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U.S. Robotics Roadmap calls for white papers for revision

U.S. Robotics Roadmap calls for white papers for revision

The U.S. National Robotics Roadmap was first created 10 years ago. Since then, government agencies, universities, and companies have used it as a reference for where robotics is going. The first roadmap was published in 2009 and then revised in 2013 and 2016. The objective is to publish the fourth version of the roadmap by summer 2020.

The team developing the U.S. National Robotics Roadmap has put out a call to engage about 150 to 200 people from academia and industry to ensure that it is representative of the robotics community’s view of the future. The roadmap will cover manufacturing, service, medical, first-responder, and space robotics.

The revised roadmap will also include considerations related to ethics and workforce. It will cover emerging applications, the key challenges to progress, and what research and development is needed.

Join community workshops

Three one-and-a-half-day workshops will be organized for community input to the roadmap. The workshops will take place as follows:

  • Sept. 11-12 in Chicago (organized by Nancy Amato, co-director of the Parasol Lab at Texas A&M University and head of the Department of Computer Science at the University of Ilinois at Urbana-Champaign)
  • Oct. 17-18 in Los Angeles (organized by Maja Mataric, Chan Soon-Shiong distinguished professor of computer science, neuroscience, and pediatrics at the University of Southern California)
  • Nov. 15-16 in Lowell, Mass. (organized by Holly Yanco, director of the NERVE Center at the University of Massachusetts Lowell)

Participation in these workshops will be by invitation only. To participate, please submit a white paper/position statement of a maximum length of 1.5 pages. What are key use cases for robotics in a five-to-10-year perspective, what are key limitations, and what R&D is needed in that time frame? The white paper can address all three aspects or focus on one of them. The white paper must include the following information:

  • Name, affiliation, and e-mail address
  • A position statement (1.5 pages max)

Please submit the white paper as regular text or as a PDF file. Statements that are too long will be ignored. Position papers that only focus on current research are not appropriate. A white paper should present a future vision and not merely discuss state of the art.

White papers should be submitted by end of the day Aug. 15, 2019, to roadmapping@robotics-vo.org. Late submissions may not be considered. We will evaluate submitted white papers by Aug. 18 and select people for the workshops by Aug. 19.

Roadmap revision timeline

The workshop reports will be used as the basis for a synthesis of a new roadmap. The nominal timeline is:

  • August 2019: Call for white papers
  • September – November 2019: Workshops
  • December 2019: Workshops reports finalized
  • January 2020: Synthesis meeting at UC San Diego
  • February 2020: Publish draft roadmap for community feedback
  • April 2020: Revision of roadmap based on community feedback
  • May 2020: Finalize roadmap with graphics design
  • July 2020: Publish roadmap

If you have any questions about the process, the scope, etc., please send e-mail to Henrik I Christensen at hichristensen@eng.ucsd.edu.

U.S. Robotics Roadmap calls for reviewers

Henrik I Christensen spoke at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston.

Editor’s note: Christensen, Qualcomm Chancellor’s Chair of Robot Systems at the University of California San Diego and co-founder of Robust AI, delivered a keynote address at last month’s Robotics Summit & Expo, produced by The Robot Report.

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RaaS and AI help retail supply chains adopt and manage robotics, says Kindred VP

Unlike industrial automation, which has been affected by a decline in automotive sales worldwide, robots for e-commerce order fulfillment continue to face strong demand. Warehouses, third-part logistics providers, and grocers are turning to robots because of competitive pressures, labor scarcities, and consumer expectations of rapid delivery. However, robotics developers and suppliers must distinguish themselves in a crowded market. The Robotics-as-a-Service, or RaaS, model is one way to serve retail supply chain needs, said Kindred Inc.

By 2025, there will be more than 4 million robots in operation at 50,000 warehouses around the world, predicted ABI Research. It cited improvements in computer vision, artificial intelligence, and deep learning.

“Economically viable mobile manipulation robots from the likes of RightHand Robotics and Kindred Systems are now enabling a wider variety of individual items to be automatically picked and placed within a fulfillment operation,” said ABI Research. “By combining mobile robots, picking robots, and even autonomous forklifts, fulfillment centers can achieve greater levels of automation in an efficient and cost-effective way.”

“Many robot technology vendors are providing additional value by offering flexible pricing options,” stated the research firm. “Robotics-as-a-Service models mean that large CapEx costs can be replaced with more accessible OpEx costs that are directly proportional to the consumption of technologies or services, improving the affordability of robotics systems among the midmarket, further driving adoption.”

The Robot Report spoke with Victor Anjos, who recently joined San Francisco-based Kindred as vice president of engineering, about how AI and RaaS can help the logistics industry.

Kindred applies AI to sortation

Can you briefly describe Kindred’s offerings?

Anjos: Sure. Kindred makes AI-enhanced, autonomous, piece-picking robots. Today, they’re optimized to perform the piece-picking process in a fulfillment center, for example, in a facility that fills individual e-commerce orders.

It’s important to understand our solution is more than a shiny robotic arm. Besides the part you can see  — the robotic arm — our solution includes an AI platform to enable autonomous learning and in-motion planning, plus the latest in robotic technology, backed by our integration and support services.

The Robot Report visited Kindred at Automate/ProMat 2019 — what’s new since then?

Anjos: Since then, we’ve been hard at work on a new gripper optimized to handle rigid items like shampoo bottles and small cartons. We’ve got a ton of new AI models in development, and we continue to tune SORT’s performance using reinforcement learning.

What should engineers at user companies know about AutoGrasp and SORT?

Anjos: AutoGrasp is the unique combination of technologies behind SORT. There’s the AI-powered vision, grasping, and manipulation technology that allows the robot to quickly and accurately sort batches into discrete orders.

Then there’s the robotic device itself, which has been engineered for speed, agility and a wide range of motion. And finally, we offer WMS [warehouse management system] integration, process design, and deployment services, as well as ongoing maintenance and support, of course.

What use cases are better for collaborative robots or cobots versus standard industrial arms?

Anjos: Kindred’s solution is more than a robotic arm. It’s equipped with AI-enhanced computer vision, so it can work effectively in the dynamic conditions that we often find in a fulfillment environment. It responds to what it senses in real time and can even configure itself on the fly by changing the suction grip attachment while in motion.

The bottom line is, any solution that works for several different use cases is the result of compromises. That’s the nature of any multi-purpose device. We chose to optimize SORT for a specific step in the fulfillment process. That’s how we’re able to give it the ability to grasp, manipulate and place items with human-like accuracy — but with machine-like consistency and stamina.

And, like the people our robot works alongside of, SORT can learn on the job. Not only from its own experience, but based on the combined experience of other robots on the network as well.

RaaS can aid robotics adoption

RaaS Kindred Victor Anjos

Victor Anjos, VP of engineering, Kindred

Have you always offered both the AI and robotics elements of your products through an RaaS model?

Anjos: Yes, we have. Both are included in RaaS, and it has been an important part of our model.

Can you give an example of how RaaS works during implementation and then for ongoing support? What sorts of issues can arise?

Anjos: With our RaaS model, the assets are owned and maintained by Kindred, while the customer pays for the picking service as needed. Implementing RaaS eliminates the customer’s upfront capital expense.

Of course, the customer still needs to allocate operational and IT resources to make the RaaS implementation a success.

Is RaaS evolving or becoming more widespread and understood? Are there still pockets of supply chains that aren’t familiar with leasing models?

Anjos: RaaS is a relatively new concept for the supply chain industry, but it’s attracting a lot of attention. The financial model aligns with their operating budgets. And customers have an ability to scale the use of robots to meet peak demand, increasing asset utilization throughout the year.

Are there situations where it’s better to develop robots in-house or buy them outright than to use RaaS?

Anjos: Every customer I’ve spoken with has their hands full managing fulfillment operations. They’re not very eager to hire a team of AI developers to build a fleet of robots and hire engineers to maintain them! And Kindred isn’t interested in selling apparel, so it all works out!

What issues can arise during a RaaS relationship, and how much should providers and clients collaborate?

Anjos: Every supply chain system implementation is unique. During implementation, Kindred’s customer-success team works with our customer to understand performance requirements, integrate Kindred robots into their existing warehouse processes and systems, and provide onsite and remote support to ensure the success of each implementation.

Do you see RaaS spreading from order fulfillment to retail stores? What else would you like to see?

Anjos: That’s very possible. Robot use is increasing across the entire retail industry, and the RaaS model certainly makes adoption of this technology even easier and more beneficial.

For example, I can see how some of the robotic technologies developed for traditional fulfillment centers could be used in an urban or micro-fulfillment centers scenario.

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Techmetics introduces robot fleet to U.S. hotels and hospitals

Fleets of autonomous mobile robots have been growing in warehouses and the service industry. Singapore-based Techmetics has entered the U.S. market with ambitions to supply multiple markets, which it already does overseas.

The company last month launched two new lines of autonomous mobile robots. The Techi Butler is designed to serve hotel guests or hospital patients by interacting with them via a touchscreen or smartphone. It can deliver packages, room-service orders, and linens and towels.

The Techi Cart is intended to serve back-of-house services such as laundry rooms, kitchens, and housekeeping departments.

“Techmetics serves 10 different applications, including manufacturing, casinos, and small and midsize businesses,” said Mathan Muthupillai, founder and CEO of Techmetics. “We’re starting with just two in the U.S. — hospitality and healthcare.”

Building a base

Muthupillai founded Techmetics in Singapore in 2012. “We spent the first three years on research and development,” he told The Robot Report. “By the end of 2014, we started sending out solutions.”

“The R&D team didn’t just start with product development,” recalled Muthupillai. “We started with finding clients first, identified their pain points and expectations, and got feedback on what they needed.”

“A lot of other companies make a robotic base, but then they have to build a payload solution,” he said. “We started with a good robot base that we found and added our body, software layer, and interfaces. We didn’t want to build autonomous navigation from scratch.”

“Now, we’re just getting components — lasers, sensors, motors — and building everything ourselves,” he explained. “The navigation and flow-management software are created in-house. We’ve created our own proprietary software.”

“We have a range of products, all of which use 2-D SLAM [simultaneous localization and mapping], autonomous navigation, and many safety sensors,” Muthupillai added. “They come with three lasers — two vertical and one horizontal for path planning. We’re working on a 3-D-based navigation solution.”

“Our robots are based on ROS [the Robot Operating System],” said Muthupillai. “We’ve created a unique solution that comes with third-party interfaces.”

Techmetics offers multiple robot models for different industries.

Source: Techmetics

Techmetics payloads vary

The payload capacity of Techmetics’ robots depends on the application and accessories and ranges from 250 to 550 lb. (120 to 250 kg).

“The payload and software are based on the behavior patterns in an industry,” said Muthupillai. “In manufacturing or warehousing, people are used to working around robots, but in the service sector, there are new people all the time. The robot must respond to them — they may stay in its path or try to stop it.”

“When we started this company, there were few mobile robots for the manufacturing industry. They looked industrial and had relatively few safety features because they weren’t near people,” he said. “We changed the form factor for hospitality to be good-looking and safer.”

“When we talk with hotels about the Butler robots, they needed something that could go to multiple rooms,” Muthupillai explained. “Usually, staffers take two to three items in a single trip, so if a robot went to only one room and then returned, that would be a waste of time. Our robots have three compartment levels based on this feedback.”

Elevators posed a challenge for the Techi Butler and Techi Cart — not just for interoperability, but also for human-machine interaction, he said.

“Again, people working with robots didn’t share elevators with robots, but in hospitals and hotels, the robot needs to complete its job alongside people,” Muthupillai said. “After three years, we’re still modifying or adding functionalities, and the robots can take an elevator or go across to different buildings.”

“We’re not currently focusing on the supply chain industry, but we will license and launch the base into the market so that third parties can create their own solutions,” he said.

Techmetics' Techi Cart transports linens

Techi Cart transports linens and towels in a hotel or hospital. Source: Techmetics

Differentiators for Techi Butler and Cart

“We provide 10 robot models for four industries — no single company is a competitor for all our markets,” said Muthupillai. “We have three key differentiators.”

“First, customers can engage one vendor for multiple needs, and all of our robots can interact with one another,” he said. “Second, we talk with our clients and are always open to customization — for example, about compartment size — that other’s can’t do.”

“Third, we work across industries and can share our advantages across them,” Muthupillai claimed. “Since we already work with the healthcare industry, we already comply with safety and other regulations.”

“In hospitals or hotels, it’s not just about delivering a product from one point to another,” he said. “We’re adding camera and voice-recognition capabilities. If a robot sees a person who’s lost, it can help them.”

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Distribution and expansion

Techmetics’ mobile robots are manufactured in Thailand. According to Muthupillai, 80% of its robots are deployed in hotels and hospitals, and 20% are in manufacturing. The company already has distributors in Australia, Taiwan, and Thailand, and it is leveraging existing international clients for its expansion.

“We have many corporate clients in Singapore,” Muthupillai said. “The Las Vegas Sands Singapore has deployed 10 robots, and their headquarters in Las Vegas is considering deploying our products.”

“Also, U.K.-based Yotel has two hotels in Singapore, and its London branch is also interested,” he added. “The Miami Yotel is already using our robots, and soon they will be in San Francisco.”

Techmetics has three models for customers to choose from. The first is outright purchase, and the second is a two- or three-year lease. “The third model is innovative — they can try the robots from three to six months or one year and then buy,” Muthupillai said.

Muthupillai said he has moved to Techmetics’ branch office in the U.S. to manage its expansion. “We’ll be doing direct marketing in California, and we’re in the process of identifying partners, especially on the East Coast.”

“Only the theme, colors, or logos changed. No special modifications were necessary for the U.S. market,” he said. “We followed safety regulations overseas, but they were tied to U.S. regulations.”

“We will target the retail industry with a robot concierge, probably by the end of this year,” said Muthupillai. “We will eventually offer all 10 models in the U.S.”

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Robotics investments recap: March 2019

CloudMinds was among the robotics companies receiving funding in March 2019.

CloudMinds was among the robotics companies receiving funding in March 2019. Source: CloudMinds

Investments in robots, autonomous vehicles, and related systems totaled at least $1.3 billion in March 2019, down from $4.3 billion in February. On the other hand, automation companies reported $7.8 billion in mergers and acquisitions last month. While that may represent a slowdown, note that many businesses did not specify the amounts involved in their transactions, of which there were at least 58 in March.

Self-driving cars and trucks — including machine learning and sensor technologies — continued to receive significant funding. Although Lyft’s initial public offering was not directly related to autonomous vehicles, it illustrates the investments flowing for transportation.

Other use cases represented in March 2019 included surgical robotics, industrial automation, and service robots. See the table below, which lists amounts in millions of dollars where they were available:

CompanyAmt. (M$)TypeLead investor, partner, acquirerDateTechnology
Airbiquity15investmentDenso Corp., Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota Tsushu Corp.March 12, 2019connected vehicles
AROMA BIT Inc.2.2Series ASony Innovation FundMarch 3, 2019olofactory sensors
AtomRobotSeries B1Y&R CapitalMarch 5, 2019industrial automation
Automata7.4Series AABB March 19, 2019robot arm
Avidbots23.6Series BTrue VenturesMarch 21, 2019commercial floor cleaning
BoranetSeries AGobi PartnersMarch 6, 2019IIoT, machine vision
Broadmann1711Series AOurCrowdMarch 6, 2019deep learning, autonomous vehicles
Cloudminds300investmentSoftBank Vision FundMarch 26, 2019service robots
Corindus4.8private placementMarch 12, 2019surgical robot
Determined AI11Series AGV (Google Ventures)March 13, 2019AI, deep learning
Emergen Group29Series BQiming Venture PartnersMarch 13, 2019industrial automation
Fabu Technologypre-Series AQingsong FundMarch 1, 2019autonomous vehicles
FortnarecapitalizationThomas H. Lee PArtners LPMarch 27, 2019materlais handling
ForwardX14.95Series BHupang Licheng FundMarch 21, 2019autonomous mobile robots
Gaussian Robotics14.9Series BGrand Flight InvestmentMarch 20, 2019cleaning
Hangzhou Guochen Robot Technology15Series AHongcheng Capital, Yingshi Fund (YS Investment) March 13, 2019robotics R&D
Hangzhou Jimu Technology Co.Series BFlyfot VenturesMarch 6, 2019autonomous vehicles
InnerSpace3.2seedBDC Capital's Women in Technology FundMarch 26, 2019IoT
Innoviz Technologies132Series CChina Merchants Capital, Shenzhen Capital Group, New Alliance CapitalMarch 26, 2019lidar
Intelligent MarkinginvestmentBenjamin CapitalMarch 6, 2019autonomous robots for marking sports fields
Kaarta Inc.6.5Series AGreenSoil Building Innovation FundMarch 21, 2019lidar mapping
Kolmostar Inc.10Series AMarch 5, 2019positioning technology
Linear Labs4.5seedScience Inc., Kindred VenturesMarch 26, 2019motors
MELCO Factory Automation Philippines Inc.2.38new divisionMitsubishi Electric Corp.March 12, 2019industrial automation
Monet Technologies4.51joint ventureHonda Motor Co., Hino Motors Ltd., SoftBank Corp., Toyota Motor CorpMarch 28, 2019self-driving cars
Ouster60investmentRunway Growth Capital, Silicon Valley BankMarch 25, 2019lidar
Pickle Robot Co.3.5equity saleMarch 4, 2019loading robot
Preteckt2seedLos Olas Venture CapitalMarch 26, 2019machine learning automotive
Radar16investmentSound Ventures, NTT Docomo Ventures, Align Ventures, Beanstalk Ventures, Colle Capital, Founders Fund Pathfinder, Novel TMTMarch 28, 2019RFID inventory management
Revvo (IntelliTire)4Series ANorwest Venture PartnersMarch 26, 2019smart tires
Shanghai Changren Information Technology14.89Series AMarch 15, 2019Xiaobao healthcare robot
TakeOff Technologies Inc.equity saleMarch 26, 2019grocery robots
TartanSense2seedOmnivore, Blume Ventures, BEENEXTMarch 11, 2019weeding robot
Teraki2.3investmentHorizon Ventures, American Family VenturesMarch 27, 2019AI, automotive electronics
Think Surgical134investmentMarch 11, 2019surgical robot
Titan Medical25IPOMarch 22, 2019surgical robotics
TMiRobSeries B+Shanghai Zhangjiang Torch Venture Capital March 26, 2019hospital robot
TOYO Automation Co.investmentYamaha Motor Co.March 20, 2019actuators
UbtechinvestmentLiangjiang CapitalMarch 6, 2019humanoid
Vintra4.8investmentBonfire Ventures, Vertex Ventures, London Venture PartnersMarch 11, 2019machine vision
Vtrus2.9investmentMarch 8, 2019drone inspection
Weltmeister Motor450Series CBaidu Inc.March 11, 2019self-driving cars

And here are the mergers and acquisitions:

March 2019 robotics acquisitions

CompanyAmt. (M$)AcquirerDateTechnology
Accelerated DynamicsAnimal Dynamics3/8/2019AI, drone swarms
Astori AS4Subsea3/19/2019undersea control systems
BrainlabSmith & Nephew3/12/2019surgical robot
Figure Eight175Appen Ltd.3/10/2019AI, machine learning
Floating Point FXCycloMedia3/7/2019machine vision, 3D modeling
Florida Turbine Technologies60Kratos Defense and Security Solutions3/1/2019drones
Infinity Augmented RealityAlibaba Group Holding Ltd.3/21/2019AR, machine vision
Integrated Device Technology Inc.6700Renesas3/30/2019self-driving vehicle processors
MedineeringBrainlab3/20/2019surgical
Modern Robotics Inc.0.97Boxlight Corp.3/14/2019STEM
OMNI Orthopaedics Inc.Corin Group3/6/2019surgical robotics
OrthoSpace Ltd.220Stryker Corp.3/14/2019surgical robotics
Osiris Therapeutics660Smith & Nephew3/12/2019surgical robotics
Restoration Robotics Inc.21Venus Concept Ltd.3/15/2019surgical robotics
Sofar Ocean Technologies7Spoondrift, OpenROV3/28/2019underwater drones, sensors
Torc Robotics Inc.Daimler Trucks and Buses Holding Inc.3/29/2019driverless truck software

Surgical robots make the cut

One of the largest transactions reported in March 2019 was Smith & Nephew’s purchase of Osiris Therapeutics for $660 million. However, some Osiris shareholders are suing to block the acquisition because they believe the price that U.K.-based Smith & Nephew is offering is too low. The shareholders’ confidence reflects a hot healthcare robotics space, where capital, consolidation, and chasing new applications are driving factors.

In the meantime, Stryker Corp. bought sports medicine provider OrthoSpace Ltd. for $220 million. The market for sports medicine will experience a compound annual growth rate of 8.9% between now and 2023, predicts Market Research Future.

Freemont, Calif.-based Think Surgical raised $134 million for its robot-assisted orthopedic surgical device, and Titan Medical closed a $25 million public offering last month.

Venus Concept Ltd. merged with hair-implant provider Restoration Robotics for $21 million, and Shanghai Changren Information Technology raised Series A funding of $14.89 million for its Xiaobao healthcare robot.

Corindus Vascular Robotics Inc. added $5 million to the $15 million it had raised the month before. Brainlab acquired Medineering and was itself acquired by Smith & Nephew.

Driving toward automation in March 2019

Aside from Lyft, the biggest reported transportation robotics transaction in March 2019 was Renesas’ completion of its $6.7 billion purchase of Integrated Device Technology Inc. for its self-driving car chips.

The next biggest deal was Weltmeister Motor’s $450 million Series C, in which Baidu Inc. participated.

Lidar also got some support, with Innoviz Technologies raising $132 million in a Series C round, and Ouster raising $60 million. In a prime example of how driverless technology is “paying a peace dividend” to other applications, Google parent Alphabet’s Waymo unit offered its custom lidar sensors to robotics, security, and agricultural companies.

Automakers recognize the need for 3-D modeling, sensors, and software for autonomous vehicles to navigate safely and accurately. A Daimler unit acquired Torc Robotics Inc., which is working on driverless trucks, and CycloMedia acquired machine vision firm Floating Point FX. The amounts were not specified.

Speaking of machine learning, Appen Ltd. acquired dataset annotation company Figure Eight for $175 million, with an possible $125 million more based on 2019 performance. Denso Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. contributed $15 million to Airbiquity, which is working on connected vehicles.

Service robots clean up

From retail to cleaning and customer service, the combination of improving human-machine interactions, ongoing staffing turnover and shortages, and companies with round-the-clock operations has contributed to investor interest.

The SoftBank Vision Fund participated in a $300 million round for CloudMinds. The Chinese AI and robotics company’s XR-1 is a humanoid service robot, and it also makes security robots and connects robots to the cloud.

According to its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, TakeOff Technologies Inc. raised an unspecified amount for its grocery robots, an area that many observers expect to grow as consumers become more accustomed to getting home deliveries.

On the cleaning side, Avidbots raised $23.6 million in Series B, led by True Ventures. Gaussian Robotics’ Series B was $14.9 million, with participation from Grand Flight Investment.

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Wrapping up Q1 2019

China’s efforts to develop its domestic robotics industry continued, as Emergen Group’s $29 million Series B round was the largest reported investment in industrial automation last month.

Hangzhou Guochen Robot Technology raised $15 million in Series A funding for robotics research and development and integration.

That was followed by ABB’s participation in Series A funding of $7.4 million for Automata, which makes a small collaborative robot arm named Ava. Mitsubishi Electric Corp. said it’s spending $2.38 million to set up a new company, MELCO Factory Automation Philippines Inc., because it expects to grow its business there to $30 million by 2026.

Data startup Spopondrift and underwater drone maker OpenROV merged to form Sofar Ocean Technologies. The new San Francisco company also announced a Series A round of $7 million. Also, 4Subsea acquired underwater control systems maker Astori AS.

In the aerial drone space, Kratos Defense and Security Solutions acquired Florida Turbine Technologies for $60 million, and Vtrus raised $2.9 million for commercializing drone inspections. Kaarta Inc., which makes a lidar for indoor mapping, raised $6.5 million.

The Robot Report broke the news of Aria Insights, formerly known as CyPhy Works, shutting down in March 2019.

Editors Note: What defines robotics investments? The answer to this simple question is central in any attempt to quantify robotics investments with some degree of rigor. To make investment analyses consistent, repeatable, and valuable, it is critical to wring out as much subjectivity as possible during the evaluation process. This begins with a definition of terms and a description of assumptions.

Investors and Investing
Investment should come from venture capital firms, corporate investment groups, angel investors, and other sources. Friends-and-family investments, government/non-governmental agency grants, and crowd-sourced funding are excluded.

Robotics and Intelligent Systems Companies
Robotics companies must generate or expect to generate revenue from the production of robotics products (that sense, think, and act in the physical world), hardware or software subsystems and enabling technologies for robots, or services supporting robotics devices. For this analysis, autonomous vehicles (including technologies that support autonomous driving) and drones are considered robots, while 3D printers, CNC systems, and various types of “hard” automation are not.

Companies that are “robotic” in name only, or use the term “robot” to describe products and services that that do not enable or support devices acting in the physical world, are excluded. For example, this includes “software robots” and robotic process automation. Many firms have multiple locations in different countries. Company locations given in the analysis are based on the publicly listed headquarters in legal documents, press releases, etc.

Verification
Funding information is collected from a number of public and private sources. These include press releases from corporations and investment groups, corporate briefings, and association and industry publications. In addition, information comes from sessions at conferences and seminars, as well as during private interviews with industry representatives, investors, and others. Unverifiable investments are excluded.

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10 tech-savvy companies on the hunt for AI/robotics talent and IP

Tencent, Alibaba, Baidu and JD.com from China are in a global competition with Google/Alphabet, Apple, Facebook, Walmart and Amazon from the USA and SoftBank from Japan. All are agressively searching for talent, intellectual property, market share, logistics and supply chain technology, and presence all around the world. These leading tech-savvy companies have many things in…

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