Ivan Hernandez Dalas - Mechatronics

Reservoir VC backs pre-seed founders in robotics, autonomy, precision tools, and AI-enabled software for specialty crops. | Credit: Reservoir In its first-ever corporate acquisition, investment firm Reservoir Co. has purchased agriculture finance and data platform Contain Inc. It has appointed the Reno, Nev.-based company’s founder, Nicola Kerslake, as a general partner. Kerslake will chair Reservoir VC’s investment committee and oversee its underwriting functions as the firm expands its footprint into agricultural equipment and controlled environment agriculture (CEA) to help “rugged AI ” startups transition from pilot to commercial scale. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Reservoir invests where AI, hardware, and agriculture meet in the field, and those companies need capital partners who understand deployment, unit economics, and business models,” stated Danny Bernstein, founder and CEO of Reservoir and managing partner of Reservoir VC. “Ni...

The new GPT gearhead family is designed for high forces. Source: FAULHABER FAULHABER launched its new GPT gearhead family this week. With this new family of drive components, the company said it has focused on flexibility, power density, and price. The new series of gears is designed to work with the DC drives in FAULHABER’s GXR/SXR gearhead family. The gearheads can also be flexibly combined with various  motors  from the standard range, such as motors from the flat BXT brushless family or brushless DC drives. This allows for matched combinations of encoders, drives, and gearheads, said the Schönaich, Germany-based  company . It added that they can be combined compactly and with matching diameters without additional connecting elements. GPT gears designed for high torques and load changes FAULHABER said it developed the  GPT  gear series for particularly high torques. Up to six planets per stage enable a shorter overall length and thus more power in the smallest of spaces, it exp...

The Digit humanoid robot is already at work at several commercial customers. Source: Agility Robotics Agility Robotics Inc. today said that it has agreed to merge with special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, Churchill Capital Corp. XI. It claimed that it will become “the only U.S. publicly listed pure-play humanoid company with proven, active commercial deployments.” Agility developed bipedal research platform Cassie and humanoid robot Digit, which is now in commercial trials. The Salem, Ore.-based company said it expects the SPAC transaction to provide more than $620 million in gross proceeds for a valuation of $2.5 billion in pre-money equity. “Humanoid robots are a critical driver of American technology leadership and the future of global industry,” stated Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics. “With category-defining commercially deployed humanoid robots operating in real customer environments today, Agility is at the forefront of a new era where...

The new Mantis MR-X dual-arm fenceless robot. | Source: Mantis Robotics Mantis Robotics yesterday unveiled the MR-X, a biomimetic dual-arm robot designed to operate without safety fences or cages. The company said the system has embedded physical AI capabilities that enable it to operate alongside human workers. The MR-X builds on years of proven, certified fenceless operation, backed by major entities in automation, including Amazon . The MR-1 , certified to ISO 10218 and ISO 13849 , has already demonstrated that industrial speeds can be achieved without compromising on safety, claimed Mantis. It said the MR-X extends this proven technology to a new form factor. “Don’t mistake this for another humanoid robot. It’s a first-in-class dual-arm robot that outperforms both cobots and humanoids, in terms of both speed and safety,” stated Gerry Vannuffelen, CEO of Mantis Robotics. “When Mantis launched the MR-1, it was evidence that our safety architecture ...

Vention’s AI-powered platform enables FANUC industrial and collaborative robots to autonomously generate collision-free motion paths while providing integrated monitoring and remote support. Source: CNW Group/Vention At Automate this week in Chicago, Vention Inc. is showcasing partnerships around software-defined automation. The company has expanded support for FANUC America industrial robots, and it has optimized a new digital twin platform for Universal Robots deployments. “We’re seeing strong demand from manufacturers for automation that’s easier to deploy and faster to bring online, especially as labor challenges continue,” said Dick Motley, director of the Authorized System Integrator Network at FANUC America. “Many companies want to automate but are looking for solutions that reduce complexity and are easier to implement,” he added. “Vention’s AI-powered platform helps customers deploy FANUC’s industrial and collaborat...

CreateMe’s platform includes Pixel micro-adhesive bonding, the MeRA robotic assembly system, and Thermo(re)set reversible adhesive science. | Source: CreateMe Technologies CreateMe Technologies Inc. today announced strategic partnerships with Avalo and Laguna Fabrics to introduce Seed to System. This initiative aims to connect climate-smart cotton, domestic textile manufacturing, and robotic garment assembly into a single AI-assisted ecosystem. The partnership aims to demonstrate how apparel can be produced faster, more locally, and with greater supply chain resilience. “We believe the future of apparel manufacturing depends on building connected systems across material innovation, textile development, and advanced automation,” said Cam Myers, founder and CEO of CreateMe. “This partnership is not about recreating legacy supply chains. It is about building a new foundation for apparel manufacturing, one powered by technical innovation, AI-assisted development, and closer collabo...