Clearpath Robotics, a global leader in field and service robotics, announced a couple weeks ago its first self-driving warehouse robot: OTTO. The announcement was made at RoboBusiness 2015 in San Jose, California. OTTO is designed for intelligent heavy-load transport in industrial environments and delivers improved throughput and decreased operating costs.
I have to say that Clearpath has stepped up their game with the release of the OTTO videos. They look pretty badass.
Modern factories and warehouses need to be reconfigurable, flexible, and efficient to survive. Designed to address these conditions, OTTO uses the same self-driving technology popularized by the Google driverless car. The system delivers dynamic and efficient transport in increasingly congested industrial operations. Traditional material handling systems require costly and rigid changes to infrastructure, cannot adapt to a changing environment, and are not safe for collaboration with warehouse personnel. OTTO does not rely on external infrastructure for navigation, making implementation hassle-free and highly scalable. It can transport 1,500 kg (3,300 lbs) loads at speeds up to 2 m/s (+/- 4.5 mph), while tracking along optimal paths and safely avoiding collisions.
“North American manufacturers are constantly under pressure to find new ways to gain an edge against low-cost offshore competition. Traditional automation is saturating. But what about the more complex tasks too difficult or expensive to automate?” said Matt Rendall, CEO and Co-Founder of Clearpath Robotics. “We created OTTO to reinvent material transport and give North American manufacturers a new edge.”
Applications for OTTO include moving pallets in a warehouse or cross-dock, and for kitting or assembly line delivery. OTTO units are currently deployed in five test facilities, the first of which belongs to GE.
GE has collaborated with Clearpath on service robot development since 2013 and recently became one of Clearpath’s first OTTO customers. Today Clearpath also announced GE Ventures has become a strategic investor in the company for an undisclosed sum.
“We believe robotics will drastically improve the industries that GE serves,” said Ralph Taylor-Smith, Managing Director of GE Ventures. “We look forward to further partnering with Clearpath and exploring the role large-scale service robots may play for us and for our customers in the future. This Clearpath investment from GE reflects a deepening of the industrial partnership in advanced manufacturing and field service operations with self-driving vehicles and service robots.”
“GE is one of the world’s most powerful and innovative brands," said Rendall. “We are honored to partner with GE and we look forward to shaping the industry with them.”
Clearpath Robotics Inc. develops self-driving vehicles for industry. The company provides hardware, software and services to enable self-driving vehicle development, deployment and fleet operation. Clearpath works with over 500 of the world’s most innovative brands in over 40 countries, serving markets that span manufacturing, logistics, mining, agriculture, aerospace and defense. Clearpath is an award-winning company with recent awards, including Robotics Business Review Top 50 Company, Edison Award for Innovation, Business Insider Top 40 under 40, and Canada’s Top 100 Employers. Visit Clearpath Robotics at: www.clearpathrobotics.com.
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