Share prices for Innova Robotics & Automation Inc. (OTCBB: INRA) rose today after the company revealed that two of its subsidiaries, Robotic Workspace Technologies (RWT) and CoroWare are “poised to take center stage” at the International Robots & Vision show today in Chicago, Illinois, where it unveils its affordable mobile service robot – the CoroBot – and new robot control software licensing program.According to Lloyd Spencer, CoroWare’s president, the CoroBot is one of the company’s hottest products and has generated tons of interest among universities, corporations and individuals with an interest in robotics.
“We’ve been blessed with a lot of interest,” Spencer said. “We introduced the CoroBot in May of last year, and our previous customers were in the research area, and we had listened to our customers … what they were looking for was a platform under the $3,000 area, and … when they looked at the functionality we were providing, [the CoroBot] was something they wanted to use.”
And after seeing the robot’s specifications, it’s easy to see the interest it’s generated in the robotics community. The CoroBot is equipped with a PC-class CPU, on-board sensors, a color camera, and optional robotic arm capable of four axis motion, and is compatible with Microsoft Robotics Studio, a Windows-based robotics applications environment for academics, hobbyists and commercial developers.
“What’s interesting here is that there are literally thousands of students and university and corporate researchers across the world that are looking for a way to slowly but surely build and test their applications, and the CoroBot is the most affordable way to do that with Microsoft Robotics Studio,” Spencer said. “In one case, a university is using it … to test what it’s like to work remotely with a vehicle, like, say, construction machinery. You don’t immediately start working with the construction machinery, naturally – that could do some damage.”
But Innova and its subsidiaries are just a smaller part of a growing robotics technology industry. A number of Japanese companies and universities have spearheaded the charge into robotics, developing ballroom-dancing robots, realistic-looking humanoid “androids,” and other amazing developments in recent years, bringing science fiction closer to science reality every day. But while these overseas robots may be more technologically advanced – or at least more human-looking – than the CoroBot, Spencer says it’s robots like the CoroBot that serve the industry the best.
“In order for our students to really understand how to do robots, you need to have the basics down, and the computer platform, and the development environment,” Spencer said. “That’ll be the same, or very similar, for all of the robotic platforms.”
Still, Innova is always looking to expand its horizons. It – and its subsidiaries – are dedicated to creating and pioneering open-architecture control systems and software for robotic systems, in addition to robotics systems themselves. Most of its products are used in the manufacturing, service, and educational markets, but it’s eagerly approaching new fields and avenues of marketability. The company also does control and communications services for robotic support, ensuring that the robots work like they’re supposed to.
“A lot of our revenues are based on the services part of our business, so [sometimes]… we don’t sell them products, we actually offer them services for ground control,” Spencer continued. “It’s a communications capability – without communications, the robot doesn’t behave very well.”
Spencer said he was glad that the robotics industry – and his company, in particular – were finally starting to see an increase in interest.
“I’m really pleased; things have really blossomed, and I’m really excited.”
Share prices for Innova rose slightly over the course of the day, settling at 7 cents a share by mid-afternoon.