Beyond Imagination, GelSight to Pilot Tactile Sensing with Telepresence Robotics
January 25, 2022
Beyond Imagination, an AI and robotics platform company developing humanoid robots, has announced teaming up with GelSight, which develops tactile intelligence technology, to initiate a pilot to study the feasibility of using humanoid robots to remotely operate GelSight’s tactile sensors.
The robots, known as “Beomni,” are tall, wireless humanoid robots that can be remotely controlled in real time from any commercially available virtual reality platform. The companies said they believe this pairing could eliminate costs and increase functionality in many applications where GelSight’s technology is used today, including manufacturing, quality assurance, and robotics.
For the pilot, robots will use a GelSight tactile sensor for hands-free control. The sensors can be remotely configured to provide detailed surface analytics and feedback to the remote user piloting the robot. For future systems, GelSight’s tactile sensors can be integrated into the robot to provide real-time tactile data for remote sensing and dexterous manipulation.
“Many customers have approached us with tactile sensing and measurement applications that would benefit from tele-operation,” said Kimo Johnson, chief science officer and co-founder of GelSight. “We see this as a great opportunity to explore next-generation tactile robotic integrations.”
“We are thrilled to be chosen to pilot GelSight’s innovative tactile sensors with our robotic platform,” said Harry Kloor, CEO and founder of Beyond Imagination. “We have always known our platform could increase efficiencies and productivity for organizations looking to remotely operate their tools or services without creating specialized roboticized products.”
Johnson added that the capability of using telepresence would expedite the deployment of GelSight systems into environments that are too costly or dangerous to send human operators. “The ability of an expert user to be instantly on-site, anywhere in the world with visual, auditory and tactile information available to them is game-changing for many of our customers,” said Johnson.
For more details on Beyond Imagination, visit its website here. Details on GelSight can be found here.
