May 21, 2016 by Jerry Leventer

Spark Innovation Expo: “To Build or Not To Build… a Robot?”

May 21, 2016, Mountain View, CA USA:

Telepresence Robotics Corporation CEO Harrison Rose gave a talk called “Building a Robot Business: To Build or Not To Build… a Robot? That is The Question” at the Silicon Valley event: Spark Innovation Expo.

The Future of Service Robots

TRC is transforming the world of service robots in human environments.

Introducing the Multipurpose Modular Robot™ or MMR™

A Multipurpose Modular Robot™, or MMR™, is a multipurpose service robot whose intelligence and functionality can be enhanced and extended by using cloud services and a variety of interchangeable software applications (apps). A MMR has a longer useful life span simply by being able to install different apps for different purposes and changing circumstances; this results in a greater return on investment for the initial hardware purchase.

How Is TRC Better?

Click Here

One of TRC's primary advantages and core differentiators over our competitors is that our line of robots is not being built by only a single manufacturer; instead, we are licensing our development platform and our modular hardware architecture to many OEM's (large and small) around the world. These OEM's all share TRC's deployment platform which includes TRC's MMR-App Store. These OEM's are able to produce differentiated mass market MMRs; this is similar to mobile device OEM's in today's market that produce smart phones and tablets that can all use the same apps.

By uncoupling hardware development from application software development, TRC's Multipurpose Modular Robot is dramatically changing the economic model for individuals and teams wanting to develop and deploy robot solutions for business and the service sector. This includes entrepreneurs, systems integrators, 3^rd party developers, and enterprise ICT departments. Since the TRC-Platform provides plug-and-play integration between hardware and software, a robot solution conceived by software developers no longer require the high cost of hardware development to launch and support the product.

Keep in mind that ICT groups rarely, if ever, build their own hardware for their cloud or data center; we shouldn’t expect them to build robots to deliver a service robot to the business. Using TRC’s platform of APIs for robot and cloud services plus an SDK for plug-and-play hardware accessories, software developers are able to create powerful robot solutions without having to build the robot.

This is why TRC’s slogan is: “We build the Robot. You build the App!™ "

What is a Robot?

Click Here

A robot can be considered to be an extension of ICT (information and communication technology) that breaks the barrier of digital, two-dimensional technology and interacts with the physical 3D world that we live in. A robot has the ability to interact with its environment based on inputs and conditions. Due to modern AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning, a robot may have progressive improvements to intelligence capabilities and functional flexibility. As such, a robot has certain defining characteristics; for example: (1) it can move around without being carried, like you have to do with a tablet (motility vs. mobility); (2) it can collect and analyze sensor data including audio video; (3) it can have wireless network communications capability; and (4) it can have actuators to manipulate physical objects.

Two Types of Robot: Industrial and Non-Industrial

In the Industrial Sector, the terms robot and robotic are interchangeable; they usually apply to devices in factory automation settings. Non-industrial robots, however, are robots outside of the factory automation setting; they include devices such as autonomous vehicles, robot vacuums, UAVs (drones), aquatic robots, process automation robotic devices in commercial settings like a hamburger flipper, and the generic category of service robots.

What is a Service Robot?

A service robot is a non-industrial robot that performs services and interacts with people in a commercial or business environment. There are tens of thousands of service robots on the market today. But, the vast majority of service robots are single purpose machines, often completely autonomous or completely remote controlled. They include: (1) cleaning robots like robot vacuums; (2) telepresence robots that enable a remote operator to engage in video conferencing while using its motility to move around the environment; (3) utility robots that do special functions like “Last Mile Delivery” (packages and food); (4) social robots like Softbank’s Pepper; and (5) multipurpose robots that are developed on platforms with API's or SDK's to support third party software development, such as TRC's MMR.

There is a handful of multipurpose robots on the market today, but not one of them matches the flexibility and continuity of TRC's MMR. Not only is TRC providing a flexible and affordable robot that addresses the use cases of commercial settings and service environments, our global ecosystem provides continuity for development, deployment, and support not seen anywhere else.

TRC is transforming the world of commercial robots!

With TRC’s MMR-Platform™, software developers will be able to develop robot apps that will function on MMR compatible robots being manufactured by OEM’s around the world.

TRC is introducing the Multipurpose Modular Robot™ or MMR™. These robots are designed for business and commercial development using the MMR-Platform. Any MMR robot can download and run robot apps available at the MMR Robot App Store™.

TRC’s global headquarters is located in Silicon Valley, CA USA. We will be opening our Asian headquarters (TRC-China) soon.

Password Reset

Please enter your e-mail address. You will receive a new password via e-mail.

Spark Innovation Expo: “To Build or Not To Build… a Robot?”

COMPANY PROFILE

Search