Omnirobotic
Canvas Category Machinery : Industrial Robot : Spray
By 2016 and with a long list of accomplishments in tow, Francois and Laurier decided to found Omnirobotic in order to build the world’s first platform for autonomous manufacturing that could meet the needs of multiple value-added processes – even in high-mix productions. By 2018, that deep innovation work had already borne fruit with the launch of the company’s first product: The OmniPainter. By 2019, the team had their first system fully operational in a production environment, with throngs of manufacturers eager to access the benefits of Shape-to-Motion Technology.
Assembly Line
A year after its fundraising failure, Omnirobotic emerges from restructuring as a profitable robot builder
This time last year, the end was approaching for Omnirobotic. Technology market conditions were deteriorating and the venture-backed startup had failed to secure Series A financing. Even after laying off a third of its staff, the Laval, QC-based company was still running dangerously low on cash.
In an interview with BetaKit, Omnirobotic co-founder and CEO Francois Simard said it took three months to accept that he was not going to be able to raise new funding to fuel the company’s recurring revenue platform strategy and half a year for Omnirobotic to secure the buy-in required to restructure and reinvent itself as a maker of autonomous industrial robots.
While this pivot from an artificial intelligence (AI) software firm into a less scalable but more sustainable machine builder seemed like the best path forward for Omnirobotic, Simard acknowledged that it was still a gamble with no guarantee of paying off.
Omnirobotic receives $500k investment
Omnirobotic, a robotics automation company, announced that it has closed a financing of $500k to commercialize Autonomous Robotic Machines driven by Omnirobotic’s proprietary platform, AutonomyOS™. Strategic investors led the round with participation from Genik and Exelpro management and the company’s current employees. This funding will enable Omnirobotic to expand its Autonomous Robotic Machines product line-up to serve better Manufacturers struggling with labor shortages in High-Mix production environments.
ROS: How Well Does it Address Manufacturers’ Needs?
Using ROS, developers can build the three main components of a robot: the actuators, sensors, and control systems. These components are then unified with ROS tools, namely topics and messages. The messages are used to plan the robot’s movement and, using a digital twin, developers can ensure that their code works without having to actually test it on a real robot.
Omnirobotic’s AutonomyOS™ is a middleware meant to simplify and widen how robots are being used. While they both aim to achieve similar results, AutonomyOS™ flips the script by removing the need to code – something that still drives ROS. AutonomyOS™ can be primarily used by High-Mix manufacturers for a variety of different applications like paint spray processes, welding, and sanding. What is “High-Mix” Manufacturing? It is generally defined as any manufacturer or production that processes more than 100 different SKUs in batches fewer than 1000 each year – basically, a lot more variation than mass manufacturing.
What is Autonomous Manufacturing?
With Autonomous Manufacturing encompassing the concept that you don’t just need efficiency improvements across facilities based on connected devices, but can also realize process improvements that maximize flexibility with novel technology approaches, any development is possible. No longer will firms be constrained by skills and labor pools. They can turn any geography into a production center based on their proximity to raw materials, parts, inputs and the final market for their goods – a boon for workers, for profitability and for the environment.
Robot AI Startup Omnirobotic Raises $6.5m to Transform Industrial Manufacturing
Omnirobotic, a robotics automation startup, announced today that it has closed a seed round of $6.5 million CAD ($5 million USD) to further develop and commercialize its AI Platform for Factory Robots. Fonds de solidarite FTQ (the “Fonds”) and Export Development Canada (EDC) led the round with participation from Real Ventures and a joint venture including the company’s current employees. This funding enables Omnirobotic to continue building autonomous robotic capabilities for high-mix production environments, allowing industrial robots to see, plan and execute high-value-added processes like painting, welding and machining with limited human oversight.