On August 29, it was announced that Jeff Bezos, the world’s second richest person, has made a significant investment in a four-wheeled robot with artificial intelligence.
This groundbreaking project is being developed by tech firm Swiss-Mile and received a massive $22 million in seed funding co-led by Bezos Expeditions and Chinese venture capital firm HongShan. The robot’s primary aim is to significantly improve and simplify human lives through its innovative capabilities.
Swiss-Mile, a spin-off of the Robotic Systems Lab at ETH Zurich, has been at the forefront of integrating artificial neural networks into robots with legs and wheels.
Its versatile quadrupedal robots can walk, drive, stand upright on two legs, and manipulate packages with wheeled end effectors.
Previous demonstrations of the bots have seen them solve their own problems, such as opening doors, negotiating stairs, and calling an elevator.
The company says it can bring any robotic machine to life through this “versatile AI framework that is independent of the robot’s embodiment”.
Franziska Bossart, Head of the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund, said: “The Swiss-Mile team is building innovative real-world-oriented solutions utilizing embodied AI and robotics, bringing their expertise to various industries.
“We at the Industrial Innovation Fund are delighted to support their team, recognizing the potential these technologies hold for Amazon.”
Caroline Fu, partner of HongShan, said: “Swiss-Mile, utilizing their cutting-edge algorithms and the deep research expertise in comprehensive solutions, has developed a product that stands out in this industry.
“We are thrilled to observe the technological advancements the company has achieved, and are confident it will play a leading role in transforming the embodied intelligence industry.”
Bezos Expeditions is an American investment firm based in Washington that serves as a family office for Amazon.com founder Bezos. It manages his personal investments, funding both early and late-stage ventures of companies in different sectors.
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