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2024 is heating up for the robotics trade. In February we noticed new product launches, and a few corporations in sizzling water with funding losses or shutdowns. It was an thrilling month for the trade, and there was no scarcity of robotics new to cowl.
Listed here are the highest 10 hottest tales on The Robotic Report in February 2024. Subscribe to The Robotic Report Publication or take heed to The Robotic Report Podcast to remain up to date on the robotics tales it’s essential to find out about.
10. Scythe robotic lawnmowers adopting ‘Tesla charging commonplace’
Colo.-based Scythe Robotics is adopting the North American Charging Commonplace (NACS) cost port for its M.52 robotic lawnmower. The corporate mentioned this transfer will combine NACS capabilities into their all-electric, totally autonomous industrial mower as early as This autumn 2024. Learn Extra
9. Cruise and Motional backers slash robotaxi funding
The street continues to be bumpy for robotaxi builders. Just lately, Cruise and Motional, two main U.S.-based robotaxi corporations, misplaced main funding sources that might considerably alter their futures. Let’s begin with Cruise. And this information shouldn’t be surprising should you’ve been following Cruise for the previous few months. Basic Motors, which acquired Cruise in 2016, mentioned this week it’ll lower spending on the robotaxi unit by about $1 billion in 2024. Learn Extra
8. 10 surgical robotics corporations to observe in 2024
The surgical robotics area noticed a significant shakeup final yr. “Robotics is tough. Robotics in healthcare is tough.” Hani Abouhalka, Johnson & Johnson’s firm group chair for Robotics & Digital. It just about sums up the state of affairs for medtech corporations massive and small that sought to compete in opposition to Intuitive Surgical within the soft-tissue surgical robotics area. Learn Extra
7. 10 startups chosen for MassRobotics Accelerator
Throughout its annual accomplice celebration, MassRobotics launched the ten robotics startups chosen to take part in its inaugural equity-free accelerator. Every startup was awarded a $100,000, non-dilutive grant from the Massachusetts Know-how Collaborative, or MassTech, as a part of a $5 million state initiative. Learn Extra
6. Cobot creates ‘cell manufacturing dream’ for plastics thermoformer
Thermoforming, a expertise that’s greater than a century previous, makes use of sheet plastic that’s heated to change into comfortable so it may be vacuum-formed in or round a mould. Extra plastic is then lower off to create closing merchandise with dimensions that vary from a number of inches to the scale of a room. Learn Extra
5. Prime 5 robotics tendencies for 2024, in accordance with the IFR
The Worldwide Federation of Robotics listed its picks for the highest 5 international robotics tendencies of this yr. The Frankfurt, Germany-based group attributed rising demand for automation to technological improvements. Learn Extra
4. Robotics investments prime $749M in December 2023
Robotics corporations raised $749 million in December 2023 on account of 41 investments. Robotics investments reached about $12.9 billion for 2023. Learn Extra
3. KUKA unveils KR FORTEC industrial robotic
KUKA AG has revealed its KR FORTEC industrial robotic. This newest robotic matches between KUKA’s KR QUANTED and KR FORTEC extremely robots. This newest industrial robotic has an prolonged arm that has a attain of 145 in. (368.3 cm) and might deal with payloads of as much as 529 lb. (240 kg). The firm mentioned that with the KR FORTEC, it hopes to ship versatility with a smaller footprint. Learn Extra
2. Agtech startup Small Robotic Firm shutting down
Small Robotic Firm is shutting down because it didn’t get the funding wanted to succeed in its subsequent section. The corporate has entered liquidation after an prolonged battle for survival. Regardless of having a signed time period sheet, the awaited funding didn’t materialize earlier than the corporate’s monetary runway ran out. Learn Extra
1. Watch Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid deal with automotive struts
With the onslaught of humanoids that have been launched in 2023, it appears Atlas, the humanoid that set the stage for a lot of in the present day’s humanoid development, has fallen out of the limelight. However on its YouTube channel, Boston Dynamics mentioned not so quick. Learn Extra