Steve Crowe, Mike Oitzman and Dan Kara review the top robotics stories of 2021

The Robot Report Podcast · 22 Dec 2021 · 49m

What this episode covers

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.

Mentioned

Companies
Zebra, Fetch Robotics, ABB, Asti Mobile Robots, Waypoint, iRobot, John Deere, Bear Flag Robotics, Open Robotics
Products
Mars 2020
Chips
Nvidia, Qualcomm
Tools
ROS

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