The present RO1 mannequin is a six-axis robotic that integrates with grippers, conveyors, seventh-axis lifts, linear actuators, and extra. | Supply: Customary Bots
Customary 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 corporate’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—equivalent to a compact footprint, user-friendly programming, and superior security—present specs appropriate for heavy-duty tooling and enormous workpieces for industries equivalent to automotive, aerospace, and logistics.
“This new facility marks a pivotal second for Customary Bots as we scale to satisfy rising demand for American-made robotics,” mentioned Evan Beard, co-founder and CEO of Customary Bots. “We’re thrilled to debut each our expanded manufacturing unit and our newest improvements at Automate.”
NVIDIA platforms facilitate robotic coaching
Customary Bots’ programs run on its in-house-developed AI. It mentioned the bodily AI, powered by the NVIDIA Isaac platform, allows 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 knowledge by way of NVIDIA Isaac Sim, a reference software constructed on NVIDIA Omniverse for fast deployment.
Having undergone intensive non-public beta testing, Customary 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.
Customary Bots emphasizes U.S.-based manufacturing
The robotics trade is poised for important progress, with the Worldwide Federation of Robotics (IFR) reporting that international robotic installations in manufacturing rose by 31% in 2022 alone. The IFR’s newest numbers present that whole installations of business 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 international locations: Japan, China, Germany, and South Korea, in response to the IFR. Customary 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 adaptability,” mentioned Quentin Clark, managing director of enterprise capital agency Common Catalyst. “We look ahead to supporting Customary Bots and seeing how their know-how will open up new prospects for robotics throughout American manufacturing.”
Customary Bots asserted that its industrial robots and AI coaching fashions with a strong platform for bodily AI. The firm has obtained over $63 million in funding led by Common Catalyst with participation from Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund and Samsung Subsequent.