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Sanctuary’s Phoenix humanoid is being developed to assist a wide range of duties. | Credit: Sanctuary AI
In its Technology Vision 2024 report, Accenture stated 95% of the executives it surveyed agreed that “making technology more human will massively expand the opportunities of every industry.” Well, immediately Accenture put its cash the place its mouth is. Accenture Ventures introduced a strategic funding in Sanctuary AI, one of many companies growing humanoid robots.
The Robot Report reached out to Sanctuary to study extra concerning the funding however hadn’t heard again at press time. This article will likely be up to date if extra particulars are discovered. Financial particulars of the funding weren’t disclosed.
Vancouver, Canada-based Sanctuary was based in 2018 by Geordie Rose, Suzanne Gildert, Olivia Norton, and Ajay Agrawal. In December 2023, the corporate introduced the acquisition of mental property from Giant.AI Inc. and Tangible Research to enhance its contact and greedy applied sciences.
Humanoids are producing loads of curiosity nowadays. Figure just lately raised $675 million and is piloting its humanoid with BMW. Agility Robotics has piloted its Digit humanoid with Amazon and GXO Logistics. Apptronik just lately introduced a partnership with BMW. NVIDIA additionally introduced a basis mannequin for humanoids, known as GROOT, that’s designed to convey robotics and embodied AI collectively.
Sanctuary targeted on dexterous manipulation
While different humanoid builders have targeted a lot of their power on bipedal locomotion, Sanctuary has taken a special strategy with its Phoenix robotic. It believes object manipulation is the important thing to humanoid success out there and has put most of its power into hand-eye coordination and AI intelligence to assist dexterous manipulation.
Sanctuary has printed a collection of movies of its robots “doing stuff” on YouTube (see video on the backside of the story). These movies illustrate the event path of the two-armed humanoid in addition to the AI behind the robots’ decision-making.
Powered by Carbon, Phoenix is now autonomously finishing easy duties at human-equivalent velocity. This is a crucial step on the journey to full autonomy. Phoenix is exclusive amongst humanoids in its velocity, precision, and energy, all vital for industrial purposes. pic.twitter.com/bYlsKBYw3i
— Geordie Rose (@realgeordierose) February 28, 2024
“AI-powered humanoid robots are essential to reinventing work and supporting human workers as labor shortage is becoming an issue in many countries and industries,” stated Joe Lui, Accenture’s world superior automation and robotics lead. “Sanctuary AI’s advanced AI platform trains robots to react to their environment and perform new tasks with precision in a very short time. We see huge potential for their robots in post and parcel, manufacturing, retail, and logistics warehousing operations, where they could complement and collaborate with human workers and automate tasks that traditional robotics can’t.”
Building an AI mind
Phoenix is powered by Sanctuary’s AI management system, Carbon, which makes an attempt to imitate subsystems discovered within the human mind. The strategy taken by the corporate additionally seeks to make the AI actions explainable, in addition to editable.
“Robots with human-like intelligence will completely transform the workforce of the future,” stated Rose, chief govt officer and co-founder of Sanctuary AI. “By combining Accenture’s expertise in disruptive technology with Sanctuary AI’s industry-leading robotics, we can help some of the biggest companies in the world manage this change and provide the best solutions for its clients.”
Accenture’s rising robotics portfolio
The funding in Sanctuary is the newest transfer by Accenture to construct out a robotics technique. In January 2024, Accenture and Mujin created a three way partnership to assist convey robotics to the manufacturing and logistics industries. Called Accenture Alpha Automation, the brand new enterprise is owned 70% by Accenture and 30% by Mujin. The new firm, known as Accenture Alpha Automation, combines Mujin’s industrial robotics experience with Accenture’s digital engineering and manufacturing service, Industry X.
Accenture Alpha Automation is situated in Japan, which is a robotics powerhouse. Japan had the fourth-highest robotic density of any nation in 2022, in response to the International Federation of Robotics. Robot density measures the variety of operational industrial robots per 10,000 staff in a rustic.
Accenture has additionally constructed out robotics integration capabilities in recent times. In early 2021, Accenture acquired Pollux, a supplier of business robotics and automation. This was Accenture’s first acquisition of the type. At the time of the deal, Pollux had applied greater than 1,000 initiatives for manufacturing firms, primarily in Brazil. It stated it has deployed 150-plus collaborative robots efficiently all through Brazil.
In 2022, Accenture acquired Eclipse Automation, a supplier of customized automation and robotics options for manufacturing purposes. Eclipse Automation creates automated manufacturing techniques for all times sciences, industrial gear, automotive, power and shopper items firms.