10 Most Disruptive Automation Companies to Watch Volume II April2022

Managing Editor

Bhushan Bhad

Moving into the Future with Automation Excellence!

hebusinessspacehastraversedthrougharoller

Tcoasterride.Fromagrariansocietytotheindustrial ecosystemandfurtherescalatingintothedigital revolution,scientificinnovationshaverevampedthe businesscommunitylikeneverbefore.

Sproutingfromanagewherehammeringakneelwasa difficulttask,technologicalinnovationandITmarvelshave transformedthemanufacturingspace.Today,anindustry requirestopossesssoftwaresystemsandmechanical componentsratherthanaccommodatingavastworkforceto evenmoveabulkylogofwood.

Thisdevelopmenthasnotbeenanovernightsuccessbuta resilienteffortwhileputtingconsistentstepstowards technologicalinnovation,creativeITsolutions,anda farsightedvisionthatstepsintothefuture.

Onceconsideredasthesciencefiction:Terminator,The Transformer,Automata,andmuchmore,cinemaportrayed anideathatfocusesontheroboticsofhumaninteraction. Butfromfictiontoindustry,thejourneyhadbeenofmany upsanddowns.

Asatechnologist,entrepreneur,orbusinessdisruptor,there aremanyfunctionalities,challenges,andthroughput investedinbringingupasinglemechanic componenttoitslivefunction.

Astechnologyistakingitstollanddeveloping themanufacturingspace,ArtificialIntelligence andMachineLearninghavenotbeenleft behind.Todayautomatinganindustryworkflow isanintegratedprocessthatcombinestechnology, software,mechanics,andITsystems.Butthese innovativeeffortsandcreativesolutionsarerarely discussedandacknowledgedamongthecommon massesandbusinesscommunity

Understandingtheseignoredcornersandconnectingthe dotsoftheautomationindustryisournewedition,“10 MostDisruptiveAutomationCompaniestoWatchVolumeII.”Scoutingacrosstheglobe,wehaveresearched andcuratedtopdisruptorsthathavepioneeredthe automationindustryandisexemplifyingthebusiness communitywiththeiruniquetechnologyleadershiphacks.

Whileyoustartyourjourneyandstallaroundthese inspiringstories,makesuretoleanonthecoverstoryand realizetheinnovativehandandscientificexpertiserequired toestablishabusinessintheautomationspace.

Asyouflipthroughthepages,readtheinsightfularticles craftedbyourin-houseeditorialteam. Ihopeyouhaveahappyread!

- Bhushan Bhad

,As technology is advancing every business sphere, incorporating automation in industry workflow will prove to be the future of corporate world.

At the Forefront of Transforming the EnergyIndustry

Featuring BriefCompanyName

Augmentus augmentus.tech

DarylLimYouQuan Co-Founder

AXYNRobotics axyn.fr

doks.Innovation doks-innovation.com

FRANKANJEAUX

FounderandCEO

MikeBecker (Co-Founder,Senior SoftwareDeveloper)and ChristianSproedt (StrategicSalesManager)

Augmentusisarobotprogrammingsoftwareplatformthatallows anyonetoprogramindustrialrobotsinminuteswithoutneeding codeandCAD.

AxynRobotiqueisaFrenchcompanythatdesignsand manufacturestelepresencerobots.

doks.Innovationoptimizesinventoryprocessesin intralogisticswithmoderntechnology,forexampledrones,and softwarethatprocessesvisualdata.

FizyrB.V. fizyr.com EasyEnergySystems easyenergysystems.com

EiratechRobotics eiratech.com

HerbertTenHave CEO MarkGaalswyk

FounderandCEO AlexeyTabolkin CEO

Fizyrofferthebestpickandplacesolutiontoeverysystem integratorworldwide.

EasyEnergySystems(EES)ispassionateaboutproviding dynamicsolutionstotheworld'senergyproblems.

EnergidTechnologies energid.com

PaRSystems par.com RevealGroup revealgroup.com

NeilTardella CEOandCo-founder TomPohlad CEO IanCrouch

BusinessImprovement ExpertandCEO SLControlsLtd slcontrols.com

KeithMoran CEO

EiratechRoboticsisanend-to-endsolutionsproviderarmed withaportfolioofautonomoussolutionstotacklecomplex supply-chainchallenges.

Energid'srobotcontrolsoftware,Actin®,isbuilttomeetthe requirementsofindustrial,commercial,collaborative,and consumerroboticsystems.

PARSystemsisaworldleaderinprovidingfull-life-cycle automationsolutionsforcriticalmaterialhandlingandrobotic applicationsthatdrivecustomerquality,safety,and productivity

RevealGroupspecializesindeployingandscalingIntelligent ProcessAutomationprograms.ItisrevolutionizingOperational Managementwithinnovativesoftware.

SLControlshelpsitscustomersoptimisetheirmanufacturing processes,improvingOEEandproductivity,delivering efficiencysavings,andsimplifyingcompliance.

10 Most DisruptiveAutomation Companies to Watch

Thedebateonclimatechange hascontinuedforovera centurynow Thediscovery thwasfirstdonebyscientistsinthe19 centurywheniceagesandother naturalchangesweresuspectedinthe environment.TheeffectofCFCs emittedbyhumanactivitiesstarted deterioratingtheenvironmenttoa pointwheretheUNfinallyhadtoputa footdownandcallforthefirst conferenceontheenvironmentin Stockholmin1972.

Sincethen,manygoalshavebeenset bytheseyearlyenvironmental conferencesheldbytheUNtoreverse theworseningclimatesituation.Inthis efforttosavemotherearth,many individuals,andorganizations, leveragingthepowersofscience, startedcomingupwithwaysinwhich economicgrowthandsustainability couldgohand-in-hand.

Onesuchcompany,attheforefrontof providingdynamicsolutionstothe world’senergyproblemsisEasy EnergySystems

Inthefollowinginterview,Mark Gaalswyk,theFounderandCEO elaboratesontheinceptionstoryofthe companyandhowithasbeen disruptingtheenergyindustryby providingcutting-edgeenergy solutions.

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutEES, itsMEPS®,andhowitiscurrently positionedasaleadingplayerinthe bioenergyspace.

EasyEnergySystems,Inc.has developedandpatentedafactory-built modulartechnologythatcanberapidly deployedworldwidetohelpsolvethe problemofclimatechangeforthe world.Itwilldosobyenablingthe rapidcommercializationof cutting-edgetechnologiesfor

convertingmanygreenhousecausing wastesintobioenergyandother value-addedproducts.

Unlikemosttechnologies,theselfcontainedautomaticmodularprocesses arecombineddifferentlyfordifferent wastefeedstockstocreatevalue-added greenenergyandbiomaterialsfromall ofthevariousotherwisewaste by-products.Thisenablesthefinancial modelsofmostoftheEasyEnergy wastefeedstocksystemstoprovidefor acompletesystempaybackwithinfive yearsorless–withoutgovernment subsidies(AlthoughIamsureour customerswilltakethemifoffered).

ShedsomelightonEES’sofferings andhowarethesemakinganimpact ontheindustryandyourclients?

Mostdistributionofbiomass,waste foodproducts,deadtreescausing forestfires,landfills,wasteseaweed, palmfronds,andvariousotherwaste productsarewidelydistributedacross aregion.Insteadofplacingonelarge centralized‘mega plant’systeminone location–andthentransportingthe wastetothemegaplant;thesmaller scaleEasyEnergySystems,Inc. distributedmodularplantscanbe deployedmuchclosertothewaste.

Thismaybeaclearinginaforestfor cleaningupthedeadtreescausing forestfires,besideslargeindustrial manufacturecreatingfoodorpaper waste,adjoiningamunicipallandfill, cornstalksnearanagcooperative,or nexttoanoceanshoreforconverting seaweedintovaluableproducts.

Easy Energy Systems, Inc has an excing modular technology for North American Ag Coops:

Converts the “food – white portion” of a kernel of corn to food or medical grade glucose.

Converts the “nonfood – yellow portion” of a kernel of corn along with the corn stalk itself into biofuels, bio electricity and other value add products.This holds potential to bring to the rural communities of each state an extra $3 Billion dollars per year!

Themajoradvantageofthismethodis thatyoudonotemitmoregreenhouse gasesandenergytransportingthe wastethanthevalue-addedofthe waste.Theutilizationofthepatented modulartechnologiesofEasyEnergy Systems,Inc.allowsforeach individualprocessmoduletobe removedandupgradedinthefutureto anevenmoremodernandefficient process–shouldnewtechnologiesbe developed.

Thiswouldbesimilartohowweall removedour300baudmodemsfrom ourcomputersandinstalled1200baud orethernetasthecomputerindustry evolved.Thissolvestheotherwise largeproblemofobsolescenceinthe emergingfieldofbio‘green ’ technologiesfortheend-usersystems canbeeasilyupdatedtothelatest technology–likea‘Lego’simply removingonemoduleandinsertinga differentupdatedprocessintoitsplace.

Thissolvestheproblemofotherwise ‘obsolete’inefficientsystemslittering thelandscape–whichhashinderedthe Bioenergyarena.

Mark,pleasebriefusaboutyourself, yourjourneyintheindustry,and howyouhavecontributedtothe company'ssuccess.

Iama‘farmboy’fromsouthernMN, withtrainingin physics,mathematics, andcomputersciencefromStOlaf College.WhenIreturnedtothefamily farmtohelpmybrotherscropfarmon

ourfamily's4,500-acrefarmandraise hogs-Iwasbecomingabitboredin theWintermonths.Thus,Istartedmy company(nowknownasEasy Automation,Inc.)in1986toperform programminganddesignservicesfor others.

Myearlyendeavorsincluded performingcontractworkdeveloping innovativetechnologies,including systemstoperfectlyaerategrain,the veryfirstfieldsoilmappingand variableratefertilizersystems,and technologiestoautomaticallyvalidate systemsfortestingcablesonmilitary missilesandaircraft.

Insteadofcontinuingtojustdo contractdevelopmentworkforothers

andthenwatchingthemdeveloplargescalebusinessesfrommy inventions–Idecidedtofocusmy effortsinwardontechnologiesthatI couldbuildandsellmyself.

AsIneededafeedmillonmyown farm,Idecidedtodevelopandbuild myown.Ireallydidnotlikeallofthe manualbookkeepingassociatedwith suchamill,Imadeitcaptureandstore allneededinformationautomatically sothatallofmyreportscouldbe generatedwiththetouchofabutton.

Theearlyyearswerenoteasy.I remembermanynightsofsittingouton thefloorofthefeedroom,weeping becausethingswerenotgoingas planned.Notsurewhatitwas,butI keptongoingthroughthistiringtime.

WhileInowhaveapproximately20 patentstoday,myearlypatentswere relatedtoallowingafeedmillto automaticallymixtheperfect combinationofingredientsaccording toapredefinedperfectmodel.

Thisremovedthe‘guesswork’from feedinggroupsofanimals.Itwoulddo

We are a company that gives everything we have to deliver the best customer service we possibly can.

$11.2 million dollar Modular demonstraon plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa

Modular Systems to convert waste trees to liquid sugars and biofuels:

Ialsotaketoheartthewisewords statedbyabusinessassociatewhohad builtupaverylargesuccessful company.Iwasinvitedtopresentat theannualmeetingforhisemployees onourtechnology.BeforeIspoke,he stated–Staff,weasacompanydon’t sellanything.Ourjobistolistentothe problemsofourcustomersandfocus onhelpingthemsolveallthosewecan possiblyhelpthemwith(evenifnot necessarilyrelatedtotheproductswe sell).Ifwedothat,ourcustomer’s responsewillbetothenbuyfromus becausewebroughtsolutionstotheir problems.

Can place Modules in a remote clearing with NO Natural Gas or electricity utilities needed…clean up and convert all dead trees in a remote area…then pick up and move modules.

bypreciselyweighingandmixinga differentsetofingredientsintoafeed formulationforeachweekofan animal'slife.Thiswasdonesothat groupsofanimalscouldbefed perfectlytocreateanidealmeat-type undermaximizedprofitability.This patented‘AutomaticPhaseFeeding Technology’enabledthecompanyto growveryquickly,anditreceivedthe INC500awardasoneofthe fastest-growingcompaniesintheUSA.

Today,EasyAutomation.Inchasover 3,000feedmillcustomersfeedinga majorityofthenation'sswineand manyofthenation'schickensanddairy operations.Thecompany,inrecent years,hasbranchedintodoingvery large-scalefertilizerplantsthatarealso needingextremeaccuracyand automaticinformationstorage.Easy Automation,Inc.,aWelcome, MN-basedcompany,isstill100% ownedtodaybymyselfandmyfamily withmytwosons,BradyandChris,

runningmostoftheday-to-day operations.

Itellpeoplethecompanytodayisnot whatitisbecauseIwasnecessarily ‘smart’ –inactuality,Imadethousands ofmistakesonmyjourney.Itiswhatit istodaybecausedespitemakingabout everymistakeIcouldpossiblymakein startingandgrowingacompany,Itried mybesttolearnfromthosemistakes. Alongtheway,Ihavemetsomegreat businessmentors.

Myveryfirstboardmemberwasthe firstengineereverhiredbyMedtronic. Irememberhimtellingmeinthose earlyyears,“Don’t ever let yourself grow so quickly or become so large that you do not have time to be out with your customers.”Thus,Ihave takenthattoheartandspendmuchof mytimeoutwithcustomersand learningfirst-handwhatproblemsthey haveandhowImighthelpthemsolve them.

Anotherstrongvaluewehavetriedto pushisintegrityandempathyforour customers.Whenacustomerisdown, theydon’twanttocallinandgeta voicemail–orbetoldwecan’tgetat itforaweek.Theywantitsolvednow Thus,weareacompanythatgives everythingwehavetodeliverthebest customerservicewepossibly can–even365daysperyearand24 hoursperdayafter-hourssupport.

Thesevariousvaluesmakeupwhatwe seetobeour ‘company culture’.Asthe CEO,Ibelievemyjobistobe visionary,helpsolvedifficultproblems, butevenmoreessentially,besurethe valuesofwhoweareasacompanyare upheldthroughouteverythingwedo.

Lastly,inthegrowthofEasy Automation,Inc.–Ialsowasfortunate tohavesomeverytalentedsonswho literallyworkedbesidemeasyoung boys.Theyhavegrownupandtaken overwhatIandtheirmotherstarted andbuiltitevenfurtherintowhatitis today.

Beinganexperiencedleader,share withusyouropiniononwhatimpact hastheadoptionofmodern technologiessuchasAIhadonthe

New Modular Technology to Convert Green/Food Waste to a Valuable Soil Microbe:

This microbe, applied at 4 gallons per acre, “pulls” nitrogen and moisture from the air and releases phosphorus tied up in the ground. Research shows it can increase yields ofTomatoes, Hemp, Flowers, Cannabis by up to 40 percent! This greatly reduces need for commercial fertilizers and irrigation…Look at the difference…

bioenergyspaceandwhatmore couldbeexpectedinthefuture?

Ihavebeenusinga‘form’ofartificial intelligenceinmanyofthevarious productsIhavecreatedinthepast. Backthen,theterm‘Artificial Intelligence’wasnotevenaphrase usedinthebusinesslikeitistoday Instead,myphilosophywastonotjust haveoursystems‘automate’aprocess butalsohaveitcontinuouslycapture andstoreeverypieceofactual operatinginformationitcould–allthe timewhilethetechnologywas operating.

Thisinformationwouldthenbeusedto allowtheautomationsystemto automatically‘tune’andimproveitself. Thiswouldbewhattodayiscalled ‘MachineLearning’.Iwasfortunate enoughtobeabletopatentmanyof theseconceptsastheyappliedto perfectlymakingandmixinganimal feedandnowfertilizer

Ibelievethissameconceptwillalso provecriticalinmakingbio-energy technologydeploymentsuccessful.The reasonisthatoftentimesnew technologieswork‘perfectly’inthe lab,yetwhentheyaredeployedinto therealworld,theyendupbeing multi-million-dollardisasters.A commonreasonforthisisthatthe deployeddidnotautomaticallydetect ‘variations’intheincomingwaste streams,outsidetemperatures,PH,etc., astheychanged.

Ihavemadethefocusofmybioenergy company‘EasyEnergySystems,Inc.’

togatheralltheinformationon feedstockandoperatingvariationthat wecanandthenautomaticallyalso ‘tune’andimproveitself–justlikeI didbackwhenIdesignedtheearly feedmillautomationsystems.

Whilealteringand‘tuning’its operatingparametersbasedon changingconditionsorfeedstocksis halftheequation–continuously capturingandstoringhistorical operatingparametersandvaluesfrom alloperationsinadatabase,the capabilityisthentheretogobackand lookatallofthedataandhavethe systemautomaticallyimproveits operationbasedonthecaptured historicaldata.

MyvisionisforEasyEnergySystems, Inc.todeploythousandsofits factory-builtmodularsystemsat customersitesworldwide,andhaveall ofthemcontinuouslycollectoperating data,andthenutilizethecollectionof thisvarieddataofdifferentfeedstocks anddifferentoperatingconditions worldwidebacktoacentralnetwork databasetocontinuallydevelopand improveidealsystem‘settings’for variousfeedstocksandconditionsfor allofthecustomersasagroup.

Itismybeliefthatthisiscriticalfor thesystemtoperformcorrectly,and thelackofthiscapabilityiswhymany otherbioenergytechnologiesfail shortlyafterdeploymentinthe‘real’ world.

We can convert the green waste into a valuable soil amendment that can increase crop yields by up to 40%.

New Modular Nano Bubble Technology

possible.Sofar,wehave,forthemost part,avoidedworkplaceCOVID-19 infections.

Whatwouldbeyouradviceto buddingentrepreneurswhoaspireto ventureintothebioenergysolutions market?

This modular system places billions of oxygen nano bubbles in the water This can instantly clean up wastewater with NO expensive membranes. Notice how it can clean up entire mine tailing ponds in minutes!

It can similarly clean up large ag manure lagoons to quickly create clean water for irrigation.The reason this works is that just like distillation (which uses heat to reduce surface tension and cause product separation) the physics of nano bubbles is that the smaller and smaller you create a bubble, you also reduce surface tension but with much less energy than using heat energy. Membranes are really just fancy ‘oil filters’that then plug up and are expensive to replace. Nano bubbles are the economical solution!

It also can be used to inject Oxygen Nano Bubbles into water consumed by animals. We are finding animals can gain additional oxygen in their blood streams than was possible via only the lungs

Atest was done on 1 million chickens and death loss was reduced by 95 percent and growth increased by 20 percent. Similar results found with a test at a fish farm.This all makes sense as oxygen in air millions of years ago was at 35 percent level.

Today, the earth has a 21 percent oxygen saturation – only 21 percent! We all DIE at 19.5 percent.Thus, is it little wonder that our lungs (designed by God) for 35 percent oxygen level, with the smallest disease, cannot get our bodies enough oxygen into the blood stream. It appears that nano bubbles injected into the water that animals drink helps solve this. We are now doing research tests on Pigs.

Takingintoconsiderationthe currentpandemic,whatinitial challengesdidyouface,andhowdid youdriveyourcompanytosustain operationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployeesatthesametime?

Weimmediatelytoldallemployees whocould,tostayandworkfrom home.Althoughweneededtoupdate

our‘remote’capabilitysystems,this workedbetterthanIhadexpectedfor theelectrical,mechanical,software engineeringdepartments.Italso workedwellforourmanypeople performingphoneservice.

Wethendividedourmanufacturing areaintowidespreadsectionsof‘work cells’tokeeppeopleasfarapartas

Be‘mentally’readyforeveryoneyou knowtocallyoua‘fool’.Infact,itis interestingthatinthecaseofmyvery mostprofitableandindustry-changing inventionsandtechnologies,the so-called‘experts’toldme,“Don’t you know you can’t do that? It will never work.”

MyproblemnowisthatsinceIhave beenaroundthisdevelopment‘merry goround’somanytimes–whenInow hear‘youfool’–Iactuallythinkto myself...Great,thisisgoingtobevery profitableandworld-changing!

Relatedtothis,nevergiveup.When discouraged,dustyourselfoffandkeep movingforward,eventhoughitcanbe incredibly‘lonely’attimes.

HowdoyouenvisionscalingEES’s operationsandofferingsin2021?

ItrulybelieveEasyEnergySystems Inc.hasthepatentedmodular technologyneededtocuretheproblem ofclimatechangeintheworld.Where needed,wehavelicensedcutting-edge technologiesfromothers.Ithinkof EasyEnergySystemsInc.asifitwas thecompany‘Lego’.

Mypatentsarearounditsuseofmany differentprocessmodules,allworking togetherinunison–muchlikeaband conductorleadsabandofmany differentmusicians.Whilewe ourselveshavepatentsonvarious cuttingedge‘LegoBlockColors’,we needthetechnologiesand enhancementsofothers(justlikeother

instrumentsinaband,totrulymake the‘music’ofsolvingclimatechange).

Asanexample,wecanturnadeadtree thatwouldhaveotherwiseburnedin theforest–intoliquidsugar Wehave patentedtechnologiesthatcanconvert soliddrywastebyproductsintoreadily useableliquids-withouttheadditionof water.

Wecanconvertthegreenwasteintoa valuablesoilamendmentthatcan increasecropyieldsbyupto40%.We arenowtestingatechnologytoconvert seaweedintoavaluablefeed amendmenttoremove82%ofthe greenhousegasesofcows.Wehave recentlylicensedtherighttousea nanobubbletechnologytobeableto instantlycleanupdirtywaterand/or enhanceanimalgrowth.

Wehavelicensedanothertechnology thatcansequesters50,000tonsof carbonperyear.Anothertechnology canconvertcornintoavaluable productworthupto$10perbushelof corn.Lastly,wehavelicenseda technologythatcanconvertbiomass intoacoaladditivethatwillallow existingcoal-firedpowerplantstokeep operatingandstillmeettheParis accords.

Whilethelastfiveyearshavebeena toughpoliticalandinvestorclimatefor greenenergycompaniessuchasus,we arenowfeelingarenewedinvigoration forourproducts.

Inpreparationforthemassive onslaughtofopportunitiesweare feeling,Iamintheprocessof completingareversemergersowecan becomeafullpubliclytradedcompany forthosewhoareinterestedinhelping usonourjourneycanparticipate financially.Withthis,wethenexpectto bringin400peopletorampupthe manufacturingactivitiesofour factory-builtmodularsystems.

Exhibiting

True Excellence

Over the years, Easy Energy Systems has received various awards, including:

Technology Leader of theYearAward for the State Of MN

Inc 500 award as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the USA

Numerous USAg EngineeringAwards for various developed technologies.

One of 4 ‘Top Small Business Leaders in the Nation’ as awarded by the US Congress

Asked to testify on our technology at the White House

Asked to testify on our technology at the US Congress

The software I designed was what stopped the mad cow disease a number of years ago in only 24 hours.

Recipient of the ‘Fire StarterAward’as one of the ‘Top 12 Most World-Changing Ideas on the Planet’, as selected by 4,000 scientists. (Interestingly, a company called "Tesla" received the award just one

A photo of Mark Gaalswyk, Founder and CEO explaining the EES modular technology:

Robotizationofmanufacturingoperationsisthenext steptowardsindustrialrevolution.Robotscan operateheavyorcomplextasks,smallchores,and riskyoperationsaccordingtoyourcommandswiththepress ofabutton.Theprospectsofthisideawouldinterestmany, butthenrealitywillhit,andonemayask,“Is this really possible using today's technology?”

Forrobotstofunctionautonomouslyorevenperform smallertasks,thousandsorevenmorecomplicatedcode linesneedtobedeveloped.Insuchcircumstances,itis morelikelythatpeopleopinionatethatrobotics-based automationisacomplicatedroadtowalkon.Thoughthisis thecase,roboticautomationcantransformeveryindustry andtakeproductionscalestothenextlevel.

Severalbigandsmallcorporationshavealreadystarted employingrobotstoautomatetheirdailyoperations.The difficultyariseswhenthereisaneedtoupgraderobots’ softwaretomeettheupdatedhardwarerequirements.The re-codingofsuchupgradescouldtakedaysormonthsto complete.Duringwhichtheworkcouldgetstrangledor sloweddown.SolvingthesechallengesistheAugmentus PteLtd.

TheideaofAugmentuscametoDarylLimYouQuan (Co-founder)andhisco-foundercolleaguesfromtheir personalexperiencesandpainpoints.BeforeAugmentus, theyledteamstodeveloproboticssolutionsformultinationalcompanies.Theyhadtoinvestincalculablehours inprogrammingandintegratingdifferentrobotsand equipmentdeployedforcommercialprojects.Itencouraged themtobuildanintuitive,graphicalroboticsplatformthat simplifiesandunifiesthedevelopmentandoperationof industrialrobots.

OptimizingIndustrialRobotsinMinutes

AugmentusisanAI-roboticssoftwarecompany.Itoffers thefirstfullyautonomousdigitaltwincreationandrobot motionplanningsystem.Theplatform'ssimplicityenables evennon-technicaluserstoprogramindustrialrobotsin minutesinsteadofmonths.

Theplatform'sintuitivegraphicalinterfaceandproprietary technologyeliminatestheneedforcodingandCADfilesin robotteaching.Userscan3Dscantheirworkcells,plot robotwaypoints,orselectfromalibraryoftemplates.And, Augmentus'ssoftwarepromisestogeneratethemost optimizedrobotpathswhilecheckingforsingularity, reachability,andcollisionavoidance.

Overtheyears,thecompanyhasformedpartnershipswith theworld'sleadingrobotmanufacturersandautomation providerstoempowermanufacturerstorecoupROIfaster byloweringthetime,cost,andskillbarriersinindustrial automation.Itsclientshavealreadyexperienceda70%cost reductionanda10xincreaseindeploymenttimesacrossa widevarietyofindustrialapplications.

SolvingtheChallengesofIndustrialRobotics

Programmingrobotstoperformspecifictasksrequires massiveamountsofcodeandprogrammerswithvery specific,in-demandskillsets.Withtheseveredifficultyand heavyfragmentationpresentinconventionalrobot programming,differentrobotmanufacturersrequiretheuse theirrespectiveproprietarylanguagesandrequirehigh codingexpertise.

Astheexistingautomationprocessesrequiresystem integratorstodevelopcustomsolutionsduetothe fragmentedmodules,thereis75%ofthelifetimecostsof eachrobotbeingsoftwareandprogrammingrelated.This problemisfurtherexacerbatedinhigh-mixworkflows wherethecomponentpartorprocesschangesfrequently, requiringrepeatedrobotreprogrammingandteaching.

Inordertosolvethisperennialproblem,theuseofAIand smartautomationiscrucialandintelligenceinautomation solutionsisneededtodynamicallyadjusttorapidchanges inproductionprocessesandparttopartvariation. “We use such technologies in our platform where the system is able to quickly adapt to changes in parts and processes through 3D scanning while our proprietary technologies around auto-calibration and auto-path generation instantaneously

generates robot programming without the need for technical expertise,” saysDaryl.

ConqueringTheCOVID-19Challenge

COVID-19presentedseveralkeychallengesforthe Augmentusteam.Darylexpresses, “As a robotics company, we needed to do site demos and integrations. Safe distancing restrictions have increased our lead times. To ensure the safety of our employees, we have converted 80% of our demos and integrations to virtual, drastically reducing the risk of contagion.”

TheFutureofTheAutomationIndustry

Thefutureofautomationwillbemorefocusedonflexibility andcollaboration.Therehasbeenanincreasingtrend towardssoftautomation,withmoreSMEsandMNCs havinghigh-mixworkflowsthatrequireautomation.Such changesinprocesseshavealwaysbeenashortcomingof conventionalautomationthatismoresuitedtolow-mix, high-volumeoperations.WhenweaskedDarylaboutthe

Augmentus is an AI-robotics platform used by the world's leading robotics and advanced manufacturing companies.

Daryl Lim You Quan Co-founder

automationindustry'spost-pandemicfuture,heanswered, “With advances in technologies around AI and robotics, a new paradigm shift in automation is likely to ensue in the coming years, enabling the mass adoption of robotics and automation globally ”

ShowingtheWaytoBuddingEntrepreneurs

Workingintheroboticsindustryforyears,Darylhas personallyconqueredsomanychallengesthatoccurred whilemakingrobots.Whenaskedaboutwhatadvicehe wouldliketogivetoaspirantsintheroboticsindustry,he puts, “The most important thing for budding entrepreneurs is to deeply understand and empathize with their target audience. This will allow your team to identify a niche and build a go-to-market strategy around that niche. ”

“There are many problems around the world, and with limited resources and time, it is important to be focused and have a clear direction, ” concludesDaryl

PlansofExpansionfor2022andBeyond

Augmentushaswide-rangingplansforscalingits operationsindifferentpartsoftheworld,commentingon theprogressofexpandingitsreachincomingyears.Daryl said, “We have scaled beyond Singapore and have begun deploying in countries such as Germany, Denmark, Japan, and the USA ”

“We are doubling down on global expansions in 2022 with remote teams to support the increasing demand for easy and rapid automation, ” headded.

Futuristic Leader

Daryl Lim You Quan is the Co-founder of Augmentus, and together with his co-founders, Yong Shin, and Voon Foo, he has built the company to become one of the leading players in the robocs soware space.

Daryl is a radical opportunist who is always on the lookout for thought-provoking talks and praccal skills that will help him broaden his cognive awareness. By pung himself at the vanguard of the fourth industrial revoluon, he hopes to create a sustainable future that is interesng and movang for the next generaon.

Automation Trendsin2022 Top10

Industrial

Whatdoyouthinktheworldwilllooklikein10 years?Imaginewhatchangeswouldcomein people'slives?Andhowwillthesechanges transformtheworld?

Toanswerthesequestions,onewillhavetolookathow thingshavechangedinthepasttenyears.Anyonecan easilytellthatsomanytransformationshavetakenplace acrosstheglobe.Today'schangesarebroughtaboutbythe techindustryandbusinessesworkingtogether.Ithas resultedinarevolutionaryshiftinthewaytheworldworks.

Itcanbesaidthattechnologywillplayamajorroleinthe futuretoo.Dependingonthetechnologicalinnovations, businesseswillrewritethewaythingsworkintheworldin thecomingdecade.Thelastdecadewasmoreabout businessesgettingtheirhandsonvarioustechnology solutionsforenhancingtheiroperations.Thisdecade, startingfromtheyear2020,ismoreaboutmerging technologicaladvancementwithmachinestobring automationintotheindustrialarena.

Manycorporationshavebeenpushingforautomationin theireverydayoperationssincethestartoftheCOVID-19 pandemic.Thereasonsforthisdrivearenumerous.

Increasedcompetition,meetingsupplydemands,speeding upoperations,reducinghumanerrors,safety,etc.,aresome ofthemainreasonsforenterprisestooptforautomation.

Basedonthetypeofbusiness,theautomationtrendsare shapingupindustryandthemostprominentautomation trendsarelistedbelow.

CloudComputing

Theyear2022hasemergedasoneofthemostsignificant yearsforcloudcomputingplatforms.Arecentstudy conductedbytheInfosysKnowledgeInstituteof1000hightechandmanufacturingcompaniesobservedthatthecore shifthastakenplaceinmanufacturingstrategyduringthe pastyear

Businesseshaverapidlystartedadoptingcloudcomputing technologyasakeystrategyforthewayforward.Itis projectedbyexpertsthatthefutureofcloudnetworksand embeddedsystemswillbeinterlinkedinthecomingyears. Therewillbeasignificantincreaseinefficiency,mobility, businessproductivity,andcapabilitybecauseofcloud computing.

ArtificialIntelligence(AI)

Makingthemostoutofdataisthegoalofeverycompany thesedays.Artificialintelligence(AI)technologycan improvehumanunderstandingofunstructureddatainbetter ways.AIishelpingmanufacturersrecognizethetrendsin industrialdata.

Thisdatacanbeusedfurtherbyprofessionalstomakedatadrivenmanufacturingdecisions.AIishelpingcompanies withbetterinventorymanagement,supplychainvisibility, assettracking,accuracy,etc.

MachineLearning(ML)

Machinelearning,orML,isasubsetofAI.Itisan algorithmicframeworkthatlearnsautomaticallyfrom experience.BusinessesarelookingtoincorporateMLinto theirmanufacturingprocesssothathigh-scaleproduction canbeachievedwithspeed.Also,MLwouldprovetobe

Automating Businesses

moreefficientinreducinghumanerrorsinthemanufacturingprocess.

TheInternetofThings(IoT)

TheInternetofThings(IoT)isonemoretechnologythat hascaughttheinterestofindustrialistsacrossthemanufacturingindustries.Ithelpsmanufacturersconnectand monitordifferentcomponentsoftheiroperations.The combinedpowerishelpingindustriesgeneratevaluable datainsightsthatcanbeusedtoupgrade,optimize,and enhanceeveryareaoftheirproductionprocess.

SupplyChainTechnology

Effectivemanagementofthesupplychainisoneofthe mostimportantaspectsforbusinesses.Duringthelasttwo years,manybusinessesintroduceddifferenttechnologiesto theirsupplychainmanagement.Itenabledthemto automatemanyprocesseswhilesavingcostsaswellas deliveringgoodstothepeopleaspertheirdeadlines.

Withthehelpofadvancedtechnology,processeslike procurement,inventorymanagement,assemblingproducts, logistics,transportation,andsalesareallbeingautomated.

Co-workingWithRobots

Theinclusionofrobotsinvarioussizesandshapescanhelp manufacturerstospeedupproduction.Theycanalsowork betterwherehumanworkersdonothaveaccessduetothe risksinvolved.

Withtime,robotsarebecomingmorehelpfulinraisingthe standardsofproduction.Robotsareenablingcompaniesto automatethekeyareasofmanufacturing.Moreover,they arebuiltinsuchawaythattheycanbeusedforcollaborativeworkwiththehumanworkforce.

3DPrinting

3Dprinting,oradditivemanufacturing,cannowbuildparts andproductslayeruponlayerwiththehelpofcomputer aideddesign(CAD)software.Alongwiththis,3Dprinting isalsohelpinginproducingprototypes,models,lost-waxcastings,orspecificdelicatecomponentsofthefinal finishedproducts.

Additiveprintingisoneofthemostpopulartrendsinthe manufacturingindustryasitcansignificantlysavetimeand money

RoboticPicking

Workingtogether,robotsandhumanscangetthingssafely doneinmuchfasterandmoreefficientways.Traditional productpickingandshiftingfromoneplacetoanother placewastesalotoftime.Withthehelpofautomatedsmart robots,thisissuecanbesolved.Asrobotsarebeingbuiltto

becapableofhandlingcompanies'logisticsoperations,they cansmartlypicktheproductsandassemblethematthe desiredlocations.

UsageofDrones

Manufacturingfactoriesaregenerallyspreadoverlarger areasandbuildings.Thegroundrobotscannotbeusedto shiftthematerialastherearesomanychancesofinterference.Totacklethisissue,dronescanbemoreeffective. Dronescanhelpindustriesmovetheirmaterialsorproducts fromonelocationtoanotherinminutes.

Also,dronesarecurrentlybeingcommerciallyusedfor deliveringproductstocustomers'doorsteps.Andwithtime, theycanbecomemoreusefulforindustriestoautomate theiroperationsefficiently

TheUseofAR,VR,andMRTechnology

ThepopularityofAugmentedReality(AR),VirtualReality (VR),andMixedReality(MR)technologyarerisingin differentindustries.Theysupportprofessionalstoaccess thecomplexmanufacturingprocessmorecloselyby providingavirtualormixedrealityenvironment.

Also,thesetechnologiesgivecorporationstheabilityto pre-planeveryprocessindetail.Onecanwalkthrough everyminutefactorusingAR/VR/MRtechnologiessothat everythinggoessmoothlyatthetimeoftheactual manufacturingprocess.AR,VR,andMRwillplaya significantroleinhelpingindustriesontheirautomation journeyinthecomingyears.

TheBottomLine

Allinall,itcanbesaidthatvariousadvancedautomation toolshavestartedtoemergesincethebeginningofthis decade.However,theautomationtrendsmentionedabove arejustenteringindustriesonabroadscale,andtheyhavea longwaytogo.

Itwillbeinterestingtoseehowthesetechnologytools collaboratewiththehumanworkforceinthecomingyears tobringefficiencytoindustrialoperations.Intheend,all thesetechnologiesweredevelopedbyhumans,andtheyare expectedtoempowerpeopletoachievenewmilestones.

- Vishal Golekar

AxynRobotique

Technologyhasemergedasablessing,makingour lifeeasierandsimple,androboticsisoneofthe significantexamples.Evenduringthepandemic, roboticsandautomationhasprovidedexcellentresultsin everyfieldwhetheritishealthcare,education,orlogistics.

OneprominentEuropeanleaderintheroboticsspaceis AxynRobotique,promotingtheconceptof 'Robotics for Human'.

Inthefollowinginterview,FrankAnjeauxtheFounder andCEOshedslightonthecompany'sjourney,thecurrent industryscenario,andhisvisionforthecompany'sfuture.

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutAxynRobotique,its USPs,andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleading providerofautomationsolutions. AxynRobotiqueisaFrench-basedstart-upcreatedaround theprojectofproposinginnovativeroboticsolutionstothe many ThewholeDNAofthecompanyiswrittenaround theobjectiveofcreatingrealusagevalueratherthan sophisticatedbutpurposelesstechnicalobjects.

Wehavethereforedesignedourproductsonlyafterin-depth consultationwithrealplayersinvariousfieldssuchas Education,Health,orIndustry4.0sectors.Axynistoday oneoftheprominentEuropeanleadersintelepresence robots.Weintendtoreachverysoonasimilarpositionin theintelligentlogisticrobotsoffering.

Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace.

TodayweoffertotheEuropeanmarkettwomaintypesof roboticsolutions:

A Leading Robotics and Automation Solution Provider

One of Axyn's strongholds in the automation market today is the capacity to merge both its strong points such as telepresence and autonomous robot into one single combined solution.

1-TheUbboRangeoftelepresencerobots(UbboMaker, UbboExpert,andEdmo)and 2-TheLoboRangeofautonomouslogisticdevices.

Alltheseproductsareentirelydesignedandmanufactured atAxyn'spremisesnearAix-en-ProvenceintheSouthof France.Theyallhaveincommontheirhighversatility.Asa matteroffact,wetakethebenefitsofourfullymodular robotbasetocustom-buildaversionforeachspecific application.

ThisishowwehavedevelopedEdmotomeetspecific needsaroundtheeducationsectorinconjunctionwiththe FrenchMinistryofEducation.AversionofUbboExpert wasdevelopedtomeettheneedofthefast-growing Industry4.0hasbeenelaboratedwithCapgeminior anotheronewasproposedtomeetthespecificneedin seniorhousesandvariousplayersofthesilver economy

Thereareasofdateover800robotsinactionin thosevariousfields.Oneofourstrongholdson theautomationmarkettodayisthecapacityof Axyntomergebothourstrongpointssuchas

Frank Anjeaux Founder and CEO

telepresenceandautonomousrobotintoonesingle combinedsolutionthatoffersauniqueabilitytocreate unprecedentedusagevalueinseveraldifferentapplications.

Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?

TheadoptionofAIandmachinelearningtechnologiesis notanecessity,atleasttoday.Severalmanufacturing processesandindustriesfundamentallydonotneed artificialintelligence.Itisthereforeessentialforthesuccess ofthistransitionnottogooverboardinwantingtoswitchto all‘AI’.

Ontheotherhand,itspacedandcarefulintroductioncan revolutionizetheindustrialworldasitistoday.The importantfactorsonwhichitisnecessarytoimpactarethe arduousnessofhumanworkandthecostoflabor AIwith roboticscangoalongwaytoimprovingthis.

Today,thelowcostoflaborhasallowedcountrieslike Chinatodeveloptremendously,becominginafewdecades' majorworldeconomicplayers.Thishasnotbeenwithout causingsignificantecologicalproblems,aconsiderable reductionintheindustrialactivityinEuropeandNorth America,andthereforeeconomicdependencevis-à-vis thesesamecountries.

Artificialintelligencecoupledwithmechatronicdevices suchasrobotsallowsandwillincreasinglyallowthe performanceofautomatictasks.Thisautomationwilllead toconsiderablereductionsinlaborcosts.

Butthistransitionmustbemadeinathoughtfulwayby focusingontasksthathaveasignificantROIandthosethat havenorealaddedvalue,suchasrepetitive,daunting, and/ordangeroustasks.Itisindeednecessarytoconsider thehumanside.

Theuseofartificialintelligenceandautomationshouldnot havetheobjectiveofreplacingmanbutofrelievinghimin hisdailylife.Otherwise,theuseofAIcouldcausemore problemsthanitsolves,suchasunemployment.

Iftheseconsiderationsareconsidered,artificialintelligence willrevolutionizetheglobalindustry.Forexample,itwill bepossibleforasmallcompanytoacquireamulti-tasking industrialsystemcapableofcarryingoutin-situwhattoday requiresseveralprocessescarriedoutbyseveral

manufacturersandhencefurtherreducecosts.

Itwillthusbepossibletoproduceindustrialproductsas easilyasprototypes.Thenumberofpartstobe manufacturedcanthenbelessimpactingontheirunitprice.

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployees?

COVID-19isatthesametimeanopportunityanda challengeforus.Itisanopportunityinthewaythatithas stressedtheneedforefficientlong-distancecommunication mediaactivelyhelpingtomaintainsocialandprofessional linksandinteractionwithoutphysicalpresence.

Ourtelepresencerobotsarecurrentlyhelpingmanypatients toconnectwiththeirdistantfamiliesandmanydistant workerstointeractwiththeirdistantcompaniesand colleagues.Asfarasinternalorganizationisconcerned, althoughweremainarelativelysmall-scalecompany COVIDhasbeenachallenge.

Wehaveimplementedallregulatorysafetymeasures(and beyond)anddidnotexperienceasignificantimpactonour productionflow.Someofourcomponentsandpartshave suffereddelaysindeliveriesbutnottotheextentof significantlyimpactingtheproductioncycle.

Itmustbepointedoutthatwehavereceivedlargeandvery helpfulsupportfrombothpublicandprivatesector partners/vendorsthathavegreatlyhelpedAxyninthose difficultperiods.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche?

Thecrucialpointisnottoneglecttheindustrialization phase.Withtoday'stoolssuchas3Dprinters,easily programmableandinexpensiveelectronicboards,ithas becomeveryeasytogofromanideatoaworking prototype.

Thishasallowedmanyinnovativesolutionstoemerging andhashelpedthecreationofmanystartups.Thiseaseof implementationhasneverthelesshadanegativeeffecton someentrepreneurswhobelievethat,iftheirsystemworks, itisthenenoughtosellit.

However,industrialization,whichistheintermediatestage betweenthetwophases(creationandmarketintroduction),

isessentialforthesuccessoftheproject.Itoptimizesthe producttoallowprofitablemanufacturingingreateror lesserquantities.

Thiscangeneratetoolingandmanufacturingcoststhatmust beconsideredintheROI.Besidesthat,thereisthe normativeaspectthatshouldnotbeoverlooked,especially inautomation.Thesafetyofpeople,thematerialsused,the actualusagesarefactorstobeconsideredforthesuccessof theproject.

Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022?

Theyear2022willbeascalechangerforAxyn.TheLobo rangeofautonomousrobotswillenteritsfirstfull productionyearwithaserialversiontobereleasedinthe market.

Severallargeprojectsthatwerematuringin2020and2021 withprestigiouspartnerssuchasOrange(FrenchTelecom operator),Capgemini,SchneiderElectric,andseveral otherswillreachtheirfullpotentialinthiscomingyear Thiswillleadtoasignificantincreaseinbothvolumesof productionandobliviouslyturn-over

IntheHealthsector:

ThedirecttestimonyofDr.PascalMeyer,Anesthetist PhysicianatForcillesHospital(Cognacq-JayFoundation):

"WeusedtheUbborobotinthepost-intensivecare rehabilitationunitduringconfinementwhenfamilyvisits wereprohibited.Ourpatientsarepeoplewitha tracheostomy.Mosthaveaphysicaldisabilitythatdoesnot allowthemtoholdasmartphone.Wehaveallowedmany peopletoseetheirlovedonesandhaveexpandedthe possibilitiesofvisitation.Avideoconferencewasmadeover 3500kilometers.Thisvisitwouldneverhavehappened withouttherobot.Ithasmanyadvantages:

-First:Ease

Forfamilyandcaregivers,itiseasytouse.Thefamily opensanaccountontheAXYNwebsite.Theprocedureis verysimple.Theroleofcaregiversislimitedtoturningon therobotandbringingittothepatient'sroom. Videoconferencingdoesnotgenerateanadditional workloadthatwouldaffectotheractivities.

-Second:Thepracticalaspectofcommunication. Indeed,theheadoftherobotisplacedatasuitableheight forabedriddenpersonorinanarmchair.Sothatthesick persondoesnothavetomaketheeffortofturninghishead todirecthissight.Therobot'sheadismobile,controlledby thepilot,inourcase,thefamily.Itismuchmorepractical thanfixedheadsolutionsthatrequirehumaninterventionto controlthescreen."

Intheindustrysector: FeedbackfromVirginieRigaudeau,HubManagerat SchneiderElectric(France):

“We use the Ubbo robot for formal or informal interaction between distant users and factory team members on a regular basis in many different locations within the factory It can be internal users, distant customers. They can enjoy a truly immersive interaction with the personnel on-site.”

“We really have the feeling that the distant user is with us. A real nice and simple solution for an actual interaction between the local team and distant users.”

Fizyr B. V.

Therewerethedayswhenindustrializationwasa synonymoftextileindustryonly,andtheartisans weretheindustrialworkers.Buttheindustrial revolutioninventedpowerlooms,andthejuggernautof automationbeganitsjourney.Back-to-backindustrial revolutionstransformedthemedievalworldintothe modernage.Thefirstthreeofthem,i.e.,thesteamengine, ageofscience,andmassproduction,acceleratedtheworldsavinghumanefforts,costs,andmoney

However,thejuggernautofautomationkepttraveling,and today,ithasreachedthestation,wheretheglobeisdigital–thefourthindustrialrevolution.Humaneffortswerefirst replacedbyanimals,animalsreplacedbymachines,andto controlthesemachines,robotsarrived.Today,theserobots aredeployedineverysector,especiallytoperformrepetitivetasks.Theserobotscanmoveinsixdegreesoffreedom andoperateinX,Y,andZplanes.

Inthisfast-pacedworld,timeismoney,andtheserobots helptosavetimebyperformingrepetitivetasks.However, theyfollowthepathwhichisinscribedbythesoftware programs.Lookingatthegrowingmarket,manycompanies startedtoprovidesoftwaretoautomateroboticmovements. Fizyrisonesuchcompanythatoffersastandardized softwareproduct,basedonartificialintelligence,that allowsrobotstocopewithhighvariationofobjectsin automatedpickingandplacingapplications.

Inourquestfor‘The10MostDisruptiveAutomation CompaniestoWatch’,Mr.HerbertTenHave,CEOof Fizyr,sharedhisendeavorwithus.Heelaboratedonthe company'sworkcultureandthefutureaspects.Following arethedetailsoftheinterview:

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutFizyr,itsUSPs,andhow itiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingproviderof automationsolutions.

Fizyrdesigns,builds,andinstallsastandardizedcomputer visionsoftwarethatdetectsunknownobjectsvaryingin shape,size,colour,materialorstacking.Itsrobustalgorithmsprovideover100applicablegraspposeseach second,includingclassificationtohandleobjectsdifferently,whileperformingqualitycontrols.Justasthecamera andgripperaretheeyesandarmsofarobot,thevision softwareisthebrainthatanalyzestheimageanddirectsthe robottomoveaccordingly Fizyristrustedasastrategic partnerbygloballeadingintegrators,thankstoitsfully scalableandprovensoftware-onlyproduct,forwhichwe providefullinsightandcontroltoinstall,manage,update andsupport.Weempowersystemintegratorstobuild cutting-edgesolutionsfortheindustry’sendusers,in multiplehigh-demandindustries,suchase-commerce, micro-fulfilment,parcelhandlingandmore.

Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace.

HerbertTen Have CEO

AbouttheLeader

Fizyr’sCEO,HerbertTenHave,joinedFizyr (previouslycalledDelftRobotics)inJanuary 2017.DelftRoboticsstartedasaroboticsintegrator.WithinamonthofHerbert’sarrival,the companywontheprestigiousAmazonPicking Challenge.Thisledtothecompanypivoting towardsadeep-learningcomputervisionsoftware-onlyproductandre-brandingtoFizyr.

Herbertisaninnovativebusinessleaderwith morethanthreedecadesofexperienceinbuilding high-techproductsandservices.

Thankstohisexpertiseandknowledgeofthe industry,hegearedthebrilliantDelftRobotics teamtowardssuccess,thus,leadingtoanunprecedentedimpactontheautomationindustry.He proactivelyengagedthecompanyinrecognizing industryproblemsandsolvingthemwhilestaying committedtobuildingthebestvisionsoftware productandprovidecutting-edgeroboticpicking solutionsforthelogisticsindustry.

Insucharapidlygrowingmarket,logisticscompanies expectrobotstoperformtheirtasksaspredictedandagreed. ApplyingFizyr’sproductisastrategicchoiceforwhichwe providefullinsightandcontroltoinstall,manage,update andsupport.Welicenseastandardizedproductforautomatedpicking,placing,andstackingtosystemintegrators andendusers.Ourcomputer-visionsoftwareistrainedwith auniquedatasetwithmillionsofimagesofchallenging logisticsenvironments,proposingthebestpossiblegrasp poses.Appliedinproductionallovertheworld,itempowerstheroboticautomationofleadingsystemintegratorsand endusers,inonlineretail,warehousingandparcelservices. Fizyr’ssoftwareisalsohardwareagnostic,givingclients thefreedomtochoosethebestcamera,robot,andgripper fortheirautomatedpickingcell.Webelieveinthevalueof Fizyr’sindependencyandwantourclientstobeabletouse openstandardsandchoosetheirhardwaretoassemblethe bestpossiblepickingcells.

Althoughthecompanypurelyfocusesonsoftware,Fizyr alsolicensesthedesignstomodify,3Dprint,andassemble itsproprietarygripper Thisgrippercanhandlechallenging situations,ensuringeaseinintegrationwithanyrobotina pickingcell.

Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?

Theitemsandparcelstendtohaveahugevariationinterms ofsizes,materials,colors,andplacement,whichtraditional logisticssystemscannotaccountfor.Ine-commerce,there aremillionsofSKUs(StockKeepingUnits),thousandsof whichcannotbeprogrammed.Therefore,theadoptionof technologiessuchasAIanddeeplearninghasthepotential tochangethefaceoftheindustry

Fizyr’sneuralnetworkistrainedtoclassifyanobject, strategizethepressurerequiredtopickit,andproposethe bestpossiblegraspposestosingulateitfrombulk.Oneof theinitialprojectsmanagedbyFizyrin2017involved enablingrobotstowork24/7andfoldupto720towelsper hourwithLaundryRobotics.Fizyr’scomputervision algorithmswereabletoproposeover100graspposeseach secondonunknownobjects.

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingFizyrto

sustainoperationswhileensuringthesafetyofyour employees?

Oneofthemajorchallengesfacedbythecompanywasthe terminationofaprojectbyanItaly-basedclientduetothe direconsequencesatthestartofthepandemic.Consequently,otherclientshesitatedtocontinueprojectoperationsastheyrequiredhardwarecomponents,suchas cameras,grippers,robots,etc.,toconductresearchand development.Thefirstfewmonthswereuncertain,and later,severalclientssawtheopportunityforgrowthininecommerce,micro-fulfilmentandparcelhandling.

ThoseclientsmotivatedFizyrtoscaleupitsprocesseseven fasterandofferroboticsolutionstothedynamicindustry. Meanwhile,theFizyrteamwasworkingfromhomeand wouldonlyworkfromtheofficeifabsolutelynecessary At thattime,thehugeofficespaceinthepandemicwas reservedforspecificpurposes.Withtherestrictionseasing downintheNetherlandsandthehighvaccinationrate, peoplearemovingbacktotheofficeonaflexiblebasis.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche?

Herberthighlightstheimportanceofvalidatingassumptions,pushingtheproducttothemarket,andcreatingvalue fortheclientsinthequickestwaypossible.Thequickerthe

entrepreneursidentifyopportunities,thebettertheygetto approachtheclientsinanearlyphaseandacquirethe marketbeforefacinganyconsequenceslater.Understandingtherequirementsoftheclientsfromthebeginningcan stimulatecompanygrowth,improvepartnerships,andhelp buildrelationswithpotentialclients.

HowdoyouenvisionscalingFizyr’soperationsand offeringsin2021?

Thefastgrowthofe-commerceandparcelhandlinghas exacerbatedthehumanlaborshortage,whichisexpectedto keeprising.Asaresponse,anincreasingnumberof companieshavestartedtoadoptroboticautomationand implementsolutionsforautomatingpickingandplacing applicationsbothine-fulfilmentandparcelhandling.We believewehavesolvedoneofthebiggestchallengesin logisticsandwehopetoempowerasmanyintegratorsand endusersworldwideaspossible,inanefforttorelievethe pressuresoftheindustry.Theproductandmarketareready, soweplantoscaleexponentiallyintheupcomingyears, reflectingsucharapidgrowth.

Fizyrremainsdedicatedtotraining,upskilling,andhelping employeesthriveinthefast-movingindustryofAIand logistics.Thecompanyaimstofocusonpredictableand scalableprocessestoresolvechallengingsituationsand contributetotheindustry.

Automation and ItsFuture

Oneofthefamousbuzzwordsofthecenturyis Automation.Machinesaredoingmoreandmore tasksasworkgrows.Workersbecomemore estrangedfromoneanotherandalienatedfromtheirlaborwhetheritisfactoryrobotsassemblingvehiclesor algorithmsthatdetectailmentsandfindyouthecutestcat picturesontheInternet.

Itiseasytounderstandhowthiscouldputworkersatrisk; ththe20 centuryislitteredwithexamplesofhumanslosing theiremploymenttofaster,moreefficientrobots.Whatis lessevidentisthepotentialthisgivesforthelefttouse technologytotheadvantageoftheworld.

WhileAutomationhasadvancedatbreakneckspeedin recentyears,itdoesnotappeartobeslowingdown.Aswe automatemorecorporateactivities,weareapproachingan intriguinglong-termparadox:despiteacenturyof developingmachinestodoourworkforus,thenumberof individualswithjobshascontinuallyincreasedoverthepast 125years.Andthatisbeneficialforbusinessaswellasthe humanworkers.

BusinessBenefitsFromWorkAutomation

RPA(RoboticProcessAutomation)enablesbusinessesto disrupttheirsectorsbysurpassingthecompetitionand investingininnovation.Organizationsshouldinsteadfocus theiremphasisonharnessingtheirin-househuman expertisetodevelopanswers.Thatwillenablethemtorise tomarketleadershipbyoutsourcingthetedious,repetitive, butnecessaryadmin-typechorestobots.

What Future Holds

Thisformofdisruptionisbeneficialtotheeconomyasa whole.Itwillproducenewtypesoflabourthatwehaveyet toenvisionreplacingtheoldjobsthathavebeendisplaced bytechnologicaldevelopment.Automationsavingswillbe investedinmoreresearchanddevelopmenttogeneratenew goodsandservices,resultinginmorejobopportunities overall.

TheintroductionofATMsisagoodexampleofthis.

AutomaticTellerMachines(ATMs)werefirstlaunched45 yearsagowiththeintentionofreplacinghumanbank tellers.But,asweallknow,itdidnothappen.Instead, ATMsmadeitlessexpensiveforbankstoopennew branches,whichtheydid,andthecountofbanktellersin theUShasincreasedfrom2000to2010.

WhatDoestheFutureHoldforAutomation?

IndystopianfilmslikeTerminator,pessimisticpredictions aboutwhatthefutureoflaborautomationcouldmeanfor humanitycometofruition.Beyondthat,thereisawidely heldbutincorrectbeliefthatwidespreadAutomationwill supplanthumanworkers.

However,suchpredictionsareunlikelytocometrue. BecauseAutomation'sfuturedependsonitsabilitytoblend withhowhumanswork,Automationwillincreasinglybe usedtoassistpeopleinworkingsmarterratherthanharder Itwillautomatetheboring,repetitive,andtiresometasks thathumanstodayperform,allowingworkerstofocuson higher-leveltasksinvolvingcreativity,interpretation,and empathy.

HumansAreStillRequiredInTheWorkforce

Humansstillhavetheupperhandwhenitcomestohuman contact,or‘softskills’,astheyarenowknown.Active listening,speaking,criticalthinking,reading comprehension,andmonitoringarethetopfivemostindemandjobabilitiesinCanadafrom2019to2022, accordingtoarecentanalysisfromtheRoyalBankof Canada(RBC)titled‘HumansWanted’.

Humansarestillmorereliableandefficientthantechnology whenitcomestothesecriticallaborskills.Maintainingand strengtheningyourabilitiesinthesefundamentalareaswill serveyouwellevenifyouchangeindustrieshalfway throughyourcareer.

Employeeretrainingor‘reskilling’isnotonlymorecosteffectiveforemployersbutalsopromotesemployees'long-

termpersonaldevelopment.Lookingaheadafewyears, educationwillbecomeevenmoreimportantthantoday.As technologyadvances,theexistinglabourmustcontinually reinventthemselves,‘reskilling’onthejobtolearnnew systems.

Youngergenerationsmustlearnlegacysystemsaswellas toadapttoevolvingtechnologiesastheoldergeneration departs.Job-hoppingisbecomingincreasinglypopular,so anyprogrammethatpromotesemployeetraining,personal growth,andeducationwillprovideemployeeswithanother reasontostay

FinalThoughts

TheleftwillhavetograpplewiththerealityofAutomation, whichissomethingthattheentireglobeisgrapplingwith. Workersaroundtheworldarefacingafewtroublesin adapting,butthereisabrightsidetoworkingalongwith Automation.

Automationisn'tonitsway;it'salreadyhere.Thereisa futureinwhicheveryonebenefitsfromthefruitsof mechanizedlabor.Tobringaboutthisbetterworld,theleft mustprovideavisionofthefuturethatwedesire.

Weneedtoplanforthatfuture.Ourlegislatorsmustensure thateveryonesharesequallyinthereward.Abetterworldis possible,anditisonlyaroundthecorner,butwemustall actifwewanttoenjoyit.

- Rahul Thakar

Evidently,thedigitaltransformationhasopenedthe doorstonumerousopportunitiesandpossibilities forvarioussectors,andthelogisticindustryhasnot beendevoidofthesedigitalchanges.Today,the inefficienciesintheprocesseshavebeenreduced,more packagesarebeingdelivered,productionhasbecomecosteffective,andwhatnot.

Allthesechangescomedowntowhereallthegoodsare stored.Andthus,drivingdigitizationinthewarehouse becomesofutmostimportance.Ifthequestionarises,how canitbeimplemented,doks.innovationhasgotallthe answers.

doks.innovationisbreakingnewgroundsinwarehouse managementwithinventivenessandpioneeringspirit.

WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithMikeBecker,the Co-founderandSeniorSoftwareDeveloper,and ChristianSproedt,theStrategicSalesManager,tolearn moreaboutdoks.innovation..

Below are the highlights of the interview: Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingprovider ofautomationsolutions. doks.innovationGmbHwasFoundedin2017locatedinthe centralEU(Kassel,Germany).Indoks,about30employees areworkingintwocentralproductlines(Inventoryand Summary).

Webuildandprovideautonomoussolutionsfor intralogistics.Yearningtodigitizetheworldoflogistics,it aspirestocontributetothegrowingIndustry4.0.Theworld oflogisticsisconstantlyfacingnewchallenges.Our productsarestrivedtosolvethesechallengesand

revolutionizetheworldoflogistics.Theproductsaimto drivethesupplychainefficientlywithautonomous technologies,decreaseexpenses,andincreasesafetyin warehouses.

Tellusmoreabouttheproductsandservicesthrough whichyouhaveascertainedyourstrongholdwithinthe automationspace. Indoks,therearetwoproductlines-inventoryand summary

InventoryXL: Autonomousinventorymanagementsystemwithina warehouse(palletrack)consistingofan AMR(autonomousmobilerobot)andadrone.Thedrone andtheAMRrelatetoapowerlinetoprovidefivehours operationtimeofthesystem.Theonlyelementwhichneeds tobeputasfixedinfrastructureisthechargingstation.

SummarySky: Outsidedroneandsoftwaresystemforinventory managementofblockstorageoroverviewoflargestorage areas(empties).Withthehelpofdroneimagesandartificial intelligencedifferenttypesofcratescanberecognizedand counted.

SummaryGate:

Thegatecreatesallnecessarydocumentationanddamage detectionofanobjectmovingthroughthegate.Itprovides allthesolutionstoInboundandOutboundcontrol,asensor systemforautomateddamagedetection,loadingscans, incominggoodsinspections,conveyorsystemsplausibility, andcompletenesscheck.

SummaryCeiling: Opticalinventorysystemforblockstorageinindoor warehouses.Multiplebattery-poweredcameramodulesare

The 10 Most Disrupve Automaon Companies to Watch

takeyour logisticstothenext levelandprepare yourcompanyfor thechallengesofa digitisedfuture.

Christian Sproedt (Strategic Sales Manager)

MikeBecker (Founder,Senior SoftwareDeveloper)

attachedundertheceilingtocreateatopviewofthe warehouse.Withthehelpofimagesandartificial intelligencedifferenttypesofcratescanberecognizedand counted.

Briefusaboutthefeaturedperson(s),theirjourneyin theindustry,andhowtheyhavecontributedtowards thecompany'ssuccess.

MikeBecker:IamtheCo-founderofdokswith8yearsof experienceinthedroneindustriesmainlyinvolvedin SoftwareandHardware.Iamleadingthesoftwareteamto createthebestsolutionforautonomousinventory managementonthemarket.

ChristianSproedt:IamChristianSproedt,havebeeninthe logisticsindustryfor10years.MasterofTechnical Logisticsandholdpositionsinprojectplanningand purchasing,lastpositionisheadofcontractlogisticsat consultingcompany.

Iamtotallyconvincedthatlogisticsmustbemoreopento newtechnologiesandautonomoussolutions.Logistics serviceprovidersnotdoingthiswillvanishfromthe market.

Beinganexperiencedleader,shareyouropiniononwhy theadoptionoftechnologiessuchasAIandmachine learningisnecessaryfortheautomationservices industryandhowyouhaveleveragedthesetechnologies todeliveryourproducts/services/solutions?

Itisgettingtougherandtoughertogetstafftodomany jobs,especiallyinthelogisticsindustry.WithAIand machinelearningmanytaskscanbeautomatedandthestaff

canfocusonmorevaluabletasks.Especiallythe stocktakingprocessisanon-valuabletask,whichmustbe done.Automizethesetasksleavethestaffmoreroomtoadd valuetothecompany

ConsideringtheCOVID-19pandemic,whatchallenges didyouface,andhowareyoucurrentlydrivingyour companytosustainoperationswhileensuringthesafety ofyouremployees?

COVIDwasandischallengingastheoptionfortestingat warehousesandpresentingourproductsaremainly reduced.Therefore,thedevelopmentofnewfeatureswas sloweddownasthetestingtimewasreduced.

Ontheotherhand,itisagreatopportunitytoshowand provethatautomatedandautonomoussolutionshavea hugebenefit–asnoonemustattend.Overall,wewouldsay theautonomousconceptsbecomemoreacceptedduringthe pandemicphase.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheautomationsolutions niche?

Findaprocesstoautomateandjusttryit.Thereisalways roomtoimproveprocesses.

Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022?

Currently,focusonnearbycustomerswithafocuson CentralEUandtheUKtohaveahighlevelofsupportand endof2022addScandinaviaandthefirstoversearegions. Centralforusisthatwecanofferaproductthatdoesnot needdailyserviceorsupportbutcanoperatethewholeyear withonlyayearlycheck-up.

Inventorymanagementbyflexibledroneisstartingto gatherseriousweightasaworkableconceptandwillscale upwitheachpositivecommentofcustomersusingitona regularbasis.Ofcourse,therewillbealsoanewfeature, whichisindevelopment.Forexample,weplantodetect rackdamageswiththesystemsanddoboxcounting.