AWS announced that it has started public preview of AWS IoT RoboRunner, a robot operation service, during the event (AWS re:Invent 2021) held from November 29, 2021. At the same time, it announced the AWS Robotics Startup Accelerator, a program to address automation, robotics, and industrial IoT technology challenges in collaboration with the non-profit organization MassRobotics.
As the pandemic fuels digital transformation, businesses are increasingly employing robots. According to the report, 44.9% of companies now consider the use of robots in assembly plants or manufacturing facilities as an integral part of their daily work.
As businesses become increasingly reliant on robots to automate tasks, businesses have a choice of different types of robots, making it difficult to efficiently organize and operate robots. However, robot development standards and task management systems are not unified, and each has their own control software and data format, so in most cases there is no compatibility. Additionally, when new robots are added to the fleet, the control software must be connected to the work management system or the logic for the management app must be programmed.
According to Amazon, the goal of AWS IoT RoboRunner, which started offering a preview version, is to simplify the process of building management apps for fleets of robots. AWS IoT Roborunner builds on technology for operating robot fleets already in use in Amazon warehouses. AWS customers can connect robots and existing automation software to organize the entire operation of their operations, allowing them to aggregate and standardize data such as facility, location, and robot task data.
AWS Robotics Startup Accelerator is a program that provides resources for robot development companies to develop, test, and commercialize products or services. Amazon says that by strategically linking the technical resources and networks provided by AWS, it can support robotics-related startups or industry-wide experimentation and innovation, and connect startups and their technologies with the AWS customer base.
Startups participating in the AWS Robotics Startup Accelerator can receive advice or training from AWS or Mass Robotics experts, and provide up to $10,000 in budget to use AWS IoT or machine learning services. After the program closes over four weeks, you can receive business development and investment guidance from Mass Robotics or co-market with AWS through blogs, examples, and more.
AWS IoT Roboroner public preview will be available starting November 30th. No additional cost is required during this period. Related information can be found here.