In Episode 167 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre discuss the latest robotics news from the past week.
In this conversation, Dr. Henrik Christensen discusses the intersection of robotics and federal policy, emphasizing the need for more attention and funding for the robotics sector. He highlights the challenges of reshoring manufacturing, the implications of political campaigns on robotics, and the importance of tariffs and immigration reforms. The discussion also covers the impact of recent legislation like the Build Back Better Act and the CHIPS Act on the robotics industry, as well as the future of semiconductor manufacturing and international partnerships in robotics.
Show timeline
6:25 – News of the week
22:45 – Interview with Dr Henrik Christensen
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News of the week
Robot Utility Models: the coolest thing you never heard about (yet)
Robot Utility Models (RUM), created by Lerrel Pinto and his team at NYU, are an open-source research project aiming to generalize robot training, reducing the need for extensive data and enabling robots to perform tasks in unseen environments.
Service robot sales climb by 30% worldwide, reports the IFR
According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), sales of professional service robots surged by 30% globally in 2023, reaching over 205,000 units. The Asia-Pacific region dominated the market, accounting for nearly 80% of sales. Transportation and logistics applications led the way, with sales increasing by 35%. Hospitality robots also saw significant growth, driven by demand for mobile guidance and information services. Agricultural robots experienced a 21% increase in sales, fueled by labor shortages and the need for more sustainable farming practices.
Corvus Robotics raises $18M for updated drone inventory system
Corvus Robotics Inc. has closed an $18 million Series A round and seed funding led by S2G Ventures and Spero Ventures. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company has been engineering and validating its inventory drone system since it was founded in 2017. Until now, Corvus has been relatively quiet with marketing and sales. With the funding, the company has a new war chest and is hiring new marketing, sales, and support staffers to begin expanding its customer base.
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