Formant: Unified Robotics Platform | Solve the Tower of Babel

Formant: Providing the Operating System for Robotics Fleets

For companies developing SaaS solutions or web applications, creating a bespoke analytics platform is often impractical. It’s a highly specialized field with numerous complexities, and typically falls outside the core focus of the business. Formant is addressing a similar need within the robotics industry, offering automation companies tools to accelerate their time to market.

A Three-Pronged Approach

Formant’s core offerings encompass three key areas: remote control of autonomous robots – termed “operation” by the company – comprehensive analytics, and diagnostic tools to understand robotic malfunctions, which they refer to as “observe.”

The company recently secured $18 million in Series A funding, led by SignalFire, with participation from Hillsven, Pelion, Goodyear Ventures, Thursday Ventures, Ericsson, Picus Capital, and Holman Growth Ventures.

The Genesis of Formant

Jeff Linnell explains the company’s origins, stating, “We launched in 2017 after I departed from Google, bringing my team with me. While at Google’s robotics division, I identified a significant opportunity. Robotics hardware was rapidly advancing, with companies like Boston Dynamics leading innovation.

“However, the software infrastructure lagged considerably. A standardized operating system was absent, forcing each company to develop entire software stacks for every application. This meant building not only perception and autonomy capabilities, but also data management systems and more.”

From API to Comprehensive Platform

Initially, Formant began as an API enabling robots to request human assistance when encountering difficulties – such as a robot becoming stuck. A human operator could then remotely control the robot to resolve the issue before resuming autonomous operation.

This evolved into a more robust platform designed to manage the unpredictable scenarios inherent in robotics and robotic fleet management.

Focusing on the Edge Cases

“We don’t directly engage with the robot’s autonomy – ensuring the robot performs its intended tasks remains the customer’s responsibility,” clarifies Linnell. “Our software steps in when the robot deviates from its programmed path, when troubleshooting is required, or when assessing overall performance is necessary.”

Consider a robotic vacuum cleaner becoming lodged under furniture; the frustration of needing remote control instead of physically retrieving it illustrates the core problem Formant solves, but on a much larger and potentially more hazardous scale.

Use Cases Beyond Remote Control

Beyond remote intervention, Formant provides valuable insights for robotic fleet management.

“For example, imagine a company providing floor-scrubbing robots. If they notice a pattern of robots struggling in a specific warehouse area, or receive customer complaints, they can use Formant to analyze historical logs,” Linnell explains. “This might reveal a weak Wi-Fi signal in that location.”

While robots typically report complete Wi-Fi outages, intermittent connectivity issues can be difficult to diagnose without tools like Formant’s software. A simple solution, such as installing a Wi-Fi extender, could resolve the problem.

Measuring Fleet ROI

“Another use case involves businesses wanting to measure the return on investment of their robotic fleets. They can track metrics like the number of times robots require assistance, the duration of autonomous operation versus manual control, and overall efficiency,” Linnell elaborates. “This provides an analytics workflow with dashboards displaying data trends over time.”

Formant reports that most customers initially address one of these three challenges before adopting the full platform.

A Unified View of Heterogeneous Fleets

Formant also offers a platform for managing diverse robotics manufacturers.

“Many of our larger clients operate fleets comprised of robots from various vendors. Their autonomy teams may be evaluating robots from companies like Boston Dynamics, Fanuc, and DJI. They require a unified data platform capable of integrating data from all these sources,” says Linnell. “Formant provides this comprehensive view, something no individual robot manufacturer can offer.”

Future Growth and Expansion

The company states its software currently manages tens of thousands of robots and plans to double its workforce over the next 12-18 months, focusing on engineering, sales, and expansion into Europe. Hiring is underway in locations including Pittsburgh.

“We acquired a teleoperations company based in Pittsburgh several years ago,” Linnell notes. “Pittsburgh is a thriving hub for automation, boasting Carnegie Mellon University and a significant concentration of self-driving and robotics companies. The cost of operations in Pittsburgh is also considerably lower, offering access to top talent at a competitive rate.”