Seegrid Corp., founded in 2003 to revive the robotics market, is the developer of the G Series industrial mobile robots, flexible systems that use sophisticated software to sense, move, analyze, and interact with its surroundings. The company was formed as a spin-off from Carnegie Mellon University's Mobile Robot Lab, where Seegrid's industrial mobile robotics (IMR) technology was researched and applied.
The products, which include the General Purpose (GP8) robotic pallet truck with 8,000-pound capacity and the General Purpose (GT3) tugger with 3,000 pound capacity, are more than simple automated guided vehicles (AGVs), the company says. Seegrid robots take pictures of the environment and interpret the data using 3D evidence grid software. The robot "learns" its surroundings, which makes changing its path easy and affordable — no ripping and replacing wires in the floor.
"What is so different about us is that our technology is so flexible," says Greg Cronin, Seegrid's executive vice president. "The route of the robot can be changed in a matter of minutes, and that is very important because so many companies want flexibility in their own manufacturing capabilities."
Many companies are turning to robots to fill an anticipated workforce shortage as baby boomers retire over the next few years. "We saw the Seegrid technology as an effective and economical way to make our warehouses and distribution centers more productive," says Pete Rector, executive vice president of Genco, a third-party logistics provider for CPG companies.
Seegrid's technology marks a significant shift in how robots work and are used. "We believe this is the kind of future we all want for robotics," says Bruno Siciliano, president of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society. "More capabilities, more reliability, and more interaction with human operators using low-cost sensors. This can be done thanks to massive use of adaptive algorithms."
Moving forward, Seegrid will continue to explore how robots can interact with humans and other systems — like a warehouse management systems (WMS) or manufacturing execution system (MES).
- Founded: 2003
- Product/Category: G Series (GP8 and GT3)/Industrial mobile robots
- Industry Segments Served: Any industry that requires material handling in a production or warehouse setting