When somebody talked about to me that Xiaomi was launching its personal “robot dog,” my thoughts instantly went to Sony’s Aibo. And truthfully, it might have been tough to be extra mistaken. Now that the information has been out for just a few days, the corporate’s heard all your dangerous Black Mirror jokes, don’t fear.
And, truthfully, the Chinese {hardware} maker didn’t do itself any favors with the design right here. Boston Dynamics has completed rather a lot to imbue its quadrupedal robots with persona, by way of design language and viral movies of Spot and firm busting a transfer to the Dirty Dancing soundtrack.
With Cyberdog, nevertheless, Xiaomi’s design group clearly simply leaned in and went full-on Robocop (and the Bladerunner pastiche doesn’t assist) . I obtain a deluge of Metalhead gifs each time I submit one thing about Boston Dynamics — severely, I’m utilizing Cyberdog because the lead picture on this submit, simply so you’ll be able to see what I imply. Go examine the replies on Twitter. I’ll wait.
Image Credits: Xiaomi
Xiaomi is, in fact, removed from the primary firm to launch a Spot-like quadrupedal robotic. There are quite a few corporations competing in that area, together with ANYmal and Ghost Robotics. For its half, Xiaomi is trying to put a developer spin on the class. Per the Mi weblog:
CyberDog is Xiaomi’s first foray into quadruped robotics for the open supply group and builders worldwide. Robotics lovers curious about CyberDog can compete or co-create with different like-minded Xiaomi Fans, collectively propelling the event and potential of quadruped robots.
Image Credits: Xiaomi
The robotic is powered by Nvidia’s Jetson Xavier NX platform, coupled with 11-built in sensors, together with cameras, contact, GPS and extra. The firm will probably be launch 1,000 of the robots, value at roughly $1,540 — a fraction of the price of the superior Spot system. The robotic can be a fraction of the dimensions of Boston Dynamics’ quadruped. And whereas there are superficial similarities the mission actually couldn’t be extra completely different.
Xiaomi’s entry into robotics is extra about constructing {hardware} for Nvidia’s platform. It’s a (comparatively) cheap method for folks to get a hold of programming and, maybe, protoyping robotics. The doubtless restricted performance — and availability — are fairly clear indications that that the corporate’s not attempting to place a Cyberdog in each residence simply but.
Bear Flag Robotics
A large acquisition this week, John Deere introduced plans to purchase Bear Flag Robotics for $250 million. We’ve been following Bear Flag because it was a member of the YC cohort. The deal looks as if a very good end result for each events. Bear Flag will get numerous assets from an agricultural large like John Deere and Deere will get to step one other foot into the world of cutting-edge tech with an autonomous tractor startup.
Says co-founder and CEO Igino Cafiero:
One of the most important challenges farmers face as we speak is the provision of expert labor to execute time-sensitive operations that impression farming outcomes. Autonomy provides a protected and productive different to handle that problem head on. Bear Flag’s mission to extend world meals manufacturing and cut back the price of rising meals by way of machine automation is aligned with Deere’s and we’re excited to affix the Deere group to convey autonomy to extra farms.

Image Credits: Kiwibot
Another startup we’ve been following since its early days, Kiwibot is seeing enlargement to a major variety of campuses. In spite of campus shutdowns final yr, the Berkeley-based firm is definitely seeing one thing of a increase because of the pandemic. COO Diego Varela Prada tells TechSwitch:
We have a process to disinfect the bots between orders. If you’re a scholar and also you don’t wish to combine into giant crowds, I believe it’s a lot safer to order meals by way of Kiwibot and have it delivered to the library or your dorm.

We’ve written about Lidar firm Aeva just a few occasions through the years, together with final November, when it introduced plans to go public through SPAC. This week, the corporate introduced a cope with Nikon that takes it past its present automotive functions. The firm says there are a slew of potential functions, although the chip continues to be about 4 years away from manufacturing. Fields embody, “consumer electronics, consumer health, industrial robotics, and security.”
A complete bunch of robots are making their technique to Florida late subsequent yr, courtesy of Amazon. The firm introduced this week that it has chosen Tallahassee (birthplace of T-Pain and objectively the perfect Mountain Goats album) as the house of its subsequent success middle. The firm plans so as to add to its huge arm of warehouse robots for the 630,000-square-foot area, together with 1,000 human jobs.
Image Credits: Berkshire Grey
FedEx, in the meantime, has applied Berkshire Grey robotics at a delivery facility in Queens (the perfect borough). The programs will id, decide, type, collected and containerize primarily small packages like polybags, tubes and padded mailers. The programs are set to roll out to extra areas, together with Las Vegas and Columbus, Ohio. Says B.G.,
This know-how has been developed and put in as a direct response to the exponential development of e-commerce, which has accelerated the demand for dependable automated options all through all phases of the provision chain. FedEx Ground believes that continued innovation and automation will enhance security, effectivity, and productiveness for its group members as they proceed to maintain the e-commerce provide chain transferring.
Image Credits: Hyphen
Here’s a brand new firm within the meals area price maintaining a tally of. Formerly often known as Ono Food Co. (then a meals truck firm), SF-based Hyphen has come out of stealth with the announcement of its Makeline automated meal platform. The firm says the system is ready to create as much as 350 meals an hour, with assistance from a single employees member.
“[W]e really see ourselves like Shopify,” CEO Stephen Klein mentioned in a launch, “but instead of enabling merchants to compete with the likes of Amazon, we’re enabling restaurants to compete with the likes of DoorDash as well as other services and ghost kitchens that have decided to compete with their own customers by offering their own food brands.”
The platform is ready to begin rolling out this winter with plans for 300 areas in New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Phoenix.