The Robots and Drones are Coming

The Robots and Drones are Coming

Titan Aerospace is a New Mexico-based maker of solar-powered drones. If you’ve never heard of it, you’re not alone. The company had been lying under the radar until last year when Google bought it, along with Boston Dynamics, an engineering firm that creates robots for the military, and Deep Mind, an artif icial intelligence company that makes computers more “human-like.”

The three acquisitions may seem somewhat surprising for a company like Google whose core business is based on advertising, but as the most clicked online destination in the U.S., according to Com Score, Google’s investment in drones and robotics could signal a new phase in its online supremacy delivering high-speed Internet and making the computerized experience more intuitive.

If Google’s subtle tiptoeing into the robotics terrain isn’t enough to peak your interest, follow the money trail. Turns out plenty of venture capitalists (VCs) are also paying close attention to robotics and drones. According to The Wall Street Journal, VCs spent close to $350 million in start ups last year, an increase of 36 percent compared to the year before. Boston-based Rethink Robotics, a company that funds manufacturers, recently received more than $25 million in financing from heavy hitters GE Ventures and Goldman Sachs, two of the country’s leading investment companies.

“Our customers are building the factories of the future,” says Scott Eckert, president and CEO of Rethink Robotics. “Our technologies have become an important part of their efforts. Our new and existing investors recognize the enormous market potential for smart, collaborative robots in manufacturing and they share our vision for driving ongoing product innovation.”

With the financial backing in place, curiosity stirring and technology on the precipice, it’s not a matter of if, but when consumers will take the plunge and embrace robotics (drones and all) into their already connected lives.

The Future is Now

At this year’s CES, unmanned technology was all over the show floor—with everything from drones outfitted with sophisticated digital cameras to robots designed to aid in household chores. The industry is even seeing a burst of interest in companion bots that help users connect devices and keep them company in an increasingly digital world. But will robots ever become as indispensable as, say, our smart phones?

“We are at the beginning of a trend to have robots in our homes assisting us with everyday tasks,” says Wendy Roberts, CEO of Five Elements Robotics in Wall, N.J. The company showcased its Budgie robot at CES, earning considerable attention for its potential as a personal assistant. And while it may look like something out of Buck Rogers, the bot can carry about 50 pounds of baggage. The personal robot also responds to a small transponder clipped to a user’s belt, maintaining constant contact at home or on the go.

“Currently there is no other robot on the market that follows you and carries your things,” says Roberts. There are actually a few similar bots in the R&D stage, but this one is shipping this spring. It’s designed for anyone who needs assistance transporting items, like the disabled or even the elderly. “It’s also great for shopping,” Roberts says. “Instead of pushing a cart or carrying a basket, your hands are free to shop with the navigating left to the robot.”

For this reason, retailers are among the early adopters. They’ll be testing the terrain among consumers who will ultimately decide whether Budgie is a hit or miss after it goes on the market. “I expect in the future that it will not be unusual to see robots following people everywhere,” Roberts says, “on the street, in stores and in homes. Making robots cute versus robot-like makes them more acceptable and helps to create a bond between the owner and the robot, similar to a pet and its owner.”

Still, with a price tag of $1,399 for the Budgie, robots today are luxury items rather than utilitarian devices. Whether they go mainstream hinges on how useful they can be on a daily basis similar to how our smart phones and tablets now do everything from organizing our lives, communicating our habits, and capturing photos and video.

“I see robots doing more and more of the tasks that we don’t want to do,” says Roberts, “such as carrying our packages, doing our laundry, watching our children when they are out and about, cleaning the house and monitoring our homes. They will become an integral part of our daily life.”

The alternative? Being fated to specialty catalogs along with massage chairs and kid-size cars.

New Bots on the Block
 

Robotics may sound like the stuff of sci-fie until you consider that there are already robotic floor cleaners and smart home technology gaining popularity among consumers. GPS has even created a safety net for both kids and pets.

Other more practical applications are embodied in the Beam Pro, a robot that allows employees to be virtually present in an office no matter where they may physically reside. Built by Suitable Tech in Pa lo Alto, Calif., the robot allows users to interact with remote locations through audio and video to create a collaborative, albeit virtual, workspace—something that is becoming increasingly common as more employees telecommute. The Beam Pro and Beam+ are being tested by medical professionals to reach more patients in remote locations, and even by students who, though unable to attend school because of disability or distance, may still want the socialization and collaboration a classroom experience offers.

“Today’s options are static and inflexible,” says Scott Hassan, founder and CEO of Suitable Technologies, “so we built Beam to give people a more enriching way to connect. Beam provides collaboration among today’s disparate workforce and now Beam+ gives the home user an affordable and meaningful way to be with people they love, even when life keeps them apart.”

While many of these new bots seek to enhance communication, others are still task-oriented. Ecovacs Robotics, for example, took home a 2015 CES Innovation Award for its ROBOT, an automated device that cleans solar panels. Already known for the Win bot, its window cleaning robot, the company has several practical applications for these automated bots in both the industrial and consumer markets.

Ozobot also received attention at this year’s CES for being the world’s smallest programmable robot. The smart bot, created by Evolves in Redmond Beach, Calif., is designed to help kids learn and play in an interactive setting. The smallbot, which comes loaded with free apps, augments mazes, game boards and digital screens. The company has a worldwide program that combines robotics and gaming in stores and online to reach consumers and schools with hopes of combining physical play with wireless technology.

Fashion has even tapped into the robotics trend. Intel showcased its so-called “spider dress” at CES with a built-in self-defense system that’s activated when the wearer’s personal space is violated. Designed by Amok Wipprecht, the dress uses an Intel Edison chip to activate its artful spider-like cage.

Is there Room for Robots?
 

Every year more robots are integrated into both industrial and consumer applications in the U.S., according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The growth of industrial robots, as noted in the recent World Robotics report, points to an increase in consumer bots as more people become accustomed to seeing bots perform tasks once relegated to people.

CES proved that in many ways, 2015 is the year of the robot, with an estimated 25 percent increase in robotics exhibits compared to the year before. A Robotics Marketplace at CES, featured exhibitors like ABB, Double Robotics, Lowe’s Innovation Labs and Future Robot Co.

Furo-iHome, a popular exhibitor at the Marketplace, showcased its wheel-mounted smart tablet, which responds to voice commands and connects mobile devices with home networks. “It can provide companionship with elderly people at home,” says Future Robot CEO S.K. Song, who adds that the device can also “access messages and face-to-face video calls, can also be a playmate and a communications tool, can take immediate action by detecting problems through sensors, and the Furoi’s tablet can be separated from its body so users can carry the tablet while they are on the move.”

Still other bots, like Pepper and Jibo, are designed to interact with their owners as companions who can perform tasks and communicate.

“It speaks to the category’s growth and ability to disrupt and transform the consumer technology industry,” explains Karen Chupka, senior vice president of CES and corporate business strategy. “Robots are changing the way consumers learn, do business, monitor their health and maintain their households as they are capable of doing things that humans can’t, or simply don’t want to do.”

Case in point: Robotics Trends launched a new robotics website to “make robots accessible by sharing with consumers the innovative robots and robotics technologies shaping the high-tech landscape.” The consumer website covers the latest robots and drones, what they do, where they are being sold and how they compare, reaching interested consumers.

“Smart, collaborative robotics have proven to be a significant and disruptive technology,” explains George Lee, co-chairman of global technology, media and telecom group and CIO for investment banking at Goldman Sachs. His firm has been spending millions on the promise of what robotics holds not only in the industrial world, but also among consumers.

The Drone Factor
 

A noticeable change on the show floor at CES was the increase in drones—the devices buzzed all over the Las Vegas Convention Center, like the ZANO nano drone. The palm-sized device made by Torquing Group in U.K., is shipping this summer. The draw for this 1.9-ounce drone is that it’s controlled by smartphone and tablet technology, and can fly for about 15 minutes capturing HD video on its built-in five-megapixel camera.

The small drone is powered by unique GPS capabilities. “To put it simply, ZANO would not exist without OriginGPS,” explains Reece Crowther, Torquing’s head of sales and marketing. “The GPS feature of ZANO is the heart and soul of the product.” The technology allows ZANO to know exactly where it is in relation to any smart device, even when it’s powered off, which gives users more control over the device overall.

Steve Petrotto, brand manager for Blade, a drone maker in Champaign, Ill., says that thanks to technological improvements and smart partnerships, drones are becoming an easier sell among consumers looking for ease of use and entertainment value.

“We see people from all walks of life enjoying drones,” explains Petrotto. “One of the biggest things in recreational drones this year is the quality of cameras and stabilization. The industry used to rely very heavily on what the big camera makers would come up with and we would find ways to attach them to drones. Now, customers can go out and spend around $1,000 and have a camera and drone that takes beautiful stills and video, and is easier to use than setting the time on your hotel alarm clock.”

Blade makes a range of drones, from streamlined devices for newbies to more sophisticated flyers for advanced users. At the drone zone during CES, makers like Blade touted the creative power and practical uses of these devices. But with drones making headlines for infiltrating the White House or spying on celebrities, the question for companies like Blade is how to reach mainstream consumers with the benefits of the technology without all of the scandal-making and militaristic connotations.

“There will always be concerns of privacy when it comes to something that can fly and be operated from a decent distance away,” says Petrotto. “There should be a level of common sense when using these, and I expect there will be some regulations or bans in certain places.”

CEA is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in hopes of developing rules and regulations for drones, which have already been banned near airports for safety concerns.

So how are drones being used outside of the military? Hobbyists are exploring with drones and photographers and artists are capturing images from a new perspective. Parents are filming kid’s soccer games. Real estate agents are using drones to showcase properties from above and search and rescue teams are using the technology to save lives.

“It’s virtually unlimited to what these products can do in the future,” says Petrotto, “but it’s up to the community and government to come together and support the technology and use it in a responsible way.”

At CES, drones ran the gamut from 15 major companies (up from just four last year), including the DJI Inspire 1, Parrot’s Mini Drone complete with a tiny moustache, Exon sense Fly, Squadron System’s Hero 4, AscTec Firefly with an Intel Real Sense camera and the Eke hexacopter, among others from Qualm and Nixie. But for all the buzz that the technology is creating, drones aren’t exactly mainstream. Could consumers be waiting for regulations to kick in? Or is price a factor? The average drone costs about $400, and many of the drones showcased at this year’s CES have not even hit the market.

Partnerships between drone makers and tech giants could drive the technology even further. Intel, for example, showed off software at CES that allows drones to avoid collisions, proof perhaps that drones could be a sleeping giant of the industry. Intel worked with Ascending Technologies in Germany to create technology that’s crafted into Firefly drones that allows them to “see, think and adapt,” said Intel CEO Brian Cranach during his CES keynote address. He demonstrated what he called a game of “drone pong” showcasing the intuitive ability for the devices to avoid obstacles, including people.

“Someday,” predicts Daniel Guardian, CEO and co-founder of Ascending Technologies, “obstacle avoidance technology…will be like seat belts in cars.” And drones could become more than just a nifty toy.

One of the more noteworthy features of the latest drones, still in its infancy, is the “follow me” feature, which allows a drone to literally follow the user at a safe distance. There have already been several projects on Kick starter based on the technology and there are rumors that portable camera company Go Pro is looking into making its own drone.

But like any technological life cycle, price and usefulness will inevitably dictate the path robotics take. Like flat-screen TVs, readers and even smart phones, the rate of adoption may initially come down to both novelty and niche users. It’s often the early adopters, after all, who help shape how a new product evolves to meet more mainstream expectations. There’s also that pesky price point.

“Prices will trend down as tech improves,” Patriot predicts, “and make them more accessible to more people.”

FAA Action on Drones: A Step Forward

 

CEA president and CEO Gary Shapiro responded to the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) issuance of proposed rules regarding the operation of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) on February 16. He said, “it will be important to strike the appropriate regulatory balance between innovation and safety, and we urge the FAA to expedite this rule making action to fully realize commercial drones’ potential as a truly disruptive technology. Drones will revolutionize a broad array of consumer and commercial sectors, bringing with them innovative new businesses and thousands of jobs.”

CEA research forecasts the global market for consumer drones will approach $300 million by 2018 and the accompanying services market for drones could easily exceed $1 billion in just f ive years’ time. Shapiro added, “While the U.S. is not the first nation to promulgate rules for drones, we aim to advance a clear and straightforward policy framework that fosters U.S. innovation and safety in this emerging market.”

CEA also is the f first major supporter of the “Know Before You Fly” campaign that encourages recreational users of drones to follow the coalition’s voluntary set of safety guidelines. Spearheaded by the association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems international (AUVSI), academy of model aeronautics (ama) and the Small UAV coalition in partnership with the FAA, the campaign is teaming up with manufacturers and distributors to inform consumers and businesses about what they need to know before taking to the skies. it includes a website, educational video and point-of-sale materials. For more information,click here