Robots and humans are likely to work together increasingly frequently in the future. For this, robots must be equipped with force sensors in order to perceive their environments and shape interactions with it. The solutions developed in this area up to now have, however, lacked reliability and have been on the expensive side, as Venture Kick writes in a press release. Now, Bota Systems is focused on changing this.
The start-up, which was established in March 2020 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH), is developing what is known as a plug and play force-sensing solution. This has primarily been conceived for robot systems that need to be able to sense interaction forces with their environment. In this way, it is well-suited to being used in inspection drones, manufacturing robots and autonomous diggers, for example.
The start-up is intending to launch its sensor solution on the market at the start of 2021. In fact, it has already secured several customers for the development. For example, the robotics laboratory of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Carnegie Mellon University and the University of California have all already ordered a sensor.
With its solution, Bota Systems has also now been able to impress the jury at Venture Kick. The company has been awarded a support grant totaling 150,000 Swiss francs. The company is planning to put this fresh capital injection towards expanding its product portfolio.
In addition to Venture Kick, Bota Systems has also received backing from the ESA Business Incubation Centre in Switzerland. The start-up’s development may also help to drive applications in the aerospace industry.
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