, she said. The real challenge is making it work 24/7, with a 99.99 percent reliability rate. Thats what customers want, and thats really hard to do. Her advice to the next generation of female roboticists is to learn to program and join a startup. Women have very difficult career paths in front of them, and they need to put themselves in environments where they have an opportunity to excel outside of regular corporate structures, she said.

Masciantonios work focuses on closing the skills gap in manufacturing. Using ARM-determined competency building blocks, skills profiles and career pathways, she is working to create a nationwide system that matches the competencies and roles required by manufacturers to the education programs and career pathways of the workforce. With ARMs system, students can determine where their strengths are and which capabilities they need to acquire for a successful career in manufacturing. The next step, to be delivered later this year, is to include capabilities to test and certify workers in robotic career pathways. We will create mechanisms for creatively observing and testing their mastery of the competency building blocks, according to ARMs Industry 4.0 Competency Framework, she said. This will facilitate matching between the job seeker and employer. It feels great knowing that the work we accomplish each day helps to strengthen the U.S. economy, serve our warfighters and bring our national manufacturing capabilities to higher levels of maturity, she said.

Caron has worked and studied in French, English and Czech. But impossible to automate doesnt seem to be in her lexicon. In fact, her teams most recent accomplishment was a breakthrough in inspection and removing tedious tasks that others thought were impossible to automate. That recent achievement may help in her teams goal of having all GE Aviation sites think of automation and robotics whenever they introduce a new part or process. That would accelerate their adoption and help maximize their potential impact. We are involved in enabling the sites to reliably and efficiently build and maintain engine components using the latest technology, and we are opening up new possibilities for engineering to refine their designs, she said. Having the sentiment that we are contributing to the advancement of the technology that has an impact on so many people is very rewarding. Looking ahead, she has great hope for AI. It will solve complex issues that are preventing automation and robotics from being suited for the challenges, she said.

Moneza is so fascinated by machines that she finds her thrills by scrutinizing the workings of her ride at Universal Studios rather than passively enjoying it. I try to look through the darkness and see what type of robot they are using and try to understand the rail and the projection systems that make the ride exciting, she said. It genuinely interests me, and I like seeing how things work. Is it any wonder, then, that she sees new opportunities for automation in the aerospace industry for repetitive tasks like drilling, painting, composite fabrication and ultrasonic inspection? She also wants to see more automation in data collection and interpretation. This will allow us to make informed decisions in a timely manner and make changes to design and processes where it is necessary, she said. Even with her fervor for automation, she sees a downside in the workers left behind when machines become automated. This is something that needs to be addressed so we can continue to compete and be at the cutting edge of manufacturing technology, she said.

As a girl, Keay did not envision a career in techeven though her family acquired their neighborhoods first PC. Now, she wants to see a thriving and sustainable robotics industry in Australia. This means not only supporting creators of robotics and robotics-related technologies but also supporting government and corporates to adopt robotics, she said. Robotics is part of the broader AI and technology sector and cannot succeed unless we have support for both AI and the tech sector more broadly. Six years ago, she set up the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, the worlds first such center. She led efforts to create Australias first Robotics Roadmap in 2018 and last year established a firm to represent the industry sector. In 2019, she made it her mission to bring the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing to Australia as the Hopper Down Under. She now leads her Australian states AI hub.

Laudas career path demonstrates the value of internships. In high school, her math teacher encouraged her to become an engineer. But it wasnt until she apprenticed for a diesel engine maker that the assembly line and CNC machines sparked her interest. I went back to college a few years later. I was eager to become a manufacturing engineer, she said. During her career at agriculture machinery and equipment maker AGCO, she led a small team of engineers that created a tool to allow manufacturing engineers at plants in the U.S., Italy and Brazil to collaborate remotely in creating a Manufacturing Bill of Materials, the Bill of Process and the electronic work instructions for a new harvesting combine. Many steps within that tool are fully automated, and the concept reduced the planning efforts at the sites up to 80 percent, she said. The next big goal is to generate a true digital twin of our factories, by merging the virtual with the real operations, and collect smart data that can instantly be turned into higher productivity, safety and quality, she said.

When Greiner saw the original Star Wars movie in 1977, she was immediately smitten. The object of her interest was not Luke Skywalker or Han Solo; It was R2-D2. The girl who drew her inspiration from one of director George Lucas leading actor bots would grow up to be a pioneer in developing robots that can take over mundane or dangerous tasks from humans. She is now the CEO of a weed-controlling, solar-powered robot startup. She previously co-founded iRobot and co-designed its Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner. Roomba has captured about 20 percent of the North American vacuum market. Other Greiner accomplishmentsthe Packbot military robot and the persistent aerial reconnaissance and communications tethered drone systemhave been credited with saving the lives of soldiers and civilians alike. Greiner predicts we will see robots taking over home maintenance jobs, such as lawn mowing, leaf collecting and snow removal. I see continued adoption of robots, driving the virtuous cycle of invention, development and manufacture, she said.

Samsioe sees untapped potential in drones to help solve real-life challenges in natural disasters, disease outbreaks and other situations. For example, GLOBHEs network of crowddroning pilots provide aerial images that, once analyzed, help track mosquito-breeding sites in Malawi for malaria-mitigation efforts. An advanced unmanned aerial vehicle pilot with a masters degree in international disaster management, Samsioe cites as her companys most significant accomplishments its work with the United Nations in disease and natural disaster response and a recently signed contract with a global telecom company. The telecom-related work is to inspect communication towers, helping to keep communities connected as a result. Clearly owning her own success, she said, While many wait for the future to happen, I tend to create the future and get partners and clients onboard the journey. Her frustration is with progress that happens slowly. For example, shes pushing and waiting for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone flights to become legal at scale so drones truly can provide additional value for societies.

As an If/Then Ambassador for the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Elliott is featured in original entertainment and media content. She was overall runner-up in The Big Brain Theorys one-season run on the Discovery Channel. She was an on-camera science expert for the Science Channels Outrageous Acts of Science. And she was featured in a 2012 Wired article about a 3D-printing vending machine she and her team designed and configured while studying at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The machine, DreamVendor, included four MakerBot Thing-o-Matic printers that printed users uploaded design files. Of course, it being a first-generation design, there were several kinks in the system, Elliott said. However, it was a really fun project, and it proved the concept. She has since earned her doctorate in mechanical engineering and wants to bring automation and robotics to additive manufacturing. Even though the machines can build amazing things, there is still quite a lot of manual labor required after the part is built, she said.

For Ciprian, working in robotics means solving an evolving, thought-provoking engineering problem. It is always exciting because youre constantly doing something new, she said. The field is very dynamic, which makes it fun. It is also productive: She led the electrical design of an automated guided vehicle/industrial robot, which took a year from start to finish. Having fun at work is a bonus for her on top of being able to work in such a multidisciplinary field. For example, the power architecture is tightly involved with the mechanical loads of the robot, she said. Also, losses, emissions, temperature profiles and communication robustness are all interrelated. Moreover, it is a field where I can see our contributions to humankind happening in real time. The future of industry will include fleets of robots working collaboratively with humans, she believes, with AI playing a more involved role in tasking. Her advice to other female engineers is to be generous: Socialize your achievements and those of your female colleagues, she said.

Messina is rooted in measurement science and its role in driving research and engineeringand from there her vision for the future of robotics takes off. She wants to see the paradigm of robots as partners and assistants to humans extended and expanded versus seeing them as worker replacements. For this to happen, the world needs more intuitive interaction mechanisms for programming, coordination and communicating status, as well as greater intelligence and dexterity on the part of robots. Robots will no longer need to be taught every move, but rather can be instructed at a high level, similar to how humans who collaborate together agree on a joint task, she said. Similarly, robots will be able to execute their tasks either independently, able to detect changes or failures and recover from them on their own, or, if working jointly with humans, able to safely perform the tasks through observing the humans status, understanding verbal and non-verbal cues. The ultimate result will be the democratization of the use of robotics among enterprises, she said.

When she had two years left to finish her masters in engineering and technology management, Spiten began taking extra courses in entrepreneurship and robotics to figure out where she was headed career-wise. I found the [masters degree] curriculum to have too little hands-on training, she said. How would I know what to specialize in without trying out, and applying theory onto, real problems? She enrolled in a program that included an internship with a startup making underwater drone kits. She wrote her thesis on environmental ocean monitoring with the use of drones, and her career took shape. I started Blueye Robotics with three co-founders, to make the ocean available in new waysand to everyonedriven by the belief that you only take care of what you know and care about, she said. She is now advising the World Wildlife Fund on ocean plastics. As Sir David Attenborough once told me, she said, its not about whether we will survive, but what kind of world we will survive in.

Having earned a masters in manufacturing engineering, Williams has a wealth of book knowledge. But since at least her undergrad years, her education also included practical experience. It was some of that experience, specifically programming a robot in V++ to perform a simple shape-sorting task, that got Williams her first job at Boeing and ignited her passion for working with robotic and automation systems. My first job was programming and supporting a gantry robot doing automated fiber placement that used an Adept [Controls] control, she said. This was very exciting. Although her work focuses on controlling robots, shes also focused on people, including colleagues and the next generation of techies. She has participated in many leadership programs at Boeing, including the Employee Mentoring and Robotics Club. Outside of work, shes been a FIRST Robotics Competition volunteer for 10 years. Her message to girls in FIRST is to get involved early, stay active and embrace every learning opportunity. Its the hardest fun youll ever have, she said.

Breazeal once dreamed of being an astronaut. But she instead chose academia where she could continue to push the envelope in robotics and AI research. Her work is about autonomous robots as a ubiquitous, human-centered technology. I want to contribute the reality of a robot in every home that delivers meaningful value and delight to families, she said. Her biggest accomplishment to date is Jibo, the first social robot featured on the cover of Time. Jibo has since been acquired by another firm. There is tremendous opportunity for social robots as personalized, helpful companions in education, healthcare, aging and wellness. These are areas where emotional engagement, humanized social support and decision support in a personalized way could help address challenges of scalable, affordable, effective interventions for human users that can augment and extend what human professionals provide, she said.

Curry appeared headed for a career as a chemist, but as she worked in the lab, she realized fixing broken equipment was more to her liking than running analyses. So she returned to school for industrial electronics. I was accepted into an internship program at a pharmaceutical nutritional company, which is how I began my career in manufacturing, she said. I have been exposed to various types of automation, including robotics, and have enjoyed working in manufacturing for all of my career. At the pharmaceutical nutritional company, Curry and her team automated hard-wired relay circuitry to PLC systems. This helped improve troubleshooting and reduced repair time. It was amazing to be part of what was emerging technology at the time, she said. The fun didnt stop there. At Toyota, we have teams working on AI and augmented reality to help improve efficiency and eliminate redundant and non-value-added work, she said. I believe this type of technology can be coupled with robots to improve the efficiency of work for employees.

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Twenty women making their mark in robotics & automation - Advanced Manufacturing

HeroWears back-assist Apex exosuit, which reduces back strain when objects are lifted, can be adjusted to fit workers of all sizes both men and women. Imagine that.

By Dan Kara | February 5, 2021

Editors Note: Robotics Business Reviews coverage emphasizes innovation, including start-up companies (or young companies). RBR Start-Up Profiles highlight individual start-up companies using a consistent, templated format that makes for quick, yet informed reading, that also simplifies comparative analysis.

Founder Mark Harris (CEO), Karl Zelik (Chief Scientific Officer), and Matthew Yandell (Chief Innovation Officer)

Funding Status Not disclosed.

The Apex exosuit features a patent-pending dual-mode technology that makes it easy to turn the back assistance on or off, allowing it to be used in nearly any work situation

Primary Target Markets Agriculture, Construction / Demolition, Logistics / Supply Chain

Technology / Product / Service(s) The first exosuit built from the ground up for both men and women, the Apex is a back-assist exosuit that is designed to reduce strain on the back while fitting like a comfortable piece of clothing. It features a patent-pending dual-mode technology that makes it easy to turn the back assistance on or off, allowing it to be used in nearly any work situation. The textile-based design is modular, allowing for over 50 possible combinations so that the fit and the amount of support provided is perfect for anyone in any job.

Value Proposition A low-cost, comfortable, flexible, modular non-powered exosuit that reduces the risk of back injuries while being worn all day, without interfering with job requirements.

Demand Drivers Back pain is the number one cause of workplace injuries in many roles, and is the number one cause for disabilities in the USA and in much of the world. The Apex exosuit offers a low-cost way for workers to relieve the strain on their backs through an entire work day, without interfering with their important job tasks.

Back pain is the number one cause of work injuries in many roles, and is the number one cause for disabilities in the USA and in much of the world

Business Model USA Domestic: Direct sales with limited distributor and reseller relationship.International: Primarily distributor and reseller partnerships.

Partners Alpha Quantix, Thor Safety (UK), Skeltech (Australia), and others.

Customers Not disclosed at this time.

Competitive Landscape Back assist exo solutions are available from Ergosante and Auxivo.

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Start-Up Profile - HeroWear - Low-cost Exosuit Reduces Worker Back Strain - Robotics Business Review

In development at WSU's Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems, robotic pruners, pickers, and other high-tech automated tools are among objectives of the newly announced international collaboration.

By Seth TruscottCollege of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences

Washington State University scientists are joining forces with researchers, fruit growers, and technology companies in the Netherlands and Washington State to solve major tree fruit challenges through orchard automation and robotics.

On Feb. 3, 2021, Andr-Denis Wright, dean of WSUs College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences, joined representatives from the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission, Washington State Department of Agriculture, Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, Wageningen University & Research, and other partners in a virtual signing of the Fruit Orchard of the Future Collaboration Agreement.

The agreement helps establish a public-private consortium speeding new tree fruit technologies using an industry-developed concept called Next Fruit 4.0. Its part of a broader AgFoodTech collaboration between the Netherlands, California, and Washington State, which aims to get innovations to market faster and meet high-level goals in health, sustainability, and prosperity.

Automation and robotics could help tree fruit growers in the U.S. and the Netherlands address the challenges from an increasingly hard-to-find orchard labor force, as well as greater demand for sustainability, environmental health, and food safety.

Our College is proud and excited to partner with Washington tree fruit growers and our counterparts in the Netherlands in bringing new technologies to fruition, Wright said. Globally, producers face many of the same hurdles. The practical solutions being developed through this international coalition hold promise for more robust, healthy, and efficient industries in both countries.

Technology implementation into orchards has to accelerate to enable our states tree fruit industry to remain viable and prosper into the next decade, said Ines Hanrahan, Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission executive director.

We view international public-private partnerships, such as the Orchard of the Future collaboration, as essential building blocks to successfully develop orchards for the future, added Commission Chair Jim Doornink.

Additional partners to the agreement include the Dutch Fruit Growers Association, Dutch technological association FME, Oregon State University, and more than a dozen Dutch and U.S. companies and organizations.

The Fruit Orchard of the Future collaboration aims to connect universities in both nations for joint programs, create a network of local field labs and testing grounds, set up exchanges for education and research, connect companies and growers, and build access to funding.

Participating scientists will develop prototypes including a robot for pruning and harvesting pears, a precision sprayer for fruit crops, sensors and algorithms to collect data on apples and pears, and decision models for apples and pears based on collected data and expert knowledge.

The project draws on the knowledge and resources of WSU Extension, WSUs Tree Fruit Research & Extension Center (TFREC) at Wenatchee Wash., the Irrigated Agriculture Research and Extension Center (IAREC) and Center for Precision & Automated Agricultural Systems (CPAAS) at Prosser, Wash., and WSUs AgWeather Network.

WSU Associate Professor Manoj Karkee, a Prosser-based specialist in field robotics and automation, said the partnership will help build expertise and knowledge from a variety of perspectives, while making the team of scientists more competitive for U.S. and European research funding.

A range of geographic and environmental variations provided by the collaboration will also help the team maximize experimental window for specific crops and cropping systems, Karkee said. Such a wider infrastructure helps ensure that the tools, technologies and systems we develop will be versatile, reliable, and practically adoptable.

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WSU partners with Netherlands, Washington growers to improve orchard robotics, automation | WSU Insider | Washington State University - WSU News

Olivia Crisafi, Victor Han, Erin Crisafi and Camille Gammack| Special to the Concord Journal

In a traditional season, the GearTicks, Lincolns high school robotics team, meet nearly every day in their coachs basement: designing the robot in CAD software, programming the robot in Java and organizing outreach events with our community. This year, they have been forced to adapt to new methods of sharing ideas, working together and designing, all from home.

One solution they figured out was fairly simple. Three times a week, during their usual scheduled in-person meeting times, the GearTicks all join a Google Meet and discuss their ideas, progress and goals. Different parts of the robot come together at different team members' homes, and gradually their robot starts to resemble a robot built any other year.

The greater challenge came with switching community STEM events to a virtual setting. In previous years, the GearTicks held STEM nights, created and mentored FIRST teams of other levels and attended STEM events. With every traditional option indefinitely on hold, the GearTicks began to plan ways to make STEM accessible even during the pandemic.

One of our favorite outreach events every year is our Legopalooza, said Prerna, a junior on the team. We love the opportunity to share our love for STEM with the students and see the work theyve done throughout their season.''

The Lincoln Legopalooza has been a space to celebrate STEM learning for the towns FLL Explore robotics teams. In past years, the event has been held in the Brooks Gym, and Lego robotics teams from Lincoln and surrounding towns gather to present their Lego models to a group of reviewers, and win custom laser cut trophies. Just as the GearTicks have been able to move online, they have carried one of their favorite events online with them. This year, the GearTicks third annual Lincoln Legopalooza will be held virtually at the beginning of April. Teams will be able to virtually present their Lego models and participate in fun virtual activities!

The Lincoln Legopalooza is the culmination of the FLL Explore season. FLL Explore is a fun, easy-to-run program that introduces young children to the world of robotics. FLL Explore teams, composed of two to six kids ages 6 to 10, build a model out of Legos and program a moving component with simple block programming. A full, easy-to-understand curriculum is provided by FIRST, so the program can be run by a mentor (a parent, grandparent, etc) with no technical background. FIRST provides meeting guides for coaches and workbooks (engineering notebooks) for team members.

FLL Explore is a great opportunity for children to learn teamwork skills, build self-confidence, knowledge and life skills while having fun! This program is perfect to run as a family, with a group of close friends, or even virtually following in the GearTicks footsteps.

If your child is interested in FLL Explore, contact the GearTicks; there is still time to participate in FLL Explore and the Legopalooza! The GearTicks have experience with the FLL Explore program and have offered mentorship for anyone interested in starting a team. They can be contacted at hello@gearticks.com. More information about FLL Explore can be found at http://gearticks.com/fll-explore, https://youtu.be/Sq6w3jYVR8k and http://firstinspires.org/robotics/fll/explore/challenge-and-season.

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Students find virtual robotics opportunities during the pandemic - Wicked Local