As automation advances, a startup can’t expect to stand out just for having yet another robot boot up. But if that robot comes optimized for use cases that other firms have yet to tackle—especially those that are especially inefficient or hazardous for humans—then it’s earned some extra attention. Among the examples that caught ours: washing office-building windows and finishing drywall at large venues. Canvas : For bringing robotic efficiency to drywall finishing
This San Francisco startup aims to automate a construction chore notable for the time involved and the dust generated: finishing drywall. Can‘s robots automatically spray and sand finishing compound over the joints in drywall, using a vacuum to capture what the company says is “99.9% of the particulate generated by sanding.” It’s already won the unlikely endorsement of a chapter of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades and has helped build such high-profile Bay Area projects as San Francisco International Airport’s new Harvey Milk Terminal 1. Gatik : For focusing AV ambitions on the most productive part of the journey
Far too many autonomous-vehicle startups have run off the metaphorical road by trying to ship self-driving vehicles that are ready for every possible highway, avenue, street, and lane. Gatik, however, limits its AV operation to a defined set of roads with fixed end points, and it further simplifies its problem set by focusing on the middle-mile logistical needs of large retailers. Gatik has offices in Toronto and Mountain View, California, and has already signed delivery deals for such name-brand firms as Walmart and Kroger.
Full story : The 4 next big things in robotics and automation for 2023.
