Kickoff of 2024 SVR Robotics Accelerator
OAK-Thermal available for preorder and why Private Equity is a robotics investor
On Tuesday Jan 30th we’re having a kickoff meeting for the SVR Startup Accelerator mentoring program for robotics startups at any stage. Here’s a link for more information, and if you’re interested in attending our first session then sign up here.
Of course if you’re in Europe near Rotterdam, then our IEEE Manufacturing for Robotics Startup Workshop will be on Feb 1st. Learn more or sign up here!
The drop-off in startup funding and a lack of exit options in recent years have left many startups on the brink of collapse.
In the wake of the VC downturn, a handful of new investors have cropped up to offer struggling startups a second chance. Firms like Resurge Growth Partners, Tikto Capital and Arising Ventures target startups that no longer fit the typical VC mold with the intention of turning them into private equity-ready assets.
We spoke to Eyal Malinger, partner at Resurge Growth Partners, about how this type of strategy is turning around overlooked VC-backed companies.
This is a very interesting concept for robotics companies that can see a profitable, rather than an exponential, business in front of them. via Pitchbook
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If you are a robotics company, January is a great time to join Silicon Valley Robotics.
Interesting Robotics:
Luxonis continues to add more and more sensors to their platform
We are thrilled to announce that our OAK-Thermal (OAK-T) is now available for pre-order in our Early Access store (here). Rounds of prototypes have already been completed and we’ll be shipping out our first mass production deliveries in the beginning of April. If you pre-order now then you’ll be first in line to receive our first production units.
The decision to add a thermal sensor to OAK was made by our customers who frequently requested the ability to fuse thermal data with high resolution RGB all on a compact edge device. The OAK-T opens up all kinds of new potential applications such as detecting leaks that the vision based systems (and humans) are unable to detect. Additionally, the OAK-T will be useful for detecting humans & animals, monitoring equipment, detecting fires, and much more!
Thermal cameras detect infrared radiation, which is emitted by all objects based on their temperature. We use a special IR-capable lens to focus the infrared light emitted by all of the objects/scene in view, which is then scanned by an array of infrared-detector elements ("pixels") in the camera. Here are some key technical details:
Thermal sensitivity: 50mK @ 25°C and 25Hz
Measurement range: -15°C - 150°C
Thermal Accuracy: ±2°C or ±2% (whichever is larger)
Sensor type: Uncooled VOx detector
Spectral range: 8-14µm
Robotics News:
Why are so many robots white? - The Conversation
Sex robots go to court: Testing the limits of privacy and sexual freedom - The Hill
General purpose humanoid robots? Bill Gates is a believer - TechCrunch
Why Bill Gates sees robots in your company’s future - Inc
The start-ups making robots a reality - GatesNotes
That Awesome Robot Demo Could Have a Human in the Loop - How to tell whether a robot is being teleoperated - IEEE Spectrum
Robotics expert says AI hype is due for a brutal reality check - Futurism
Apple Car pushed back to 2028. Autonomous Driving? Forget About It - CleanTechnica
Apple is pivoting to a less ambitious design for its autonomous EV amid launch delays, report says - Business Insider
Level Five autonomous driving won’t happen, says former GM R&D Chief - GM Authority
MightyFly unveils autonomous cargo aircraft with 600-mile range - Flying
Autonomous rock picker picks up to 600 rocks per hour - Rural Radio
Bluewhite raises $39M to expand autonomous tractors for farms worldwide - The Robot Report
Ryder adds Kodiak Robotics to its autonomous trucking dance card - FreightWaves
Gitai autonomous robot arm set to launch to the ISS - Space Watch Global
Deep Robotics plans for the dark (as in factory) - Interesting Engineering
California restaurant incorporates robotics and AI - CBS News
Chef Robotics eyes commercial kitchens with $14.75M raise - TechCrunch
A restaurant robot might mix your next cocktail - Axios
Pudu Robotics CEO predicts that service robot market will expand - The Robot Report
Brain Corp announces unprecedented scale for Autonomous Mobile Robots in 2023 and welcomes accomplished SaaS leader, Chris Lobdell as Chief Revenue Officer - Brain Corp
Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute receives DOD funding for another five years - The Pittsburgh Gazette
Could a security guard shortage be solved with this robot? - FOX News
Are robots better surgeons? - Nature
Robotics Events:
30 Jan - SVR Startup Accelerator Meeting - Circuit Launch Oakland and Online
7 Feb - Bots & Beer - Circuit Launch Oakland
8 Feb - InOrbit Robot Space Anniversary Party - Mountain View CA
20-21 Feb - IEEE Serious Open Source 2024 - Mountain View CA
5-6 April - SF Symphony: Press Play Carol Reiley and the Robots - Soundbox SF
6 April - Robot Block Party - exciting new location (more news soon!)
18-21 April 2024 - RoboGames - TBC
21 April 2024 - Robots on Ice - Yerba Buena Skating Rink SF
Some upcoming academic robotics conferences
TAHRI 2024 Boulder CO 9 Mar - 10 Mar (Technology Advances for HRI)
HRI 2024 Boulder CO 11 Mar - 14 Mar
Haptics 2024 Long Beach CA 7 Apr - 10 Apr
Robosoft 2024 San Diego CA 14 Apr - 17 Apr
ICRA 2024 Yokohama Japan 13 May - 17 May 2024
ARSO 2024 Hong Kong, China 20 May - 22 May 2024
AIM 2024 Boston MA 14 July - 18 July
CASE 2024 Puglia Italy 28 Aug - 1 Sep 2024
IROS 2024 AbuDhabi 14 Oct - 18 Oct 2024
Humanoids 2024 Nancy FR 26 Nov - 28 Nov
ICRA 2025 Atlanta Georgia 17 May - 23 May 2025