The present RO1 mannequin is a six-axis robotic that integrates with grippers, conveyors, seventh-axis lifts, linear actuators, and extra. | Supply: Normal Bots
Normal Bots yesterday unveiled a brand new robotic and introduced that it has expanded its manufacturing facility in Glen Cove, N.Y. The American robotics firm mentioned the brand new 16,000-sq.-ft. (1486.4 sq. m) manufacturing unit doubles the scale of its earlier Lengthy Island location.
This enlargement aligns with the firm’s unveiling of a brand new 30 kg (66.1 lb.) payload, 2 m (6.5 ft.) attain robotic at Automate in Detroit subsequent week. It mentioned this mannequin combines collaborative options—corresponding to a compact footprint, user-friendly programming, and superior security—present specs appropriate for heavy-duty tooling and huge workpieces for industries corresponding to automotive, aerospace, and logistics.
“This new facility marks a pivotal second for Normal Bots as we scale to fulfill rising demand for American-made robotics,” mentioned Evan Beard, co-founder and CEO of Normal Bots. “We’re thrilled to debut each our expanded manufacturing unit and our newest improvements at Automate.”
NVIDIA platforms facilitate robotic coaching
Normal Bots’ techniques run on its in-house-developed AI. It mentioned the bodily AI, powered by the NVIDIA Isaac platform, permits customers to show robots duties by way of demonstration, eliminating the necessity for conventional coding or programming.
Customers can then annotate and increase their demonstration information by way of NVIDIA Isaac Sim, a reference software constructed on NVIDIA Omniverse for speedy deployment.
Having undergone in depth personal beta testing, Normal Bots plans to launch its “end-to-end mannequin” to a broader viewers in 2025. The corporate claimed that it’ll simplify automation of 1000’s of complicated processes beforehand out of attain by way of standard robotics.
Normal Bots emphasizes U.S.-based manufacturing
The robotics trade is poised for vital development, with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics (IFR) reporting that world robotic installations in manufacturing rose by 31% in 2022 alone. The IFR’s newest numbers present that complete installations of commercial robots within the automotive trade elevated by 10.7%, reaching 13,700 models in 2024.
Whereas the U.S. is putting in extra robots, it isn’t producing most of them. Globally, 70% of installations are produced by 4 nations: Japan, China, Germany, and South Korea, in keeping with the IFR. Normal Bots hopes to face out as a U.S.-based producer.
“Robotics has been the unlock for the repatriation of producing, however the potential has been hindered by two main limitations: price and suppleness,” mentioned Quentin Clark, managing director of enterprise capital agency Common Catalyst. “We sit up for supporting Normal Bots and seeing how their know-how will open up new prospects for robotics throughout American manufacturing.”
Normal Bots asserted that its industrial robots and AI coaching fashions with a sturdy platform for bodily AI. The firm has acquired over $63 million in funding led by Common Catalyst with participation from Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Samsung Subsequent.
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