Robot Response Team - Experts in Robotics

Catching Up on Recent Robotics Developments

I have recently been deeply involved in a significant project, which has unfortunately kept me distanced from immediate breaking news. Consequently, I haven’t been fully abreast of the latest developments in the robotics field this week. This article serves as an opportunity to review some key updates.

Diligent Robotics and the Pandemic's Impact

I recently had the chance to interview representatives from Diligent Robotics, a company whose experience during the pandemic proved particularly noteworthy.

A Shift in Healthcare Demand

The landscape of the world was markedly different when Diligent Robotics announced its Series A funding. March 2020, though not distant, saw healthcare systems and hospitals experience immense pressure during a pandemic of unforeseen scale and duration. Demand for Moxi, the company’s nurse assisting robot, increased substantially as hospital staff faced growing workloads and staffing shortages, accelerating pre-existing trends.

The $10 million investment received last year has undoubtedly aided Diligent’s expansion. However, the company encountered the challenge of scaling production while adapting to remote work arrangements.

Insights from Andrea Thomaz

Andrea Thomaz, co-founder of Diligent Robotics and an associate professor at Georgia Tech, joined us to discuss the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the past year.

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The Pandemic's Profound Effects

How significant is the pandemic’s influence on the robotics industry, and on Diligent Robotics in particular?

There has been a dramatic shift in labor markets across numerous sectors. This appears linked to both the “Great Resignation,” where individuals are seeking alternative career paths, and a significant number of job changes. We are observing this trend throughout the technology sector, including our industry and healthcare, with many people opting for different professions.

A Perfect Storm of Challenges

This situation represents a confluence of factors, with fewer individuals willing to take on certain jobs while the need for those jobs simultaneously increases.

This trend began before the pandemic, which simply exacerbated the issue. The Affordable Care Act, by expanding healthcare access, led to increased hospital visits and patient care. Coupled with an aging population, this resulted in a greater demand for care with a diminishing workforce.

Quantifying the Increased Demand

Can you provide quantifiable data on the growth in demand, comparing initial hospital deployments to the subsequent surge?

We are not currently disclosing those figures. However, we anticipate sharing more detailed scaling announcements in the early part of next year. Currently, we are doubling the number of deployed robots each quarter.

Robot Implementation Process

What does the process entail when integrating one of these robots into a hospital setting?

Hospital environments are unique compared to traditional automation in warehouses or manufacturing facilities. Humans, specifically nurses and clinicians, are present, and the robot must operate effectively alongside them. Our initial step involves a thorough workflow assessment to understand how work currently functions within that environment.

Impact on Company Growth

How has the pandemic affected your company’s growth trajectory?

Prior to the pandemic, our focus was on validating product-market fit. We maintained a small R&D team, making incremental product improvements, and prioritizing customer engagement to demonstrate value. Now, the emphasis is on execution and rapid delivery, focusing on streamlining implementation and enhancing robustness. On the hardware side, we are concentrating on design for manufacturing and reliability, leveraging data from robots already deployed in the field.

Unexpected Customer Requests

Have there been any surprising features or requests from customers that emerged as a result of the pandemic?

Across all our customer sites, the most frequent request we receive from nurses is whether the robot can retrieve coffee for them. They envision Moxi fetching coffee from the lobby Starbucks, justifying it as a time-saving measure. While not currently a priority, it’s not entirely dismissed.

Espresso Machines and Future Funding

Are there plans to integrate an espresso machine into Moxi?

Not within the next year.

Do you foresee seeking additional funding in the near future?

We are developing plans for securing growth capital, though details are still being finalized. Given the substantial increase in customer demand, we are prepared to accelerate team expansion and increase robot deployments.

Geographic Focus

Is your current focus primarily on the U.S. market?

For the time being. We are beginning to explore potential international strategies. While we don’t anticipate international deployments next year, we are receiving considerable interest and evaluating potential distribution partnerships. We receive several international inquiries each month, but are not currently engaged in any projects with international clients.

Other Robotics News

Beyond Diligent Robotics, several other noteworthy developments in the robotics sector have emerged this week. Tortoise, a company specializing in remote-controlled delivery bots, has secured a significant partnership with King Retail Solutions. This collaboration will deploy over 500 robots to U.S. sidewalks for last-mile delivery.

“Everyone is realizing that same-day delivery is the new standard, and it’s simply unsustainable to meet this consumer expectation with people earning $20 an hour for those deliveries,” stated CEO Dmitry Shevelenko.

Google’s Wing Expands Drone Delivery

Google’s Wing has announced a partnership with Vicinity Centres, an Australian retail property group, to expand its drone-based delivery program. Following its recent milestone of 100,000 deliveries, the Wing team reports having completed 2,500 deliveries from the roof of Logan, Australia’s Grand Plaza shopping center in the past month.

Residents can now access bubble tea, juice, sushi, and health and beauty products. Wing notes, “Since almost every business has a roof, our new rooftop delivery model opens up the possibility for more businesses to offer drone delivery services with minimal additional cost or infrastructure.”

Blendid Powers Jamba Kiosk

In the realm of automated beverage preparation, Bay Area-based smoothie robot maker Blendid has announced it will be powering Jamba’s second mall kiosk. The location opened this week in Downey, California, a city also home to the oldest operating McDonald’s.

Is this the wave of the future or merely a novelty? Perhaps both.

“Following a successful launch of our first Jamba by Blendid kiosk, we’re excited to open a second test kiosk at the Stonewood Center, bringing freshly blended smoothies to mall shoppers,” said Jamba president Geoff Henry. “Jamba by Blendid provides an opportunity for our local franchisees to make smoothies more accessible to Jamba fans, while leveraging the latest in technology to deliver contactless food.”

Wavemaker Labs Acquires Abundant Robotics IP

Regarding orchard robotics, The Robot Report highlights Wavemaker Labs’ acquisition of the intellectual property from Abundant Robotics, which ceased operations earlier this summer. This acquisition likely won’t result in the revival of Abundant’s apple-picking robots, but rather the integration of its technology into the robotic systems developed by Future Acres, a Wavemaker portfolio company.

MIT’s Robotic Search Technology

Finally, MIT has developed a robotic search system utilizing an RF antenna and camera mounted on an arm to locate lost objects.