Robotics & Automation News

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Hyphen raises $24 million to commercialise automated kitchen system

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Hyphen, an automation company that uses software and robotics to help improve efficiency and consistency in commercial kitchens, has raised $24 million in Series A financing led by Tiger Global, with participation from Steve Fredette, the co-founder and president of Toast, Inc.

Existing investors who also participated in this oversubscribed round include Marc Rowan, co-founder and CEO of Apollo Global Management; Donald Moore, former chief culinary officer and EVP at The Cheesecake Factory; and more.

Hyphen has raised $34.4 million to date and will use the funds to build out their factory, expand into new markets, invest in research and dvelopment for next-generation products, and deploy with customers across the United States. [Read more…] about Hyphen raises $24 million to commercialise automated kitchen system

Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser

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Carbon Robotics, an agricultural robotics company, today unveiled its 2022 LaserWeeder implement, an autonomous, laserweeding pull-behind robot that seamlessly attaches to the back of tractors.

The new LaserWeeder is a precise, organic, and cost-effective weed control solution for large-scale specialty row crops.

In addition to an updated build, the 2022 LaserWeeder features 30 industrial CO2 lasers, more than 3X the lasers in Carbon Robotics’ self-driving Autonomous LaserWeeder, creating an average weeding capacity of two acres per hour. [Read more…] about Carbon Robotics unveils new farm tech that kills weeds by zapping them with a laser

Electric Sheep Robotics launches its Dexter robotic lawnmower system

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Electric Sheep Robotics, the leader in autonomous lawn mowing, has officially launched its Dexter robot.

Dexter takes existing commercial lawn mowers, both gas and electric, and turns them into autonomous vehicles. Dexter is designed to address critical labor shortages in the landscaping, facilities, and property management industries.

Nationally, a record 4.5 million US workers quit their jobs in November. There are more job openings than there are workers. The labor market in landscaping is particularly dire. [Read more…] about Electric Sheep Robotics launches its Dexter robotic lawnmower system

Agtonomy raises another $5 million to develop technology platform for local agriculture

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Agtonomy, a hybrid autonomy and tele-assist service platform, has raised an additional $5 million in Seed II funding from strategic and venture investors Toyota Ventures, Flybridge, Hampton VC, E²JDJ and Momenta, for a total of $9 million in seed funding to date.

The startup, which is developing a platform for local agriculture, raised $4 million in its seed round from Grit Ventures, GV (formerly called Google Ventures), and Village Global, the venture firm backed by some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs including Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, and Michael Dell, in September last year.

This latest round will be used to accelerate development and trials of the Agtonomy platform to address the growing labor and sustainability challenges facing local agriculture. [Read more…] about Agtonomy raises another $5 million to develop technology platform for local agriculture

Berkshire Grey launches ‘reverse logistics’ solution to deal with e-commerce goods returns

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Berkshire Grey, a warehouse robotic solutions company, has introduced its “Reverse Logistics solution” to help retailers accelerate the resale of returned goods and improve labor utilization in the returns process.

Projections indicate that by the end of January, consumers will return approximately $120 billion of goods following the holiday season, creating a significant inventory and cost challenge for retail.

By implementing Berkshire Grey’s Reverse Logistics solution for returns processing, e-commerce providers and retailers can reduce the time to recirculate returned items back onto the shelf and optimize labor productivity, ultimately improving profitability. [Read more…] about Berkshire Grey launches ‘reverse logistics’ solution to deal with e-commerce goods returns

Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

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Shareholders in Rotor Acquisition, a publicly-traded special-purpose acquisition company, have approved what’s being described as a “business combination” – possibly meaning a merger – with Sarcos Robotics, a maker of exoskeletons.

Upon completion of the transaction, subject to the satisfaction of certain customary closing conditions, Rotor will change its name to Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation.

The post-closing company’s common stock and warrants are expected to commence trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbols “STRC” and “STRCW” respectively. [Read more…] about Sarcos Robotics ‘merges’ with Rotor Acquisition

Berkshire Grey introduces new robotic product sortation for warehouses

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Berkshire Grey, a provider of robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, has introduced its next generation Robotic Product Sortation (BG RPS) solution for order fulfillment.

This high-capacity automation solution robotically picks, sorts, and packs individual items into outbound order containers without the need for operator interaction.

The latest version of BG RPS includes a host of new features including a unique dual wing design that increases speed by over 25 percent and doubles the simultaneous order processing capacity. [Read more…] about Berkshire Grey introduces new robotic product sortation for warehouses

Supply chain robotics developer Photoneo raises $21 million in Series B funding

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Photoneo, a developer of robotics for warehouse tasks, has raised $21 million in new funding.

The new funding was from AI Capital, IPM Group, Earlybird, Venture to Future Fund, and Credo Ventures as well as all investors who participated in previous investment rounds.

The newly raised capital will accelerate 3D Sensor business and enable expansion of its fully automated fulfillment solutions for warehouses and dark stores – called BrightPick. [Read more…] about Supply chain robotics developer Photoneo raises $21 million in Series B funding

Opinion: Warehouse robots are playing a vital role in keeping supply chains from completely toppling

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In the warehouse, robots aren’t replacing workers. They’re playing a vital role in keeping the supply chain from completely toppling, says Mike Futch, CEO of Tompkins Robotics

What do robotics look like in the modern world of warehousing and distribution?

If you’re like many, you might envision a large, heavy, steel system that’s bolted to the floor, with an arm twirling in a repetitive motion performing some task of sorting or tagging. The machine is stationary. It stays in one spot, performing the same function, day after day.

Let me tell you: That’s your grandad’s robotics. Today, the supply chain relies on a growing fleet of small, automated robots that are portable, scalable and modular. They’re also configurable, so their jobs can change as needed by their users, whether it’s warehouses and distributors, retailers, manufacturers, third-party logistics providers, freight shippers and so on. [Read more…] about Opinion: Warehouse robots are playing a vital role in keeping supply chains from completely toppling

Medical robotics startup Clarapath raises $32 million in additional funding

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Clarapath, a robotics startup aimed at catalyzing change in the way pathology laboratories process human and animal tissues, has undertaken follow-on financing, extending its Series B round with an additional $15.5 million in funding, following the previous close of $16 million in Series B funding.

The round included The 4100 Group (the investment arm of Delta Dental), East Post Road Ventures (the investment arm of White Plains Hospital), Epiphron Capital, Northwell Ventures, P5 Health Ventures, and participation from other strategic organizations.

This brings the total raised to date by Clarapath to more than $38 million. [Read more…] about Medical robotics startup Clarapath raises $32 million in additional funding