Dinner is Served

The Shifting Landscape of Robotics and Automation

My focus has been heavily on preparations for CES – and, to some extent, re-evaluating those plans – this week. A peculiar situation arises when receiving proposals for the seemingly endless stream of UV light sanitizing robots while simultaneously considering the benefits and risks of attending a large event in person, given the latest surge in variant cases.

We have ultimately decided against traveling to Las Vegas for this year’s show, but anticipate having ample material to cover in the newsletter over the coming weeks.

Reflections on In-Person Events

It’s striking to realize that CES and our Robotics Session were the last in-person events I attended, almost two years ago. Having been involved in organizing the latter and leading TechCrunch’s CES coverage, I deeply appreciate the importance of careful consideration when making decisions about event attendance.

I still believe there’s significant value in attending conferences physically, especially when it comes to assessing robots. A virtual meeting, such as a Zoom call, simply cannot replicate the comprehensive evaluation possible with a hands-on experience.

Mainstream Adoption: Close, Yet Distant

All of this underscores how close – and yet still somewhat distant – mainstream adoption of robotic systems feels. I’ve received a notably higher volume of robotics proposals for this CES, a show traditionally considered a predictor of future trends.

These proposals span a broad spectrum, encompassing both consumer and industrial applications – and everything in between.

The pandemic has undeniably fueled excitement and investment in the industry, but the rate of adoption differs considerably depending on the specific category.

Warehouse and Fulfillment Robotics: A Current Reality

Our year-end analysis has highlighted two areas that are progressing at a reasonable pace. Warehouse and fulfillment robotics, much like the evolution of manufacturing, are demonstrably a reality today.

If you’ve recently made an online purchase, it’s highly probable that a robot played a role in delivering it to you at some point in the supply chain.

Delivery Robotics: Pilots and Regulatory Hurdles

Delivery robots present a more complex scenario. While numerous pilot programs are underway, and you may have even observed them in operation – particularly near college campuses – widespread deployment remains a challenge.

Sidewalks are less controlled environments than warehouses, and navigating the regulatory landscape for public deployment introduces significant hurdles. Despite substantial funding, a future with robot-saturated sidewalks is not yet imminent.

The Focus Shifts to Food Preparation

This week, I want to turn our attention to the entities – or, rather, the systems – responsible for preparing the food that these robots might eventually deliver to your doorstep.

We recently sought insights from iRobot co-founder and CEO Colin Angle, asking him to reflect on the past year in robotics and offer a prediction for the year ahead.

Colin Angle’s Perspective on 2021 and 2022

What was the defining robotics / AI / automation trend of 2021? Warehouse automation, advancements in assisted driving technology, and even poop detection were areas that saw significant breakthroughs in 2021.

It was a remarkable year, as the surge in online shopping – which nearly overwhelmed systems in 2020 – was largely accommodated thanks to substantial investments in automation.

I even noticed television commercials for autonomous-driving trucks aimed at audiences in Middle America. Is this truly happening?

Furthermore, I’m proud to say that a previously challenging aspect of robot vacuuming – reliably identifying and avoiding waste – has been resolved with the advent of affordable, high-reliability visual object recognition. 2021 was, without a doubt, a transformational year for robotics.

What will 2022 bring for these categories? As we enter 2022, I hope to see genuine progress toward the smart home that people have been anticipating.

Currently, the smart home is often overly complex and difficult to use, but the necessary tools are emerging to create experience-first ecosystems that are both capable and user-friendly.

Therefore, I anticipate 2022 will not only see continued industry acceleration but also a significant leap forward in the seamless integration of robotics into our daily lives. The growing momentum is truly exciting!

And now, for a rather awkward transition, we move from discussing waste detection to food preparation [a note for corporate regarding potential subscriber loss in the newsletter’s third week].

The Rise of Robotic Food Preparation

The past year witnessed substantial growth in robotic food preparation. Before the pandemic, there were relatively few prominent startups in this field. Some, like Zume Robotics, even shifted their focus away from this area.

However, alongside the broader influx of venture capital into robotics, we’ve seen increased investment in automating the restaurant industry.

The primary drivers are well-known: a severe staffing shortage in the U.S. and the fact that robots don’t get sick – nor do they transmit illness.

Four Key Areas of Food Robotics

If I were to summarize the current state of food robotics in four words, they would be:

• Pizza
• Bowls
• Fastfood (a slight cheat, combining two words)
• Kiosks

Pizza and bowls are leading the way for similar reasons. Automating food preparation requires a product that is both popular and relatively standardized.

While there’s a wide variety of toppings, making pizza is a relatively straightforward process for a robot: dough, sauce, cheese, toppings, cooking, and repetition.

Companies like Picnic and XRobotics are aiming to build upon the foundation laid by Zume.

Bowls offer a similar advantage. Their increasing popularity and basic template make them well-suited for automation.

Even with variations in toppings and bases like salads, quinoa, and others, the underlying principle remains simple.

It’s no surprise that California-based fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreens acquired MIT spinout Spyce in August. This followed a similar acquisition by DoorDash, which purchased salad-making robotics firm Chowbotics in February.

Miso is currently at the forefront of fast food automation, with several significant partnerships announced. The company’s hamburger-flipping and fry-cooking robot cannot yet replace an entire kitchen staff, but it’s becoming increasingly capable with each new generation.

Kiosks, meanwhile, are designed to minimize human involvement. This solution has gained traction due to the aforementioned labor shortage.

Human interaction is largely limited to loading, maintenance, and order placement. However, with the right technology, you can effectively create a self-contained kitchen capable of preparing fresh food with the push of a button, as demonstrated by products like Nommi, whose recent partnership with C3 brings food from Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto to a 24/7 automated food preparation system.

Recent News and Developments

Activity has slowed somewhat this week, ahead of the holidays. However, we did get a preview of what Hyundai is planning to showcase at CES.

The automaker has significantly increased its investment in robotics, including the acquisition of Boston Dynamics. The new Mobile Eccentric Droid (MobED) is a versatile platform – both literally, as a four-wheel mobility device with a central staging area, and figuratively, capable of supporting a range of features, from teleconferencing to package delivery to functioning as a smart baby carriage.

Hyundai describes its stabilizing technology as follows:

Tiger Global continues its investment spree, leading a $30 million Series B round for Pasadena, California’s Elementary. The round, which also includes Fika Ventures, Fathom Capital, Riot VC, and Toyota Ventures, brings the machine vision startup’s total funding to $47.5 million.

Founder and CEO Arye Barnehama shared with TechCrunch:

Finally, Unbox Robotics secured a $7 million Series A round led by 3one4 Capital. Sixth Sense Ventures, Redstart Labs, and existing investors, including SOSV, also participated. The India-based logistics robotics company plans to use the funding for hiring, technology development, and expansion into new markets.

Didn’t receive what you wished for during the holidays? Consider treating yourself to a complimentary weekly robotics newsletter!