Category Archives: Robotics

Infinix Teams Up with UNESCO and Google to Inspire Today's Youth with AI and Robotics Education through the Largest CogLabs Workshop Ever  PR Newswire

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Infinix Teams Up with UNESCO and Google to Inspire Today's Youth with AI and Robotics Education through the Largest CogLabs Workshop Ever - PR...

Horseheads, N.Y., June 13--State Senator Tom OMara (R,C-Big Flats), Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C-Corning), and Assemblyman Chris Friend (R-C, Big Flats) last night honored the Southern Tier robotics team, Team TARDIS 5356, for the teams success at the New York Excelsior Regional Championship and the FIRST World Festival earlier this year.

Team TARDIS, founded in 2011, is one of three high school teams at Corning Robotics, sponsored by Corning, Inc. Team TARDIS is a 14-member team with students from Corning-Painted Post and Horseheads high schools.

In March, Team TARDIS received the Inspire Award, the competitions top award, at the New York Excelsior Region Championship held at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica. The Inspire Award recognizes the competitions superior team in robot design, innovation, programming, and performance, as well as for STEM outreach to area professionals and youth.

The teams victory in March earned Team TARDIS a spot at the FIRST World Festival in Houston, Texas, April 17-20. Team TARDIS was one of 224 teams representing every state in America and one of only three teams from Upstate New York and international teams in the competition. The team finished ranked No. 16 out of the 224 teams competing.

OMara and Palmesano joined the members of the team and their coaches and mentors last night [see the attached photo] at the teams headquarters in Horseheads to present an official Legislative Resolution (J2485/K2178) they sponsored honoring the teams success at the state, national, and international levels. The resolution was approved by the state Senate and Assembly in May.

In a joint statement, OMara, Palmesano, and Friendsaid, Team TARDIS represents some of our best and brightest students from the Southern Tier who have had amazing success throughout the past year. Their commitment, creativity, enthusiasm, expertise, and vision stood out this year in prestigious competitions against local, state, national, and international teams. Its been an outstanding and memorable year for Team TARDIS. It has been a true testament to the excellence and hard work of these stellar students and their coaches and mentors, as well as to the incredible support from their families, communities, and Corning Incorporated. We appreciate and welcome these opportunities to honor success throughout our school communities. They represent inspiring stories, promising futures, and enormous pride for our entire region.

Team TARDIS Assistant Coach Mike Simons said, All of us coaches and parents couldn't be more proud of the work Team TARDIS did this season. From the start, they set a goal qualifying for the championship in Texas, and they reached it and then some! They built an incredible robot that competed with the very best our Excelsior region has to offer, and won the top prize, the Inspire Award, at regional championships in March. That earned them the ticket to the FIRST World Championships in Houston back in April, where they got to compete with the very best teams on the planet. The numbers speak for themselves. TARDIS finished ranked #16 of 224 teams at Worlds and wrapped up the season ranked #49 of 7,400+ teams globally, a Top 50 finish for our kids! The most important number this season, though, is the 900+ hours of STEM education outreach the team contributed to our Corning-Elmira community, reaching more than 1,600 kids, and teaching them about robotics through the power of science, technology, engineering, and math. We're grateful to Corning, Incorporated and our other sponsors in helping so generously to support our team members and families in making the trip to Texas a reality.

The OMara-Palmesano-Friend resolution recognizes the achievement of the Team TARDIS members: Adam Perry, Thang Tran, Thai Tran, Isaac Moyer, Luke McNaughton, Eavan Qin, Victor Roussey, Dean Simons, Nicole Miller, Tristan Lint, Graham Simons, Michael McNaughton, Seojun Cho, and Daphne Karacay.

The resolution also recognizes Paul Dohn, a founding father of Team TARDIS in 2011 and now its senior mentor. Following a nomination by the team in recognition of Dohns dedication to STEM education and the Corning Robotics program, Dohn was a second-place global finalist for the Compass Award honoring the best coaches and mentors in the world competition.

The resolution reads, in part, Poised eagerly with enthusiasm and determined purpose, these students now stand honorably, with just pride in their accomplishments and in eager anticipation of future challenges and understanding and appreciating the caring counsel and support provided by teachers, mentors, and parents.

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Area legislators pay tribute to Southern Tier robotics team - The New York State Senate

By Natalia Rodriguez

On May 4, the X Academy Hephaestus team put seven months of effort on the line at a regional underwater robotics competition, and when they finished third out of 31 teams, team member Evelyn Potts, who attends Aptos High, didnt think they would qualify for the world championship.

Lauren and Evelyn Potts work on the float.

Ten minutes before their time in the water at Watsonville High, the teams remote-operated vehicle was not floating and despite last-minute adjustments, it wasnt going to.

But the tethered vehicle did work, and the team accumulated so many points in the competition, they got an invitation to the Marine Advanced Technology Education Remotely Operated Vehicle World Championship, which is June 20-22 in Kingsport, Tennessee.

They are in the Ranger class for students with robotics experience.

Their task is to design and build an operational float able to descend to the bottom and rise to the surface again to collect data and monitor the oceans circulation, chemistry, biology, and overall health.

Essentially students create their own version of the remote-operated vehicles scientists use survey to water quality and monitor diseased coral a complex task indeed.

11 Schools

Evelyn is a student who enjoys mathematical problem-solving. Since fourth grade, shes been a member of the X Academy Math Circle, founded by Tim Sylvester, a Silicon Valley veteran and a software engineer at Joby Aviation, and his wife Barbara Meister, a network master who worked 12 years at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Evelyn is participating in the robotics competition with her twin sister Lauren, and students from 10 other schools.

From left at the pool: Kaden Collier, Ben Hillard, Uriel Marinez-Uribe, and Max Chen at the control station.

Hephaestus team members are:

The Hephaestus team is fittingly named for the Greek god of craftsmen, artisans and metalworking.

It is part of the Santa Cruz County Office of Education X Academy Robotics Clubs, a program launched at the start of the 2023-24 school year to offer hands-on experience in robotics to all high school students in Santa Cruz County at no cost.

Math Circle

Ten years ago Sylvester and Meister saw there was nothing in Santa Cruz for math-loving students like their son Andrew, so they started the Santa Cruz Math Circle.

Nami Brown

During the Covid-19 pandemic, participating students began building robots in their driveway. When more students wanted to participate, they rented space at Harvey West Park in Santa Cruz. Thats how X Academy was born.

Last year, the X Academy team qualified for the MATE ROV World Championship, which took place in Colorado, and placed fifth of 35 teams.

Andrew, who was on that team, is now a math major at UC Santa Barbara.

A conversation with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education led to this question: Can this robotics program expand to Watsonville?

With funding from the county office, Sylvesters answer was Yes.

Expansion

Last fall, interest grew from 10 to 52, resulting in two teams, one meeting at Sequoia High School in Watsonville.

More than 40 students from 16 local schools participated and the second team, the Angry Otters, for novice high school students, finished second in the regional competition in the Navigator class.

Sylvester is the head mentor. Meister is the organizer. They had support from 15 mentors, parents and professors.

Parents are enthusiastic, Sylvester said.

When one professor saw these high school making circuit boards and writing software, he told Sylvester, This is what my kids do in college.

Students sometimes stay up late, putting in extra time solving problems.

As the dinner hour approached Monday, Sylvester said, The kids are at a pool right now testing the ROV.

Dr. Faris Sabbah, Santa Cruz County superintendent of schools, provided this statement, We are incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work of every student who entered the MATE ROV competition, and grateful to the X Academy for this impactful local partnership.

The Hephaestus team met weekly, working all the complex steps toward creating their robot, and preparing it to enter the pool.

Now they will compete against 37 top teams from around the globe, Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Uganda, Hong Kong, to name a few.

The team needs $2,500 per student to attend the world championship, and aims to raise $40,000.

So far they have 56% of their goal, about $22,000.

Do you have interest in supporting the future of youth robotics in Santa Cruz County? To donate, see http://www.xacademy.org/ To be a sponsor, email [emailprotected]

This years World Championships will be broadcast via Twitch, with color commentary by a University of Washington professor. See https://materovcompetition.org/

To learn more about local robotics, see https://cs.santacruzcoe.org/robotics

Editor Jondi Gumz contributed to this report.

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Local Students Head to Robotics World Championship - TPG Online Daily

My task today is to identify three robotics stocks to buy in June that you can turn into $1 million from a $1,000 investment.

As I write this mid-way through June, the S&P 500 is already up nearly 15% on the year, while the largest U.S.-listed robotics exchange-traded fund, the Global X Robotics & Artificial Intelligence (NASDAQ:BOTZ) with $2.75 billion in net assets, is up 43 basis points year-to-date relative to the index. Since its inception in September 2016, BOTZ has had a cumulative return of 114%.

BOTZ tracks the performance of the Indxx Global Robotics & Artificial Intelligence Thematic Index, a collection of 43 stocks that will benefit from robotics and artificial intelligence.

The global robotics market is expected to grow from $80 billion to $280 billion between 2022 and 2032. This gives investors a long growth runway. The ETFs top 10 holdings represent 65% of its top 10 holdings.

Ill want to select at least one stock from the top 10 holdings. Here are my three choices for June 2024.

Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) is the third-largest holding of BOTZ with an 8.7% weighting. Its shares are up nearly 30% year-to-date.

The company launched its first da Vinci surgical system in 1999. It was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for use in general laparoscopic surgery.According to the companys 2023 10-K form:

Da Vinci systems offer surgeons three-dimensional, high definition (3DHD) vision, a magnified view, and robotic and computer assistance. They use specialized instrumentation, including a miniaturized surgical camera (endoscope) and wristed instruments (e.g., scissors, scalpels, and forceps) that are designed to help with precise dissection and reconstruction deep inside the body.

Recently, the FDA found that patients who have robotic prostatectomies have overall cancer survival rates on par with open surgery. Robotic prostatectomies can cause shorter hospital stays and less blood loss than traditional non-robotic radical prostatectomies.

In the first quarter, worldwide procedures using da Vinci robotic systems increased by 16% from a year ago. It placed 313 da Vinci surgical systems in the quarter, about the same as last year. Its adjusted net income grew 23.8% to $541 million on $1.89 billion in revenue.

It remains the gold standard in surgical robotics.

Source: Daniel J. Macy / Shutterstock.com

ABB (OTCMKTS:ABBNY) is the second-largest holding of BOTZ with a 9.6% weighting. Its shares are up nearly 33% year-to-date. Its 10-year annualized total return is 25.7%.

The Swiss-based company provides many end markets with electrification, motion, and automation solutions and products. It generates more than $32 billion in annual revenue, and its Robotics and Discrete Automation business accounts for 11% of it. Its operational EBITA (earnings before interest, taxes, and amortization) accounts for 9% of the $5.43 billion profit in 2023.

The segments two largest end markets are machine automation (34% of revenue) and automotive (33%). Europe accounts for 53% of the segments revenues, followed by China (22%), and the U.S. (10%).

Of the divisions $3.6 billion in revenue, robotics accounts for approximately 69%, while machine automation accounts for 31%.

Two highlights of ABBs first quarter was the $551 million in free cash flow generated, 240% higher than a year earlier. The companys operational EBITDA in the first quarter was 17.9%, 160 basis points higher than a year earlier.

Over the past five years, its stock has appreciated by 185%, more than double the index. Yielding 1.7%, its an excellent long-term buy.

Source: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock

Rockwell Automation (NYSE:ROK) isnt a holding of BOTZ. However, it provides industrial automation for industries such as auto manufacturing, food and beverage production, etc. Its shares are down over 14% this year.

Last October, it paid $565 million for Clearpath Robotics, a Canadian company specializing in industrial AMRs (autonomous mobile robots). The market for AMRs is expected to grow to $6.2 billion by 2027.

In May, Rockwell lowered its organic sales for fiscal 2024 (September year-end). It now expects them to fall by 7% at the midpoint of its guidance, down from a 1% gain previously. On the bottom line, it cut its earnings per share by 18% to $10.50. At its current share price, it trades at 25x the estimate, below its five-year average of 27x.

Despite the lower FY24 outlook, we are gaining share across many of our most important product lines and in North America, our largest market, said Blake Moret, chairman and CEO.

In North America, its organic sales fell just 3% compared to double-digit declines elsewhere. Once its industrial customers get their inventories in better shape, the market share gains will show up in future quarterly reports.

Buying ahead would be a timely call.

On the date of publication, Will Ashworth did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Will Ashworth has written about investments full-time since 2008. Publications where hes appeared include InvestorPlace, The Motley Fool Canada, Investopedia, Kiplinger, and several others in both the U.S. and Canada. He particularly enjoys creating model portfolios that stand the test of time. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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3 Robotics Stocks to Turn $1000 into $1 Million: June 2024 - InvestorPlace

KITT stock is up alongside heavy trading

Source: Manu Galdamez/ShutterStock.com

Nauticus Robotics(NASDAQ:KITT) stock is up on Tuesday alongside heavy pre-market trading of the ocean robots companys shares.

Nauticus Roboticsstock is experiencing heavy trading, with more than 41 million shares changing hands as of this writing. Thats a massive surge in trading volume compared to the companys daily average of about 14.1 million shares.

Investors will also note that KITT stock saw heavy trading and a rally yesterday. That resulted in more than 212 million shares changing hands yesterday. It also saw the stock rally 49% when markets closed on Monday.

Investors will keep in mind that this movement comes without any clear news from Nauticus Robotics. That includes a lack of press releases or filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Theres also no analyst coverage that would cause the shares to rally.

Even without clear news, the heavy trading of KITT stock has the shares up this morning. That has the stock increasing 58.9% as of Tuesday morning. However, shares were down 60.9% year-to-date when markets closed on Monday.

Investors will also want to be careful with Nauticus Robotics as KITT is a penny stock. That comes from its prior closing price of 23 cents and market capitalization of only $14.416 million. This means its susceptible to volatility and could be the target of a pump and dump.

Investors will want to keep reading for even more of the most recent stock market stories today!

We have all of the hottest stock market news traders need to know about on Tuesday! That includes the biggest pre-market stock movers this morning, catalysts coming this week and more. All of this info is ready to go at the links below!

On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks:With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. Thats because these penny stocks are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand thatInvestorPlace.coms writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks.

Read More:Penny Stocks How to Profit Without Getting Scammed

On the date of publication, William White did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to theInvestorPlace.comPublishing Guidelines.

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Why Is Nauticus Robotics (KITT) Stock Up 59% Today? - InvestorPlace

Nauticus Robotics's KITT short percent of float has fallen 59.37% since its last report. The company recently reported that it has 1.29 million shares sold short, which is 3.36% of all regular shares that are available for trading. Based on its trading volume, it would take traders 1.0 days to cover their short positions on average.

Short interest is the number of shares that have been sold short but have not yet been covered or closed out. Short selling is when a trader sells shares of a company they do not own, with the hope that the price will fall. Traders make money from short selling if the price of the stock falls and they lose if it rises.

Short interest is important to track because it can act as an indicator of market sentiment towards a particular stock. An increase in short interest can signal that investors have become more bearish, while a decrease in short interest can signal they have become more bullish.

See Also: List of the most shorted stocks

As you can see from the chart above the percentage of shares that are sold short for Nauticus Robotics has declined since its last report. This does not mean that the stock is going to rise in the near-term but traders should be aware that less shares are being shorted.

Peer comparison is a popular technique amongst analysts and investors for gauging how well a company is performing. A company's peer is another company that has similar characteristics to it, such as industry, size, age, and financial structure. You can find a company's peer group by reading its 10-K, proxy filing, or by doing your own similarity analysis.

According to Benzinga Pro, Nauticus Robotics's peer group average for short interest as a percentage of float is 3.40%, which means the company has less short interest than most of its peers.

Did you know that increasing short interest can actually be bullish for a stock? This post by Benzinga Money explains how you can profit from it.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and was reviewed by an editor.

2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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How Is The Market Feeling About Nauticus Robotics? - Nauticus Robotics (NASDAQ:KITT) - Benzinga

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Collaborative Robotics has kept its actual robot out of public view. | Source: Adobe Stock, Photoshopped by The Robot Report

Collaborative Robotics, a developer of cobots for logistics, today announced the establishment of a Foundation Models AI team. Michael Vogelsong, a founder of Amazons Deep Learning Tech team, will lead the new team in Seattle.

Our cobots are already doing meaningful work in production on behalf of our customers, stated Brad Porter, CEO of Collaborative Robotics. Our investment in building a dedicated foundation models AI team for robotics represents a significant step forward as we continue to increase the collaborative potential of our cobots.

The foundation models AI team will explore the cutting-edge possibilities of AI in enhancing robotic capabilities, particularly in the area of bimanual manipulation and low-latency multimodal models, he added. We aim to achieve a new level of comprehension and control in our robots, enabling them to understand and respond effectively to complex tasks and environments. I am looking forward to seeing the innovations this talented team creates.

In April, Collaborative Robotics closed its $100 million Series B round toward commercializing its autonomous mobile manipulator. The company has been very secretive about the actual design of its system, releasing only scant details about the payload capabilities and the fact that is a wheeled collaborative robot.

At the time, Porter toldThe Robot Report that the new cobots base is capable of omnidirectional motion with four wheels and a swerve-drive design, along with a central tower-like structure that can acquire, carry, and place totes and boxes around a warehouse.

Brad Porter of Collaborative Robotics (far right) participated in a debate on whether humanoid robots are reality or hype at Robotics Invest this week in Boston. Credit: Eugene Demaitre

Foundation AI models are currently one of the hottest topics in robotics, with many companies investing in both talent and intellectual property to develop the technology. Foundation models offer the promise of generalizing behaviors and reducing the effort to build and maintain special-purpose models.

Collaborative Robotics said its new Foundation Models AI team will concentrate on integrating advanced machine-learning techniques into its production robots. By combining existing foundation models, novel research, and strategic partnerships with the practical experience from running systems live in production environments, the team aims to improve the adaptability and precision of robotic tasks.

Building on the companys earlier work in developing an Auditable Control and Planning Framework (ACoP), this research will explore how models that process text, vision, and actions can interact and create a real-time feedback loop for adaptive control.

The company also announced a that it is funding Ph.D. work at the University of Washington through a significant gift. This gift will sponsor the research of Prof. Sidd Srinivasa, an academic leader in AI and robotics, who also serves as an advisor to Collaborative Robotics.

The collaboration with Cobot supports our ongoing research at the University of Washington, said Srinivasa. Cobots commitment to advancing AI and robotics aligns well with our research goals and will help us advance robotic capabilities across multiple dimensions and particularly in the area of bimanual manipulation.

Collaborative Robotics plans this month to open its Seattle office, which will serve as a hub for these advanced research activities. The company said it expects the citys tech ecosystem to support its expansion and research goals.

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Collaborative Robotics expands with new Seattle office and AI team - Robot Report

As the broader indices like the Nasdaq continue their upward trajectory, now is a compelling time to consider investing in robotics stocks. The robotics industry, buoyed by rapid technological advancements and increasing demand across sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and healthcare, presents a wealth of opportunities for savvy investors looking for the best robotics stocks to buy.

Investing in these robotics stocks today could yield substantial gains as the industry is projected to grow significantly. The service robotics market, valued at $41.5 billion in 2023, is expected to soar to $84.8 billion by 2028, expanding at an annual growth rate of over 20%. By securing positions in these companies now, investors can lock in potential capital appreciation before the market peaks.

Here are seven of the best robotics stocks to buy in June 2024. These companies have immense growth potential and the capability to become market leaders in the burgeoning field of robotics. With the right investments, these stocks could become millionaires for forward-thinking investors.

Source: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) known for its da Vinci Surgical System, which has facilitated over 13 million surgical procedures. It is expected to continue expanding its installed base and clinical applications.

In 2023, ISRG placed 1,370 da Vinci surgical systems, up from 1,264 in 2022. This included a notable increase in systems placed under operating lease arrangements. The company saw its revenue grow to $7.12 billion, a 14.49% increase from $6.22 billion in 2022.

Analysts have set a 12-month price target for ISRG stock at an average of $403.67, ranging between $314 and $500. The consensus rating is a moderate buy based on 14 buy ratings and four hold ratings.

For Q1 2024, ISRG reported earnings per share (EPS) of $1.50, surpassing the consensus estimate of $1.40. The revenue for this quarter was $1.89 billion, beating the estimated $1.87 billion and marking an 11.5% year-over-year increase.

Source: Pavel Kapysh / Shutterstock

Cognex (NASDAQ:CGNX) specializes in machine vision systems used in manufacturing automation. It has strong financials and recently integrated AI and advanced analytics.

In Q1 2024, Cognex posted revenue of $210.8 million, a 5% increase year over year, surpassing the analyst estimate of $200.42 million. The companys net income for the quarter was $12 million, or $0.11 per share, beating expectations of $0.08 per share. This quarters performance was bolstered by strong contributions from its machine vision systems and the integration of advanced AI and analytics.

Looking ahead to 2024, Cognex has provided optimistic guidance, expecting revenue for Q2 2024 to be between $230 million and $245 million. This projected increase reflects typical seasonal trends and a recovery in consumer electronics revenue.

Analysts have set a 12-month price target for CGNX stock at an average of $49.15, ranging between $41 and $60. This suggests a potential upside of approximately 6.2% from the current price.

Source: T. Schneider / Shutterstock.com

Symbotic (NASDAQ:SYM) specializes in warehouse automation with AI-embedded software. The company has shown strong financial growth and is working on diversifying its customer base.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2024, Symbotic reported revenue of $369 million, a significant increase from $206 million in the same period in 2023. Despite this growth, the company posted a net loss of $13 million, an improvement from the previous year. In the second quarter of fiscal 2024, Symbotics revenue rose to $424 million, although it reported a net loss of $41 million.

Looking forward, Symbotic has provided optimistic guidance for 2024. The company expects to continue its revenue growth trend, driven by its AI-enabled robotics technology for supply chains. Analysts predict the companys stock price could reach an average of $55.69 within the next year, suggesting a possible upside of 48.5% from the current price.

Source: Michael Vi / Shutterstock.com

Teradyne (NASDAQ:TER) is a leader in industrial automation and robotics testing. Its products are crucial for ensuring the quality and functionality of advanced robotic systems.

For the first quarter of 2024, Teradyne reported revenue of $600 million, exceeding analysts expectations of $566.31 million. The company achieved a GAAP net income of $64.2 million, or $0.40 per diluted share. Teradynes Q1 2024 non-GAAP earnings per share were $0.51, surpassing the guidance range of $0.38 to $0.48.

Teradyne has guided Q2 2024, projecting revenue between $665 million and $725 million, with GAAP net income per diluted share expected to range from $0.45 to $0.65.

The company continues to focus on expanding its market presence in industrial automation and robotics testing, which are crucial for ensuring the quality and functionality of advanced robotic systems.

Source: Michael Vi/ShutterStock.com

Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ:ZBRA) provides solutions that enhance the efficiency of robotic systems in logistics and supply chain operations. These solutions offer critical tools for inventory and asset management.

In the first quarter of 2024, Zebra Technologies reported net sales of $1.175 billion, reflecting a 16.4% year-over-year decline. Net income for Q1 2024 was $115 million, with net income per diluted share at $2.23. Despite the decrease in sales, the company managed to control costs, which helped mitigate some of the impact on profitability.

Looking ahead, Zebras outlook for 2024 shows signs of modest recovery. The company has implemented expanded cost reduction plans, expected to drive $120 million in annualized net expense savings, up from the previously projected $100 million.

Analysts have a consensus moderate buy rating for ZBRA shares, with a price target range of $300 to $320, indicating growth potential.

Source: rafapress / Shutterstock.com

iRobot (NASDAQ:IRBT) is known for its consumer-focused robotic products, particularly home cleaning. The company continues to innovate and expand its product offerings.

In the first quarter of 2024, iRobots revenue was $150 million, down from $160.3 million in the same period the previous year. The companys gross profit for Q1 2024 was $36.1 million, a slight decrease from $36.7 million in Q1 2023. Despite these declines, iRobot is making strategic moves to improve its financial position, including significant cost reduction initiatives and restructuring efforts.

For 2024, iRobot expects revenue between $825 million and $865 million, with a GAAP net loss per share ranging from $3.13 to $2.70. The company also projects an adjusted loss per share of $3.73 to $3.30, indicating efforts to manage expenses and improve margins.

Looking forward, iRobot remains committed to innovation and expanding its product offerings in the consumer robotics market, particularly home cleaning solutions. The company continues to develop new technologies and enhance existing products.

Source: T. Schneider / Shutterstock

Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ:AUR) provides hardware for autonomous trucks, and its self-detection and response system offers a competitive advantage.

Auroras fourth-quarter 2023 revenue reached $565,000, reflecting an improvement in its pilot programs. However, the company continues to report substantial operating expenses, totaling $193 million for the quarter.

For the first quarter of 2024, Auroras revenue increased to $650,000, nearly doubling from the previous year. CEO Chris Urmson highlighted the companys ongoing focus on enhancing the Aurora Drivers autonomy performance and advancing its commercial launch plans.

Analysts have a mixed outlook on Aurora Innovation, with the companys stock price target varying widely. Some analysts see potential in Auroras long-term plans and technological capabilities, while others remain cautious due to the autonomous driving sectors high operating costs and competitive pressures.

However, I think AUR could be one of those robotics stocks that will deliver strong results for investors and should not be underestimated.

On the date of publication, Matthew Farley did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

Matthew started writing coverage of the financial markets during the crypto boom of 2017 and was also a team member of several fintech startups. He then started writing about Australian and U.S. equities for various publications. His work has appeared in MarketBeat, FXStreet, Cryptoslate, Seeking Alpha, and the New Scientist magazine, among others.

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The 7 Best Robotics Stocks to Buy in June 2024 - InvestorPlace

Robots operating autonomously could soon become valuable data sources for industrial companies, providing insights and repeated measurements that humans struggle to match, according to the director of the Oxford Robotics Institute.

Speaking at the AI Summit London, Nick Hawes explained how his team has deployed autonomous robots like Boston Dynamics' robot dog Spot at sites like a former nuclear fusion reactor, gathering radiation data over 35 days with minimal human involvement.

The Oxford Robotics Institute consists of seven different research groups working across the robotics stack on tasks including dexterous control manipulators to fully AI-driven robots in industrial settings.

He said 80% of the Institutes work relates to AI both in a general setting working on fundamental research questions and in the client setting.

The Institutes early work in robotics led to the research that put the first autonomous cars on the road through Oxbotica, now known as Oxa.

Now theyre working on autonomy, specifically, deploying robots in industrial settings, getting robots into places humans cant reach.

Hawes said industrial companies are considering autonomy, but they largely prefer a human-in-the-loop approach, where operators collaborate with robots and can take control when necessary.

Related:Vodafone AI Expert Highlights Key Factors for Effective Business Chatbots

The move toward full autonomy wont occur overnight, Hawes explained, as systems need to get better at handling the uncertainty.

If the world was fixed and 100% predictable then wed write a Python script and be done, Hawes said. The reason you need AI on a robot is because it needs to respond to changes.

He outlined several autonomous robotic deployments his team has been involved in, including using quadrupedal robots from Boston Dynamics to patrol industrial plants.

For example, his team fitted Spot robots with lidar and advanced 3D mapping technologies so they could reliably navigate an industrial site autonomously as well as a mission or task-specific payload, like a hardware device for monitoring radiation levels, for example.

Oxford Robotics Institute showcased Boston Dynamic's Spot at AI Summit London | Ben Wodecki

In another deployment, Spot operated autonomously for 35 days, walking around the U.K.s former fusion reactor site. It was tasked with gathering data on alpha radiation emissions and Hawes said it required minimal involvement, programmed to return to its charging unit when its battery was low.

The robot had a little script that said, here are the six places I want you to look at and this is what your battery looks like, Hawes said. The robot was able to then plan and optimize for that information to get up every day, walk around the site, gather the information and go back home.

Related:Quantum, AI Combine to Transform Energy Generation, AI Summit London

With robots operating for long periods, theyre going to create multiple maps of the environment something Hawes said could prove helpful for operators as they can compare the findings.

The 35-day deployment created repeatable data that can be fed into a different solution, like a digital twin to create virtual representations of industrial environments, for example.

A robot is something that can deliver actionable data over long periods of time, Hawes said. Humans struggle because they get bored and point the camera at the wrong place or forget to take an image whereas a robot gives you a bit more reliability.

Hawes showed how the data from the fusion reactor site could be used to create a virtual environment emergency services could use to understand the environment before entering the building in case of a disaster.

Describing the concept of artificial general intelligence (AGI) as nonsense the professor said robotics developers like his team were focused on autonomy that flexibly changes what that robot performs.

Instead of AGI, he described autonomy as a robot having the ability to repeatedly perform tasks or measure data in the same way, every time.

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Robots as a Data Source: Obtaining Insights From Robotic Autonomy - AI Business

Humanoid robots are one of those dreams that sometimes feel like were on the precipice of realizing. Boston Dynamics has its Atlas robot, and Tesla is pursuing robotics, while companies like Mercedes, Amazon, and BMW are or will be testing robots for industrial use. But those are all very expensive robots performing tasks in controlled environments. In the home, they might still be far off.

Enter Apple. Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has said its robotics projects are under the purview of former Google employee John Giannandrea, who has been in charge of Siri and, for a time, the Apple Car. With the car project canceled, the Vision Pro launched, and Apple Intelligence around the corner, is that the next big thing?

According to his information, any humanoid Apple robot is at least a decade away. Still, simpler ideas may be closer a smaller robot that might follow you around or another idea involving a large iPad display on a robotic arm that emotes along with the caller on the other end with head nods and the like.

Many, if not most, homes are dens of robot-confounding chaos

A mobile robot is tricky, though; what in the world would Apple do with a home robot that follows me around? Will it play music? Will it have wheels, or will it walk? Will I be expected to talk to Ajax or SiriGPT or whatever the company names its chatbot? Or, given Apples rumored OpenAI deal, some other chatbot?

For that matter, what form will it take? Will it fly? Will it have wheels? Will it be a ball? Can I kick it?

Its form factor will be at least as important as its smarts. Houses have stairs, furniture that sometimes moves, clothes that end up on the floor, pets that get in the way, and kids who leave their stuff everywhere. Doors that opened or closed just fine yesterday dont do so today because it rained. A haphazard kitchen remodel 20 years ago might mean your refrigerator door slams into the corner of the wall by the stairs because why would you put the refrigerator space anywhere else, Dave? But I digress.

Based on what little detail has trickled out, Apples robotics ideas seem to fit a trend of charming novelty bots weve seen lately.

One recent example is Samsungs Bot Handy concept, which looks like a robot vacuum with a stalk on top and a single articulating arm, meant to carry out tasks like picking up after you or sorting your dishes. Theres also the cute ball bot named Ballie that Samsung has shown off at a couple of CES shows. The latest iteration follows its humans and packs a projector that can be used for movies, video calls, or entertaining the family dog.

Meanwhile, Amazons $1,600 home robot with a tablet for a face, Astro, is still available by invitation only. It is charming, in a late 90s Compaq-computer-chic aesthetic sort of way, but its not clear that its functionally more useful than a few cheap wired cameras and an Echo Dot.

LG says its Q9 AI Agent is a roving smart home controller that can guess your mood and play music for you based on how it supposes youre feeling. Im very skeptical of all of that, but it has a handle, and I do love a piece of technology with a built-in handle.

I still want a sci-fi future filled with robotic home assistants that save us from the mundane tasks that keep us from the fun stuff we would rather do. But we dont all live in the pristine, orderly abode featured in Samsungs Ballie video or the videos Apple produces showing its hardware in personal spaces. Many normal homes are dens of robot-confounding chaos that tech companies will have a hard time accounting for when they create robots designed to follow us or autonomously carry out chores.

There are other paths to take. Take the Ring Always Home Cam, which will be very noisy judging from the demo videos, but it could also be useful and even good. While putting aside the not insignificant privacy implications for a moment, it seems promising to me mostly because of the mobility and that its only designed to be a patrolling security camera.

That kind of focused functionality means its predictable, which is what makes single-purpose gizmos and doodads work. After some experimentation, my smart speakers are where they hear me consistently or are the most useful, and I can put my robot vacuums in the rooms I know Ill keep clean enough that they wont get trapped or break something (usually).

The robot vacuums I have the Eufy Robovac L35 and a Roomba j7 do an okay job, but they sometimes need rescuing when they find my cats stringy toys or eat a paperclip (which are somehow always on the floor even though I never, ever actually need one or even know where we keep them).

I have a kid, see, and preparing the way for them in other parts of the house is just adding more work to the mix. Thats fine for me because the two rooms in their charge are the ones that need vacuuming the most, so theyre still solving a problem, but it waves at the broader hurdles robotic products face.

And its not all that clear that AI can solve those problems. A New York Times opinion piece recently pointed out that despite all the hand-wringing about the tech over the last year and a half, generative AI hasnt proven that it will be any better at making text, images, and music than the mediocre vacuum robot that does a passable job.

Given the generative AI boom and rumors that Apple is working on a HomePod with a screen, a cheerful, stationary smart display that obsequiously turns its screen to face me all the time seems at least vaguely within the companys wheelhouse. Moving inside the house and interacting with objects is a trickier problem, but companies like Google and Toyota have seen success using generative AI training approaches for robots that learn how to do things like make breakfast or quickly sort items with little to no explicit programming.

Itll be years, maybe even decades, before Apple or anyone else can bring us anything more than clumsy, half-useful robots that blunder through our homes, being weird, frustrating, or broken. Heck, phone companies havent even figured out how to make notifications anything but the bane of our collective existence. Theyve got their work cut out for them with homes like mine, where were just one busy week away from piles of clutter gathering like snowdrifts, ready to ruin some poor robots day.

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Apple's next nebulous idea: smart home robots - The Verge