Robotics

ICON, a pioneer in 3D home printing, raises $56M led by Norwest, Tiger Global

Robotics /

ICON, which builds homes using 3D printing, has closed on $56 million in Series C funding co-led by Norwest Venture Partners and Tiger Global, the company has confirmed to TechCrunch exclusively. The raise represents a first close for the Austin-based ICON, according to a spokesperson. Existing backers CAZ Investments, LENX, Moderne Ventures, Oakhouse Partners and […]

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Apptronik, which makes humanoid robots, raises $350M as category heats up

Robotics /

Apptronik, a University of Texas spin-out that was quietly building humanoid robots before it became quite so fashionable, on Thursday announced a $350 million Series A round of financing. B Capital and Capital Factory co-led the round, which also featured participation from Google, whose DeepMind division is partnering with Apptronik to deliver embodied AI for

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Watch these Google DeepMind robots play a game of soccer

Robotics /

Watch out, FIFA. Researchers at Google DeepMind published a demonstration of miniature humanoid robots playing a one-on-one game of soccer. Training Robotis OP3, the researchers found they were able to learn movement skills like walking, kicking, and being able to recover from a fall. According to the report, the robots were also able to develop

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Apple’s new research robot takes a page from Pixar’s playbook

Robotics /

Last month, Apple offered up more insight into its consumer robotics work via a research paper that argues that traits like expressive movements are key to optimizing human-robot interaction. “Like most animals,” starts the report, “humans are highly sensitive to motion and subtle changes in movement.” To illustrate its point, Apple pays homage to Pixar,

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Meta is studying how humans and robots can collaborate on housework

Robotics /

Meta Friday announced PARTNR, a new program designed to study human-robot interaction (HRI). The research is specifically focused on how humans and robots might collaborate in the home environment. That includes mundane tasks like cleaning, cooking, and picking up food deliveries. Automated housework is a decades-old dream, most prominently captured by The Jetsons’ Rosie. The

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Ambi Robotics built a clever solution to automate pallet packing

Robotics /

UC Berkeley spinout Ambi Robotics announced Tuesday the arrival of AmbiStack, a novel system that automates pallet packing. The system features an industrial robotic arm mounted above a conveyer belt that moves along the X and Y axes and lifts boxes up via suction cups mounted to a gripper. Once lifted from the conveyer belt,

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Cornell’s robot jellyfish and worm are powered by a hydraulic fluid battery

Robotics /

Researchers at Cornell University on Monday showcased a pair of bio-inspired robotics running on a hydraulic fluid-powered battery. The redox flow battery (RFB) also mimics biological functions, as it releases electrolytic fluids, which dissolve to create energy through chemical reaction. The first two robots on display are a modular worm and a jellyfish, designed by

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LG Electronics takes majority stake in Bear Robotics, reportedly valuing startup at $600M

Robotics /

LG Electronics is betting on robotics as its next big growth driver. The South Korean electronics company said on Friday that it has agreed to acquire an additional 30% stake in Bear Robotics, a California-based startup it previously backed that is building AI-powered server robots for restaurants. The deal gives LG a majority ownership of

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Ati Motors raises $20M as India’s robotics industry grows

Robotics /

Ati Motors on Wednesday announced a $20 million raise. The funding arrives as the Indian-based autonomous mobile robots (AMR) startup looks toward global expansion. The firm hopes to tap into increased demand for domestic manufacturing in the U.S., India, and Southeast Asian nations, as countries look to lessen their dependence on China. In 2023, the

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