Pizza, Snakes, and Summer Fun

A Surge in Robotics Investment and Innovation

Recent weeks have demonstrated a significant upswing in activity within the robotics sector. The volume of developments has been substantial, indicating continued and robust investment interest in the field.

Investment activity has been remarkably diverse, encompassing companies specializing in surgical procedures, fulfillment solutions, and agricultural technologies. Furthermore, notable partnerships have emerged in the grocery and food delivery industries.

Medical Robotics Advancements

Memic, a surgical robotics firm, recently secured a $96 million Series D funding round, spearheaded by Peregrine Ventures and Ceros. This investment follows recent FDA authorization, a critical milestone for any medical robotics enterprise.

The funding more than triples the company’s previous total of $31.8 million. Hominis, their core platform, is presently designed for transvaginal procedures, with plans for expansion into other surgical applications.

Moray Media, a newer company, announced a $5.7 million seed round, building upon an earlier $3 million increase. Their Coral system is being developed for transcatheter mitral valve repair.

According to co-founder and CEO Mark Barrish, these systems aim to enhance procedural efficacy across varying levels of operator expertise.

Warehouse and Fulfillment Automation

Pickle, an MIT startup, emerged from stealth mode this week, announcing a $5.75 million funding round. The company claims its technology can achieve 1,600 box picks per hour, surpassing competitor speeds.

Despite being in its early stages, Pickle is already accepting preorders for its picking system, with shipments anticipated to begin in early 2022.

RightHand Robotics unveiled its third-generation robot, an autonomous system designed for increased speed and a broader product range. The improvement is largely attributed to a faster GPU, capable of processing data six times more efficiently.

Robotics in Service and Delivery

Domino’s announced a partnership with Nuro to implement robotic delivery services. Customers in Houston can now receive pizza deliveries via Nuro’s R2 robot, with the option to specifically request the robotic delivery from the Woodland Heights location.

Kroger has opened a large warehouse near Cincinnati, resulting from a collaboration with Ocado. The 375,000-square-foot facility will employ 1,000 robots alongside 400 human workers, serving approximately 20 stores in the region.

Strategic Acquisitions and Agricultural Innovation

AppHarvest announced its intention to acquire Root AI for $60 million. This acquisition aims to leverage Root AI’s data gathering capabilities in crop harvesting technology.

AppHarvest founder and CEO Jonathan Webb stated that indoor farming addresses challenges related to weather, droughts, and contamination, while data collection can improve crop quality and yield.

Carbon Robotics introduced a large-scale weeding robot, utilizing computer vision and lasers to eliminate up to 100,000 weeds per hour. This offers farmers a herbicide-free solution for weed control.

Research and Underwater Exploration

Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) continue to explore new applications for their snake robot. The team is currently developing its swimming capabilities for inspecting underwater structures, such as submarines and boat hulls.

This latest development builds upon the robot’s existing versatility and demonstrates ongoing innovation in the field of robotics.