AI Startup Lands $400 Million to Make Robots Handle Objects More Like Humans
PYMNTS.com November 6, 2024
With a fresh infusion of $400 million from Jeff Bezos and other investors, startup Physical Intelligence aims to give robots a human’s delicate touch, promising to reshape how businesses handle objects in warehouses and stores.
The technology addresses a barrier that has long prevented widespread retail, logistics and manufacturing automation: robots’ inability to handle diverse objects and adapt to new environments reliably. The development comes as businesses face mounting pressure to streamline operations amid labor shortages and rising costs.
“Industries beyond warehousing and retail, such as healthcare, agriculture, and hospitality, may see considerable impacts,” Kaveh Vahdat, founder and CEO of RiseAngle, a generative artificial intelligence (AI)-powered game creation company, told PYMNTS. “In healthcare, for example, robots could take on logistical...