Robots are everywhere. However, making robots is very hard and no easy task. Most roboticists will tell you that it took years before the last robot they built or programmed was any good at performing a specific task.
So, to avoid reinventing the wheels, most robotic companies typically begin with the open-source Robotic Operating System (ROS). However, it didn’t take long before these companies are bottlenecked by ROS limitations. The generic nature of open-source resources lacks the complex layers needed to tackle real-world robotic challenges.
That’s where today’s startup comes in. Cogniteam is an Israeli tech startup and a provider of software solutions for autonomous robots. The company’s focus is in the area of autonomy control for robotics and interactive simulations. Cogniteam has been developing artificial intelligence for robots for over ten years.
Today, Cogniteam’s just released its Nimbus operating system, a cloud-based drag-and-drop platform for robotics development that promises to cut time to market by 80% for new robotics programs. With over 11 years of industry experience, working with companies like Mitsubishi, Intel, and others, Nimbus allows hardware teams to upload blueprints so software teams can begin working on the programming from early in development.
Founded in 2007 by CEO Dr. Yehuda Elmaliah and Nachum Kaminka, Nimbus offers pre-developed drivers and software packages in a drag n’ drop environment, making it easy to incorporate advanced sensors and complicated features. It also integrates with the open-source Robotic Operating System (ROS) and other 3rd party resources.
Cutting Development time by 80%, Cogniteam’s Nimbus Operating System “Delivers a seamless user experience from development, to deployment, and allows for lifetime over-the-air in-field maintenance.” Dr. Elmaliah said.
Addressing the current robotic development challenges, Cogniteam released its Nimbus operating system to offer developers a seamless drag n’ drop experience. This will allow for rapid integration of spatial awareness tools, obstacle identification, navigation systems, cameras, LiDar, and more.
For over a decade, Cogniteam has helped companies solve complex robotics problems by developing unique software solutions for their state-of-the-art hardware. To help fast-track the robotic revolution and allow greater access to their insights, Cogniteam developed Nimbus, a high-level operating system that delivers a seamless user experience from development to deployment.
Now, as hardware engineers develop the physical aspects of the robots, they can upload the blueprints into Nimbus and allow software teams to program the robot in a simulated environment. “By allowing hardware and software teams to work in tandem, instead of having one team wait for the other, teams can cut the time needed to test new versions in the field and bring their product to market 80% faster,” said Dr. Nachum Kaminka, CFO of Cogniteam. “This dramatically decreases development time and cost.”
“In the past, hardware-focused teams would focus their resources on developing the physical aspects of the robot. They become tied down by the unexpectedly complex nature of robotic software development,” said Dr. Yehuda Elmaliah, CEO of Cogniteam. “The Nimbus cloud-based platform makes it possible to share robot access through multiple teams, allowing software and hardware developers to work together during development and even troubleshoot in-field challenges, remotely.”
Nimbus has already helped numerous beta test companies to reduce the development time and reach the market in a fraction of the time, shifting from today’s development cycle of 6 years to only 1.5 years. This platform has already been adopted by partners such as AAEON and Adlink.
“Our recent funding round, led by Andrew Owens, Founder & CEO of Seabarn Management, and Panthera home office, has allowed us to extend our product to new companies around the globe and scale robotic development and deployment,” said Dr. Nachum Kaminka, Co-Founder & CFO of Cogniteam. “We are excited by the positive response and the ability to share 11 years of robotics insight with the greater robotic community.”
