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Companies in North America purchased 31,159 robots in 2023. That’s a 30% lower from 2022. And that’s not sitting effectively with robotics trade veteran Juan Aparicio.
“We don’t promote and deploy sufficient robots on this nation. There is not any human contingency to the necessity to reshore manufacturing within the brief time period, and the stakes are excessive,” stated Aparicio. Indeed, the stakes are excessive. There are at present 800,000 job openings in manufacturing. By 2030 the quantity is anticipated to achieve 2 million, costing the U.S. financial system $1 trillion, in accordance with the National Association of Manufacturers.
After working at Siemens for a decade and stops at Ready Robotics and Rapid Robotics, Aparicio hopes his new startup Reshape Automation can chip away at this drawback. Reshape is launching its platform in a preview-release, specializing in a specific group of producers at first, and can totally launch in just a few months. Companies will be capable to request entry to the platform beginning right now, and attendees to Modex subsequent week will be capable to expertise it on the Reshape’s sales space (within the Startup Pavilion)
In the preview launch, customers will profit from varied capabilities, together with:
- Automation Discovery: curated catalog of main automation manufacturers, merchandise, and turnkey options; powered by a 24/7 AI companion that’s educated with the world’s data in manufacturing and automation.
- Vendor matching: Reshape’s platform matches producers with essentially the most appropriate system integrators for his or her particular wants. Also, a challenge administration software permits real-time communication and data sharing.
- Flexible Deployment Options: Manufacturers can buy pre-configured options immediately via the platform or request customized modifications to go well with their particular wants, guaranteeing a clean deployment course of. Support plans are additionally obtainable as a service.
Reshape Automation desires to make it simpler for the U.S. manufacturing and logistics industries to undertake automation. At the core of the platform is an AI-powered market. Reshape’s market will launch with autonomous cellular robots (AMRs), robotic arms, and varied elements and options from manufacturers like Fanuc, Yaskawa, Robotize, Peer Robotics, Item, Nova Automation, Genba, OnRobot, Doosan, Fairino, and extra.
Customers can design and buy pre-configured workcells and reference designs for purposes resembling palletizing, welding, inspection, machine tending, sorting, packing, and extra. “Custom modifications may also be requested,” Aparicio stated.
But the platform doesn’t cease there. It options varied challenge administration instruments in an try and make the deployment of automation extra environment friendly and pleasant. Reshape’s platform matches producers with essentially the most appropriate system integrators for his or her particular wants. Aparicio stated Reshape has additionally created AI brokers which can be obtainable to deal with questions and supply steering.
And, maybe better of all, Reshape Automation is upfront concerning the prices of the system and integration, in addition to when clients can anticipate their robots to be shipped and put in. Aparicio stated this addresses the trade’s want for environment friendly vendor-customer communication and the elimination of trial-and-error strategies in deciding on the proper system integrator.
“Automation will be daunting for lots of parents. This market is extremely fragmented. It simply results in evaluation paralysis,” he stated. “There are like 150 AMR manufacturers. How do you even decide one? We try to index this trade.”
Reshape Automation raised $1.7 million in pre-Seed funding. The spherical was led by Schematic Ventures and included Bee Partners. There was additionally a contribution from Oliver Cameron, who began the autonomous car firm Voyage in 2017 and bought it to Cruise in early 2021. Other robotics firms funded partially by Schematic Ventures embrace Plus One Robotics, Outrider, Root AI, which was acquired by AppHarvest for $60 million in 2021, and SVT Robotics.
“We have been excited to steer Reshape Automation’s pre-seed spherical final yr and assist their mission to unravel automation challenges confronted by small and medium-sized producers,” stated Julian Counihan, common companion at Schematic Ventures. “The firm’s end-to-end platform streamlines the automation course of, from discovery to deployment, leveraging AI for answer design, challenge administration and procurement. Reshape will make the U.S. manufacturing panorama extra environment friendly, cost-effective, and aggressive on a worldwide scale.”
Aparicio shall be talking on the Robotics Summit & Expo (May 1-2 in Boston), which is produced by The Robot Report. Aparicio shall be on a panel about how generative AI is impacting robotics growth. He’ll be joined by Sandra Skaff, senior alliances and ecosystem supervisor at NVIDIA, and Russ Tedrake, VP of robotics analysis on the Toyota Research Institute.
“I consider Reshape is in an thrilling place to personal a model new class of automation: producers want an automation companion from idea design, to deployment, to ongoing devoted Support – one who’s productizing their automation choices in each design and deploy classes,” stated Kira Noodleman, companion at Bee Partners.
Aparicio stated clients can use their smartphones to visualise a robotic or workcell in augmented actuality immediately at their facility. Or if they like, see the robots and purchase them from the moon utilizing AR/VR goggles, as Reshape will demo in Modex. And, ultimately, the AI brokers within the platform will be capable to routinely design workcells for patrons. At first, all they’d must do is enter the size of packing containers they need moved, for instance. The platform will then use these specs to configure the workcell, change dimensions and decide a robotic that’ll get the job finished. In the long run, Aparicio stated, the brokers will be capable to routinely design the primary sketch of workcell with simply plain english inputs, and even by importing a photograph or video of your guide operations.
Aparicio co-founded Reshape Automation with Carlos Vanegas. The two met whereas dwelling in a SF suburb, the one two robotic fans on the town, and whereas working collectively at Rapid Robotics. Prior to Rapid Robotics, Vanegas was senior director of software program engineering at Bright Machines for three-plus years. And this isn’t Vanegas’ first startup. He co-founded a software program firm, Synthicity, in 2012 that he bought to Autodesk in 2015.
“Manufacturers within the U.S. are preventing an uphill battle with labor shortages. We owe it to them to place the most recent advances in AI to their service in order that they will lastly undertake automation as a low-risk and reliable ally to win that battle,” stated Carlos Vanegas, co-founder and CTO of Reshape Automation. “In this primary launch of our platform, our AI brokers act as a navigational help all through the producer’s automation journey, ranging from the preliminary discovery and design phases. Looking forward, we’ll broaden using AI to supply producers higher assist and upkeep of their automation funding.”
Reshape stated its aim is “to change into the tide that raises all boats. By making it simpler to find, design and buy automation and labor, producers within the U.S. shall be extra aggressive, and the ecosystem of automation distributors and integrators will thrive.”
“The U.S. barely makes the highest 10 by way of robotic density,” stated Aparicio. “If we’re profitable, there gained’t be 30,000 robots deployed a yr, however tens of millions, making a extra resilient and dynamic American manufacturing trade.”
