Bind 4.0’s mentor Limor Schweitzer visited the accelerator last week and gave a very interesting conference on the present and future of the robotics industry. The fact that sensors and Lidar’s (laser imaging detection devices) costs have dropped dramatically, together with open source software like ROS, increase the possibilities of using robots in most production processes. “I could build a prototype of an autonomous car in one week”, he pointed out.

Schweitzer, who has been granted 12 patents, lives currently in Portugal where he has founded Robosavvy, a company that develops mobile robots and parts for making them. He is currently developing software for humanoid robots and also designing the first 3D printable acrobatic humanoid robot.

These are some of the most interesting things he said to Bind 4.0’s startups and partners:
– Thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), the computer is getting to understand the world. With augmented reality its possibilities will increase even more.

– Although lots of money is being invested, chatbots are yet to prove to work. On the other hand, the Amazon Echo model has been proved. It does work! Another business with a lot of potential when using AI in document analysis.

– As building robots, even self-driving cars, has become easy and cheap, the difficulty is not the technology any more, but legislation and facing an increasing competition.

– Easy access to crowdfunding hardware startups and the possibilities opened by the harmonic drive, which gives more precission, is pushing many developers to launch new robots. Among its uses, material handling, cleaning, healthcare, photo/video, surveillance & security, telepresence, delivery or retail.