INNOVATIONS FOR BUSINESS
TECH NOTES
A Nervous System for Robots RoboSkin is a line of skin-like coverings for tactile awareness for humanoid robots and prosthetics created by BeBop Sensors, Inc. the world leader in smart fabric sensor technologies. A true nervous system for robots at less than 1mm thick, RoboSkin is the only technology that fits all robotic body parts — limbs, fingers, feet, head and torso — to make robots “feel” better. RoboSkin’s advanced fabric-based sensor skin can be shaped to any surface, allowing quick tailoring to fit any robot, human abilities for a true partnership between humans and their robot helpers. Advances in robotics, such as vision and listening, are missing a key element — the sense of touch, essential for practical human/ robot interaction. Flexible, reliable and highly proprietary, BeBop Sensors’ RoboSkin provides this essential touch factor, with technology based on BeBop’s fabric sensors, with millions of sensors in daily use throughout the world and more than 30 U.S. and international patents. “I have been working with roboticists refining our RoboSkin for 10 years. We are pleased we can make this important contribution to the worldwide effort to bring humanoid robots into our lives to help people live longer, healthier, and more enjoyable lives,” says Keith McMillen, founder of BeBop Sensors. The Census Bureau predicts that, for the first time ever, there will be more Americans over the age of 65 than under 18, with Japan having the oldest population at 30% over 65. In addition, “The Great Resignation” shows no sign of slowing down, with record numbers of people leaving the work force. Human-like robots are stepping up to this urgent need, augmenting humans in the workplace, hospitals and homes; with roles in healthcare, as domestic help, in manufacturing, distribution, biohazards and even in entertainment and companionship roles. —Mike Hunter bebopsensors.com
JULY 2022
22
INBUSINESSPHX.COM
Online: Micro-Influencers Expand Company Reach Micro-influencers are defined as online creators with between 10,000 and 75,000 followers. The reason it’s a good idea for small businesses to partner with this tier of influencers comes down to a few factors: engagement rate, collaborative partnerships and click-thru capabilities. Microinfluencers tend to be a perfect fit for brands of every kind and size because they have enough experience to create high-quality, professional content, yet they’re still in a stage of growth that allows for maintaining a highly engaged community. Micro-influencers are also a great option if a business is looking to expand to a hyper-local market and get noticed by untapped audiences. Seeing as their following is smaller than the traditional celebrity macro-influencer, their audience tends to be more highly saturated in certain geographical locations, thus giving businesses a leg up in that specific region. Leveraging micro-influencers to promote a business will help to not only increase overall brand awareness across the board but will also diversify the content portfolio for a much more cost-efficient price. These influencers have a unique brand that they’ve spent time zeroing in on and crafting to create content that resonates with
their audience. It’s a great opportunity to generate content that goes against the grain of what a business typically creates to cater to an audience that the business otherwise might not have come across on their own. The influencer audience is always a big selling point when it comes to activating these kinds of partnerships. Influencers, specifically on the micro-scale, have spent copious amounts of time building trust, loyalty and overall credibility with their audience. This makes them a go-to source for all things having to do with their specific niche. It’s taking word-of-mouth marketing to an entirely new, and more cost-efficient, level. While cash compensation is the name of the game these days, micro-influencers are often flexible and can include some sort of trade agreement that could help to lower the cash compensation by a decent amount. They’re often willing and able to make a campaign work within a budget that’s mutually beneficial to both parties, especially if the campaign is something that aligns heavily with the personal brand that they’ve crafted for themselves. —Candie Guay, cofounder and creative director of Scottsdale-based Envida (www.envida.com), the nation’s leading multifamily creative agency
RoboSkin is available for a variety of applications in robotics and prosthetics, including biohazard, digital health, IoT, VR/AR, automotive, law enforcement, testing, and more. See the video at youtu.be/BWBUhcbEE50. bebopsensors.com
Photo courtesy of BeBop Sensors (left)
with spatial resolution and sensitivity that exceeds
