Robotics investments and acquisitions January 2019

Solana Beach, Calif.-based alwaysAI plans to offer enterprise developers a deep-learning computer vision service to help them create Internet of Things applications for embedded devices such as robots, drones, wearables, and transport systems. The Sydney, Australia-based company last July launched a lidar system that it said is more affordable and “uses prism-like optics and shifting wavelengths of light to create powerful eyes for self-driving vehicles.” Baraja added that it “will use the funding to scale production, hire talent and continue its mission to enable safer autonomous driving.” Beijing Auto AI Technology Co. (China) — $104M Series A Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH in January 2019 joined Tencent, Didi, Nio Capital, and AdvanTech in investing in the $104 million Series A for Beijing Auto AI Technology Co., or AutoAI. A spin-off of Idiap Research and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Eyeware Tech has demonstrated systems that were part of the BionicWorkplace, including a Festo collaborative robot arm, at Hannover Messe 2018. It will use the funding to scale up operations, improve its existing services, and prepare for launch in North Carolina under the U.S. Federal Aviation Authority’s Unmanned Aircraft System Integration Pilot Program. FLIR is the world’s largest commercial maker of thermal imaging cameras and sensors, and Aeryon makes unmanned aerial systems weighing less than 20 pounds for the military, public safety, and critical infrastructure markets.