Alphabet's Intrinsic: Advancing Industrial Robotics Capabilities

Alphabet's New Robotics Venture: Intrinsic

Alphabet’s involvement in the robotics sector has been characterized by a somewhat inconsistent trajectory. A prominent example is the acquisition and subsequent sale of Boston Dynamics by Google X, ultimately acquired by Hyundai via SoftBank. Following this, Alphabet/Google shifted its focus toward more practical and immediately applicable robotic solutions.

Introducing Intrinsic

Today, through a post on the X blog, Intrinsic has been unveiled. This new venture represents a strategic direction for Alphabet, concentrating on software development for industrial robotics – the large, robust machines often lacking the agility desired by manufacturers.

The announcement was authored by Wendy Tan-White, now serving as Intrinsic’s CEO and previously a VP of Moonshots at Alphabet. The co-founder of Moonfruit, a SaaS website builder, detailed the company’s origins.

A Competitive Landscape

A number of startups are actively working to enhance existing industrial robotics, including companies like Veo, Symbio, and Covariant. Many of these firms specialize in specific areas, such as Veo’s focus on safety protocols for human-robot collaboration. Intrinsic, however, appears to be pursuing a broader scope, aiming to address multiple challenges simultaneously.

“Our team is creating software tools to simplify the operation of industrial robots – those utilized in the production of items ranging from solar panels to automobiles – reducing costs and increasing flexibility,” explains Tan-White. “This will enable a wider range of individuals to leverage these robots for creating innovative products, businesses, and services.”

Years in Development

Alphabet possesses the financial resources and talent acquisition capabilities to achieve significant progress in this field, despite the presence of established competitors. Intrinsic has, in fact, been operating in stealth mode for five and a half years, according to the announcement, indicating a deliberate approach to development before public disclosure.

This announcement also signifies Intrinsic’s transition to an “independent” entity within Alphabet. The company is now actively seeking partnerships within the automotive, healthcare, and electronics industries to validate and refine its technologies.

The company intends to demonstrate the effectiveness of its solutions through real-world applications and collaborative efforts.