Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Receives $30M from Canadian Government for General-Purpose Robots
Sanctuary Cognitive Systems Corp., a company that develops human-like intelligence in general-purpose robots, announced it received a $30 million Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF) contribution to advance its technology and address labor-related challenges in the economy.
The contribution comes from the government of Canada. SIF projects promote the long-term competitiveness of Canadian industries, clean growth, and the advancement of Canada’s strategic technological advantage.
While most artificial intelligence (AI) on the market is special-purpose in nature (meaning it’s designed to perform narrow, singular tasks), Sanctuary said it is building human-like intelligence to power general-purpose robots that can help people overcome an endless number of challenges. Leveraging technology in AI, cognition, and robotics, Sanctuary said it will improve the quality of the work experience, assist humans with difficult or dangerous tasks, create new jobs, bring new opportunities to those who might be less capable of physical work, and reduce the impact of labor shortages both in Canada and around the world.
“Many labor-related challenges are outside the scope of current specialized AI and robotics technology,” said Geordie Rose, co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary. “We appreciate the contribution from the Government of Canada and we are working hard to make work safer, more accessible, and ultimately more productive.”
Sanctuary’s general-purpose robots are remotely piloted or supervised by people and will train and work alongside them. Many new jobs will be created, ranging from supervisors operating robots in a wide range of physical environments to people working with Sanctuary technology in simulation to help teach and train the cognitive platform that pilots the general-purpose robots, the company said. Sanctuary technology will also enable work to be done without putting people in harm’s way, making work safer, more efficient, and sustainable.
“As a leading digital nation, Canada is taking ambitious steps to harness the potential of artificial intelligence. By investing in companies like Sanctuary, we are leveraging Canadian expertise in AI to develop and commercialize innovative technologies. This initiative will help maximize the economic potential of AI for Canadians and further cement our AI leadership on the global stage,” said François-Philippe Champagne, minister of innovation, science and industry. Sanctuary has now received more than $100 million in funding since its founding in Vancouver in 2018. Sanctuary said it is actively recruiting for AI & machine learning research engineers, data scientists, software engineers, simulation experts, mechanical engineers, electronics & electrical engineers, and robotics & control engineers.
To learn more, visit the Sanctuary Cognitive Systems website here.
