Over the Air · 10 Oct 2024 · 29m
Shaw, CTO of Simbe Robotics, explains how the company pivoted from a generic autonomous mobile robot (AMR) platform to focusing on retail inventory management with their robot Tally. He details the evolution from early prototypes using GoPros and laser-cut wood to a sophisticated system combining computer vision, RFID, and AI to help retailers track stock levels and planogram compliance. Shaw also discusses the company's scaling journey, the integration of software stacks like ROS and AWS, and future innovations like the Cindy Mobile app and virtual tours.
Where this conversation describes AI being used to build or deliver a product. Part of the AI in practice tracker.
Engineering & simulationTensorFlow or PyTorch
The team used existing machine learning platforms to build the proprietary computer vision pipeline that processes shelf images to detect inventory status.
“You know, you're out there using, uh, you know, uh, existing, uh, uh, ML platforms, things like tents or flow and uh, whatnot.”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 13:13
Engineering & simulationROS (Robot Operating System)enabled a team of 3 people with only one software developer to bring a robot to market
The team utilized the open-source ROS platform for sensor drivers and navigation algorithms, enabling a small team to develop a fully operational autonomous robot.
“Ross is what made it possible for us as a team of 3 people with only one software developer, uh, to be able to uh, bring to market a fully operational, uh, robot…”
Speaker 2 · Hear it at 13:13
companies scaling up
Other shows on the same ground, closest first.
Oana Jinga, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Dexory, explains how her company pivoted from retail to warehouse inventory management using a 40-foot-tall autonomous mobile robot that creates a real-time 3D digital twin of warehouse environments. She details the technical advantages of floor-based scanning over drones, including safety, speed, and data richness, and discusses the operational integration and ROI claims. The episode also features Garrett Place from ifm effector, who discusses the scaling challenges of mobile robotics, the shift toward specialized applications, and the importance of industry collaboration and trust among vendors.
Brad Bogolea, co-founder and CEO of Simbe Robotics, discusses the fallout between Walmart and Bossa Nova, attributing the end of their five-year partnership to poor execution, customer experience issues, and the strategic mistake of relying on a single enterprise client. He highlights Simbe's Tally robot and its focus on delivering clear ROI through accurate shelf data for diverse retail clients. Andrew Smith, CEO and founder of Outrider, details the development of Level 4 autonomous electric yard trucks, explaining how his company automates complex manual tasks like connecting trailers using robotic arms and integrates with warehouse management systems to improve safety and efficiency in distribution centers.
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Steve Crowe, Mike Oitzman, and Dan Kara of The Robot Report review the top robotics stories of 2021, highlighting a shift toward enabling technologies and software in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). The hosts discuss major acquisitions by Zebra, ABB, and Locust Robotics, noting that large players are buying AMR companies because developing the complex fleet management software in-house was too difficult or premature. They also analyze iRobot's pivot toward non-robotic smart home products like air purifiers, signaling a struggle to find viable multi-use home robots, while celebrating successes in space robotics with the Mars 2020 mission and growth in agricultural field robotics.
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