Spider robot As many Robotics companies are delivering many technological innovations in the field of automation, potential funders and investors are growing everyday for these companies making it one of the most attractive businesses as now people are beginning to accept that robotics is an investment giving long-term edges and having the long-term cost-to-benefits ratio. Today, I will be here with you at my working desk exploring the Top 10 Robotics companies of 2014. As we know, We can easily perceive why robotics industry is a high profit business. However, an investor will calculate the cons of this business in terms of its cost and riskiness. We can also easily understand why robotics is an immense field for technological research, innovation and investment and how robotics can change the world in terms of technology and automation. As Robotics has diverse investment opportunities, there are now hundreds of firms working on Robotics and thousands of people seeking investment for their ideas and innovation. Therefore, people make many category and guidelines to choose “Top 10 Robotics companies of 2014”. Therefore, my list will be based upon various financial data about these companies plus the innovation brought up by these companies in the global market of robotics which expects to make around or more than 30 billion US dollars by 2016 with high growth rates. Also in this list I am listing both the type of companies that are directly involved in robotics and that are investing in robotics.

1.Google

for investing in and creating varied robotics projects that may change how the planet works completely.

Here’s a hard fact, Google now owns over 100 of companies. Most of the businesses that Google is buying since 2013 are the popular innovative companies working on Robotics, explaining the motive of Google to maximize its profit by long-term investment in Robotics The search giant also will be an internet and Television service provider by 2015 with its illustrious optical fiber technology, Google fiber can give 1 GB/ sec speed in low price than the present market price for internet and Television service which will earn Google lots of money. It appears Google is trying to diversify its investment as its revenue from ads is declining. Advertisement is the major source for its revenue. If we think about an investment option with high long-term benefits, we can’t miss out Robotics and founders of Google seem to have done a lot of brainstorming on Robotics. Therefore, Google will be leasing an airport from the NASA for research and development of robotics and rovers .Moreover, it’s buying almost every innovative company working on robotics as it has lots of money to invest in. Now the market capacity of Google is crossing US $ 400 billion with its enterprise value crossing US $350 billion, it’s is the largest investor in Robotics, putting it at the top of the list. . Here are the few companies and projects of Google that will change the future, making Google the top company working in Robotics, Deepmind Technology which will be working in designing an intelligent Robot brain mechanism , Boston Dynamics which is building diverse kind of future oriented robots ranging from the two-footed robots like Petman, four-legged Bigdog, Alphadog, Cheetah and many more to humanoid Atlas and many other types of robots, Botdolly which claims to specialize in automation, robotics and filmmaking, Holomoni which creates hi-tech wheels for Omni-directional motion, Meka robotics working on development of intelligent humanoid robots, Redwood Robotics which will be making next generation arms for future robots, Industrial Perception.Inc working on technological robots that will be used in manufacturing and logistics, Schaft robotics which bipedal robot wins top prize at DARPA’s robotics challenge ,Google’s autonomous vehicle that with success completed driver free 500000 miles milestone incident free and the list goes on and on with many other companies working on the field of automation and robotics as well as different projects that Google has acquired that will change the world.

 2. iRobots

For connecting advanced bots to the house of individuals

irobots sure deserves number two place on this list as its market capacity according to Forbes is US $1.4 billion or even more as it expects revenue of US $560-%570 million in 2014 as a public corporation. Fascinating information for those of you who don’t know about iRobots, it’s is a pioneer in designing and creating floor cleaning robots. Just remember the scene of “Breaking Bad”, a small circular robot moves here and there by itself as people party. If you didn’t recognize its name, it’s called Roomba, one among the intelligent robotic products of iRobots. iRobots is now creating diverse group of its robots related to cleaning, military and police purpose and for research and other tasks. As demand for products of iRobots are increasing, it’s been creating different types of robots for various cleaning purposes, which consist of 90 percent of its revenue as well as for military purposes and police work. Here are its major products.

  1. Roomba – Automated vacuüm cleaning robot with many advanced functions and user-friendly to use. It is easy to run, easy to hack and understand and charges itself at the end of its cleaning cycle. It now comes in different types and it’s perpetually evolving. The major next-gen Roomba for now is BRAAVA380T which is the highest selling product of the firm.Other cleaning robots include Scuba for floor washing, Verro for swimming pool, Looj for gutter cleaning each coming in various versions if available.
  2. Packbot – Series of military robots employed in various military missions involving situational awareness, intelligence, explosive ordnance disposal and other missions. A battlefield proven bot of the series, PACKBOT 510, which is worn as a backpack, gained a large contract of US $ 30 million with US army and many countries are eagerly buying series of this robot as per need.Other military and police based robots include Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle(SUGV), Warrior for bomb-disposal, battlefield casualty extraction and fire-fighting, R-gator for waypoint following with obstacle avoidance and following dismounted infantry, Negotiator for civil-response surveillance and reconnaissance, Transphibian for mine detection, surveillance and harbor defense, First look for bomb disposal and reconnaissance and other type of robots include RP-VITA for medical purposes, Ranger as a man portable UUV, Seaglider for ocean navigation in low-cost, AVA500 for video conferencing and many more.

3. Recon Robotics

For designing, engineering and producing tactical micro robot system which will save people lives.

The company is the world leader in tactical micro robot system and remotely deployed sensor system. These small mechanism systems that use varied new generation robots system are for law enforcement and military-personnel use. The United States Army, international friendly forces to US, more than 550 federal states and law enforcement agency are its users. Currently deployed and under contract, micro robot system by the company now amounts more than 4700 and is increasing. Its major products are

  1. ThrowbotrXT  used for reconnaissance can send audio and video, has infrared optical system that permits users to see in darkness, is water resistant and can survive throws up to 120 feet.
  2. Recon series – Recon series has many robots used for reconnaissance and police purpose. Some examples are Recon ScoutThrowbot LE which police uses to look for hidden threats and confined space, Recon Scout Ir which can see in complete darkness, Recon Scout UVI, and many more used for inspection to traverse valid terrain.These types of robots the company is selling is saving people lives in high risk operation and military purposes as these robots will increase situational awareness and standoff distance task like compound clearing mission, surveillance and warfare. Not only this the company also produce robotics accessories for its robotics system like Searchstick which can act as a charging station, a command station to supervise robots and robots holding place.

4.Mazor Robotics

For connecting robotics technology to surgical procedures

It is the company to see in 2014. If you had ever imagined that a robotic technology could be used in the field of surgery, than you were right.Mazor Robotics does it. It with success created robots used in orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery. It is an Israeli company with its international office in USA and Germany. It is on both on Tel-Aviv stock exchange and NASDAQ. It has installed its technology in 58 hospitals out of which 28 are in the US alone. The technology completed more than 4000 procedures till now. Mazor Robotic technology has now created its mechanism capable for the use in brain surgeries that accounts to cover increasing market of hundreds of US million dollars annually. It’ll conjointly build varied robotics systems which will be employed in varied surgical procedures within the future.

5.Esko Bionics and Touch Bionics

For innovation in prosthesis.

These are two different companies which will hold number 5 place together in the list. They have two things in common. They both work within the field of prosthesis, understood as a an artificial device that replaces missing body parts lost through coma, disease and congenital conditions and bionic, which is the study of mechanical system that functions like living organism or part of it. Touch Bionics is the popular company working within the field of prosthesis technologies and supporting services designed to prosthesis. It generally works in the upper limb deficiencies as well as the fingers. Its product includes i-limb ultra revolution and i-limb ultra with pulsing and vari-grip abilities and i-limb digits for missing fingers. The company also provides many supporting services for its product. i-limb revolution gets famous because an included iPod touch programs it which means the customers can run this device without the help of prosthetics experts. Ekso bionics is another company that creates wearable robots. It has innovated many wearable robotic bionic system used for varied functions like Exohiker with a small solar panel that facilitates hikers to carry serious masses up to 150 pounds for hours or even days, ExoClimber for climbing steep slopes and ascending stairs,HULC to carry large masses. So the company generally makes powered exoskeleton bionic devices. One of the major bionic devices of the company is Ekso or Elegs which is an automated leg that can work by itself and as the wearer desires by the use of computer interface and motion sensors.

6.Seegrid

For innovation in material handling

It is yet one more company to watch in 2014 as its vision is to optimize workflow processes in large industries and factories by increasing their productivity and reducing cost creating economic and operational advantages. The company believes these large industries can gain such advantage by using its product “Automated Guided Vehicles (AVGs)” in theirs material handling process. The company claims these products are simple, affordable, and flexible as well as vision guided. As per as its website, the company is "Manufacturer of the year in 2013" awarded by Pittsburgh Business Time as well as the top 10 robotics companies of 2013 as well as top 50 most innovative companies of the world by Fast magazine. It robotics product includes GWSL3 Walkie Stacker, GT4 Tow Tractor, GP8 Pallet Truck and GT10 Tow Tractor.

7.Norrthrop GRUMMAN

For UCAV

Named Forbes Company of the year in 2002, Norrthrop GRUMMAN is an American global aerospace and defense technology company. However, the company no longer appears on the Forbes list of America’s 400 Best Big Companies, but it made history on 4th February in 2011 by flying Unmanned combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) first designed for carrier based operations. Although the company revenue is declining, it reported revenues of 25.218 billion US dollars in 2012. It’s is producing aircraft carriers, military aircrafts, military vessels, missile defense system, satellites , information technology and advanced electronic sensors sand system. a.Northrop Grumman X-47B The company made United States Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D). The product is in testing phase. Not only this, the company intends to create X-47B prototype into a battlefield ready aircraft, as the Unmanned Carrier-Launched Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) system, which will enter service by 2019. Just imagine, upon its arrival how this aircraft will change the modern warfare and how much it gets ordered earning the company in billions.

8.Rethink Robotics

For making a robot that can excellently perform various repetitive task

Imagine what it will be like having a better worker in your company who doesn’t ask for salary. Of course, with human it’s not possible but with robots it is. This idea now seems possible with its robot Baxter, which is 3 foot tall, two armed robot with animated face, launched in September, 2012. It was first designed to do dull takes on a production line. It is in high demand by small and medium-sized companies as they don't have to program it to use it. Not only that, customers can teach it more complicated tasks in couple of minutes giving them chance to create their own application of the robot. It has sensors that allow it to sense people nearby and sense when no to do the task when something goes wrong like if it drops a tool, I stops the work and can express to people with its animated face . It is generally designed to do repetitive tasks and under supervision of humans it performs excellently.

8.Rethink Robotics

For making a robot that can excellently perform various repetitive task.

Imagine what it will be like having a better worker in your company who doesn’t ask for salary. Of course, with human it’s not possible but with robots it is. This idea now seems possible with its robot Baxter, which is 3 foot tall, two armed robot with animated face, launched in September, 2012. It was first designed to do dull takes on a production line. It is in high demand by small and medium-sized companies as they don't have to program it to use it. Not only that, customers can teach it more complicated tasks in couple of minutes giving them chance to create their own application of the robot. It has sensors that allow it to sense people nearby and sense when no to do the task when something goes wrong like if it drops a tool, I stops the work and can express to people with its animated face . It is generally designed to do repetitive tasks and under supervision of humans it performs excellently.

9.Liquid Robotics

For creating intelligent ocean watchers powered with the help of sun and sea water.

As we know, the oceans covers 2/3rd part of our earth, whatever happens to the climate, weather and overall environment of our earth, the oceans have a major role. The oceans also play a major role in keeping carbon cycle balance. Therefore, it is important to analyse different data variables regarding or affecting the oceans. Now we have a company named Liquid Robotics which is able to gather all the information about the surface of ocean such as water temperature and the atmospheric condition above such as wind speed which as we know was not practically possible before. a. Wave Glider- It is an environmentally powered autonomous robotic system which roams by itself on the oceans as programmed and collects different observations. It also holds a new world record for the longest distance travelled by any autonomous vehicle from Pacific to Australia. The company also has launched PacX challenge and PacX competition which are very popular among ocean researchers.

10.QBotix , Prox Dynamics, Honda, Aldebaran and Bosch.

There are many companies that I want to put in number 10 as many companies deserve the 10th place.

  1. Qbotix for building technology that can generate even more solar power by using monorails and robots.
  2. Prox Dynamics for building Black Hornet nano-copters that is so small that it’s can fit in your palm yet so effective for close quarter scouting and surveillance.
  3. Honda for first human shaped humanoid Asimo.
  4. Aldebaran for its intelligent humanoid “Nao”.
  5. Bosch for building hands-free mowing and motoring” Robmower” technology, which can revolutionize the present way of mowing.

  Also see: BEST COLLAGES FOR ROBOTICS.

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