As we navigate the aisles of the demo warehouse inside Robust AI’s San Carlos, California, headquarters, two things become immediately apparent. The first is the shelving units: standardized, modular, and off-the-shelf. These wire frames will look familiar to anyone who has spent time in warehouses, and that’s certainly by design.
The second thing isn’t a visible element of the wheeled robot itself, but instead how humans in the space interact with their automated co-worker. As Carter cruises the halls, Robust employees pick it up and move it around. This might seem like a small distinction, but it’s notable in this world where humans and robots work side by side.
The Safety Concern
The question of safety hasn’t been raised with enough regularity in stories covering the rise of humanoid robots in the work setting. While some companies have moved beyond the days of industrial arms tucked away in safety cages, there’s always a risk when humans are working alongside an autonomously moving metal system. Heck, electric forklifts have been around since the 1930s and are still regularly involved with workplace injuries.
Being able to manually move the robot could be an important part of deploying industrial robotic systems in the future. For Carter, that means more than just becoming a passive piece of equipment, but rather sensing the force being applied and adjusting accordingly. There’s also a bright orange handlebar that allows for single-handed control — a surprisingly complex challenge when creating a system like this.
A Collaborative Approach
The collaborative nature is a core tenet of the system, and it isn’t a surprise given the founders’ pedigree. Prior to Robust, CTO Rodney Brooks founded Rethink Robotics, which also centered on human-robot interactions (HRI). While plenty of column space has been devoted to a future in which humanoid and other robots have entirely replaced their human counterparts, that’s a distant vision at best.
People and robots are going to be working side by side for the foreseeable future, so it’s essential to ensure we can do so safely. Brooks is quick to point out that the use of cameras, rather than lidar, is another differentiator for Carter. This move is growing in popularity among autonomous mobile robot (AMR) makers, and pricing is a big piece of that puzzle.
The Benefits of Camera-Based Navigation
There are additional reasons why lidar might not be the best solution in a warehouse setting. Brooks explains:
"We’ve made it clear to DHL that they only get a certain percentage of the robots we build, because we have to have a broader customer base."
This approach is crucial for Robust AI’s future success.
Partnerships and Diversification
A number of partners have been testing out an early version of the system, prior to the production model’s release. "It was just over a week that the first one came off the production line," Brooks tells TechCrunch.
DHL is the first large customer to be publicly announced, but while the global logistics firm no doubt has more than enough work to keep the robotics startup busy for the next decade, Brooks says that Robust is intentionally diversifying its client portfolio.
A Broader Future
"We’re not going to just do business with DHL," he explains. "Walmart had a whole bunch of robotics companies, and then they shut it down, and now those robotics companies are in trouble."
By diversifying its customer base, Robust AI is setting itself up for long-term success.
Conclusion
The future of human-robot collaboration will be shaped by innovations like Carter Pro. As we move forward, it’s essential to prioritize safety, collaboration, and diversity.
Robust AI’s approach is a step in the right direction, and it will be exciting to see how this technology continues to evolve.
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