San Francisco-based company, Rapid Robotics, has announced a new partnership with Yaskawa America’s Motoman Robotics division to expand their solutions for industrial robotic arms. The integration with the entire Yaskawa robotics portfolio will bring industrial capabilities to Rapid Robotics‘ Rapid Machine Operator (RMO) and provide manufacturers with a faster, more diverse range of robotic solutions.
Advanced Technology with As-a-Service Characteristics
Rapid Robotics has combined cutting-edge computer vision, artificial intelligence, and instinctive learning with as-a-service characteristics such as cloud connectivity, monthly leasing, and 24/7 support. This has enabled the company to democratize automation in the face of an intense workforce shortage. With the Yaskawa portfolio now integrated into Rapid Robotics’ solutions, manufacturers can benefit from these advanced technologies and shift repetitive or dangerous tasks away from human workers.
“Yaskawa is an established leader in the robotics market and a partnership with Rapid Robotics opens the door to automation for many enterprises that have previously found it difficult or intimidating to deploy robotic solutions,” says Chris Caldwell, Product Manager of Yaskawa Motoman. “By combining strengths, Rapid Robotics’ advanced vision systems and state-of-the-art AI allow Yaskawa’s full line of robotic manipulators to improve cycle-times and return-on-investment for end users.”
Unprecedented Speed of Deployment
One of the trademarks of Rapid Robotics’ solutions is their unprecedented speed of deployment, which holds true for the new industrial RMO. This is realized due to the company’s modular approach to work cell design, which streamlines industrial Yaskawa robots and avoids interference with peripheral devices. A key feature of this re-imagined work cell is an innovative mobile robot pedestal with modular fixturing, giving the light industrial arm the same flexibility as Rapid Robotics’ collaborative robot solution.
Industrial Robotic Arms Made Easy
Historically, industrial robotic arms have been more difficult to deploy than cobot counterparts, especially outside of mass production environments. However, Rapid Robotics’ industrial RMO offers all the flexibility of a cobot solution while meeting all safety measures and providing the added payload, speed, and reach of a traditional industrial arm. This partnership is a huge expansion on top of the company’s full compatibility with Universal Robot’s cobot portfolio.
Rapid Robotics’ goal is to make robotic automation easy and affordable for manufacturers facing a labor shortage. The company deploys a turnkey robotic workforce for up to 80% of common machine operator tasks in a matter of weeks, delivering ROI from the moment the robots start producing parts. At an equivalent labor rate from $6-$16 per hour, Robotics as a Service from Rapid Robotics eliminates the cost and complexity of robotic automation, allowing manufacturers to focus on growing their business.
Rapid Robotics’ founding team combines expertise in robotics and manufacturing with a SaaS business model to deliver affordable solutions to real-world industry problems. The company is based in San Francisco and has received investment from Tiger Global, Kleiner Perkins, NEA, Greycroft, Bee Partners, and 468 Capital.