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AutonomyOS is designed to assist automate manufacturing duties. Supply: Omnirobotic

Omnirobotic Inc. right now mentioned it has closed on $500,000 in funding. The Laval, Quebec-based firm mentioned it plans to make use of the financing to commercialize robots utilizing its proprietary AutonomyOS platform for producers scuffling with labor shortages in high-mix manufacturing environments.

“Constructing autonomous machines permits Omnirobotic to handle the necessity for expert labor at scale,” mentioned Francois Simard, co-founder and CEO of Omnirobotic, in a launch. “This mannequin has confirmed to be far more efficient at deploying AutonomyOS at scale.”

“We bought in six months extra machines than forecast for a 12 months,” he added. “Producers need to purchase confirmed options, not automation initiatives. Creating commonplace machines that they will attempt earlier than they purchase proved to be the precise method to getting SMEs to undertake new automation know-how.”

Study from Agility Robotics, Amazon, Disney, Teradyne and plenty of extra.

Omnirobotic provides {hardware}, restructures

Since 2016, Simard and Omnirobotic co-founder Laurier Roy have labored to develop AutonomyOS, a platform to coach robots to carry out manufacturing processes on never-seen-before elements. Till 2022, the firm licensed AutonomyOS to customers constructing autonomous machines.

Final 12 months, Omnirobotic modified its enterprise mannequin to turn into a machine builder, promoting robotic tools constructed on AutonomyOS. The corporate restructured to replicate this modification in June.

Investissement Québec, as a consultant of the federal government of Québec, supported Omnirobotic on this transition, restructuring the corporate’s debt, whereas present strategic traders, the administration, and all of the remaining staff injected new liquidities.

In November, Omnirobotic signed a distribution settlement with Würth Baer Provide Co. to commercialize robots for woodworking. Simard famous that Omnirobotic plans to handle extra markets with new merchandise. 

“The brand new merchandise developed by Omnirobotic utilizing AutonomyOS are addressing well-identified expert labor scarcity within the trade,” he mentioned. “We plan to widen our product line within the steel transformation and composite sectors within the close to future.”

“Our autonomous sanding robots are already disrupting the cupboard manufacturing trade by permitting firms counting as few as six folks to automate one of many hardest duties of their store efficiently,” mentioned Simard. “That’s the reason we just lately moved to a brand new 6,500 sq.-ft. [603.8-sq.-m] facility that may enable us to construct as much as 180 machines yearly.”

Génik invests to serve international prospects

Strategic traders led Omnirobotic’s spherical, which additionally included participation from Genik and Exelpro administration, in addition to its personal staff. It beforehand raised $5 million in 2020.

Génik is a vertically built-in firm that has designed and manufactured automated techniques for greater than 30 years. The Saint-Jérôme, Québec-based member of the Excelpro Group mentioned it serves prospects world wide.

“Genik is serving some firms utilizing autonomy,” said Patrick Gariépy, co-founder and president of Genik Automation. “We see the way forward for automation in this type of know-how, which is why we determined to re-invest in Omnirobotic.”

“We’re coaching a few of our engineers on utilizing AutonomyOS and are utilizing it to take care of Genik as an automation chief,” he mentioned.