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Vayu says the automated cargo-unloading mechanism in its supply robots is the primary of its sort. Supply: Vayu Robotics
Whereas e-commerce deliveries are rising, the associated fee per supply stays stubbornly excessive, in response to Vayu Robotics Inc. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based startup at present launched a supply robotic that it claimed combines basis synthetic intelligence fashions with low-cost sensors.
“The distinctive set of applied sciences we now have developed at Vayu have allowed us to resolve issues which have plagued supply robots over the previous decade and eventually create an answer that may really be deployed at scale and allow a budget transport of products in all places,” said Anand Gopalan, CEO of Vayu Robotics.
Vayu co-founders, from left: Mahesh Krishnamurthi, Nitish Srivastava and Anand Gopalan. Supply: Vayu Robotics
Three veterans from the robotics and mobility business co-founded Vayu. Gopalan was CEO of Velodyne and took that main lidar provider public in 2020. Mahesh Krishnamurthi previously labored at Apple SPG and Lyft, and Nitish Srivastava additionally got here from Apple SPG and Geoffrey Hinton’s AI lab on the College of Toronto. Hinton is an advisor to the firm.
After working in main robotics and autonomy software program for twenty years, the trio stated they realized that high-volume robotics functions, resembling deliveries, “may solely be unlocked by inventing a brand new expertise stack that concerned lower-cost {hardware} and extra sturdy software program.”
“The Sanskrit phrase ‘vayu’ signifies the intelligence that permits all movement within the universe and all motion of power,” stated the corporate. Vayu Robotics stated its crew is creating expertise that can be environmentally sustainable and democratize automation for widespread adoption.
Vayu takes lidar-less strategy to navigation
By 2027, 23% of American retail purchases may happen on-line, in response to Forbes Advisor. Vayu Robotics asserted that its supply robotic is the primary to mix basis AI fashions with lidar-less sensors for on-road operations.
“Conventional cellular robotics depend on pricey lidar sensors and software program modules constructed to do one job at a time, resulting in costly {hardware} and fragile software program unable to deal with new eventualities,” stated the corporate. “Vayu’s robotic does the other.”
Vayu stated it has mixed Vayu Drive, a transformer-based mobility basis mannequin, with the Vayu Sense passive sensor, eliminating the necessity for lidar. The corporate stated its Vayu One supply robotic can function autonomously with out pre-mapping roads.
It added that the system is able to navigating inside shops, on metropolis streets, and unloading packages on driveways or porches, carrying as much as 100 lb. (45.3 kg) at beneath 20 mph (32.1 kph). Vayu claimed that this mannequin affords “probably the most cost-effective, protected, dependable supply system in the marketplace.”
Vayu stated Vayu One is already rolling out in real-world functions. The corporate not too long ago signed an settlement with a big e-commerce participant to deploy 2,500 robots for quick supply of products and stated it has comparable industrial prospects within the works.
Vayu notion may apply to different robotics functions
Vayu Robotics stated its crew can also be working with a number one world robotics producer to switch lidar sensors with Vayu’s sensing expertise for different robotic functions. The Vayu Sense Improvement Package contains Vayu Sense and NVIDIA Orin.
“Our software program is robotic form-factor-agnostic, and we now have already deployed it throughout a number of wheeled type elements,” Gopalan stated. “Within the close to future, Vayu’s software program expertise will allow the motion of quadrupedal and bipedal robots, permitting us to develop into these markets as properly.”
Vayu is backed by Khosla Ventures and Lockheed Martin Ventures, which contributed to its $12.7 million in seed funding in October 2023.
“At Khosla Ventures, we imagine in backing companies the place essential and differentiated applied sciences can unlock a big market,” stated Kanu Gulati, a accomplice at Khosla Ventures. “Vayu is a good instance of this the place they’ve deployed novel sensing and their AI basis fashions to a robotic problem that may have immense financial and societal influence.”
“Autonomous supply robots are solely the tip of the iceberg,” stated Gopalan. “With its cutting-edge innovation and deployment, Vayu is poised to guide the adoption of real-world robotics throughout industries. For now, Vayu’s scalable robotics structure is about to empower small companies to ship merchandise to their prospects’ doorstep seamlessly.”
