TL;DR:
- Intrinsic unveils Flowstate, a groundbreaking robotic app development platform
- Flowstate empowers users to design, build, and deploy customized workflows for hardware systems.
- Intrinsic leverages advanced techniques such as automated perception, deep learning, and motion planning
- Flowstate offers a curated library of skills and welcomes third-party developers to integrate their own skills.
- Simulation using Gazebo allows users to predict real-world outcomes in a virtual environment.
- Intrinsic’s acquisition of Open Source Robotics Corporation reinforces its commitment to the ROS ecosystem.
- Integration with Google DeepMind enhances skill development.
- Intrinsic focuses on software and AI, divesting from certain hardware-based projects
- Flowstate is available as a beta and has garnered significant interest in its launch.
- Intrinsic’s dedication to software-focused innovation positions Flowstate as a game-changing solution in robotics workflows.
Main AI News:
In the realm of robotics, the spotlight is shifting from the robots themselves to the crucial aspect of managing and programming them effectively. While companies have made significant strides in deploying robots across warehouses and factories, the challenge lies in developing proprietary software that seamlessly integrates with third-party systems. Acknowledging this gap, Intrinsic, a graduate of Alphabet X, has been diligently working on bridging the divide.
Intrinsic has spent years delving into the realm of industrial robots, aiming to enhance their capabilities by enabling them to sense, learn, and autonomously adapt while performing tasks. Leveraging a wide array of cutting-edge techniques such as automated perception, deep learning, reinforcement learning, motion planning, simulation, and force control, the company has collaborated with Alphabet teams and real-world manufacturing partners to refine its software offerings.
Today, Intrinsic is proud to unveil its inaugural product, Flowstate, an innovative development platform that fulfills the company’s ambitious vision. Flowstate empowers individuals without a background in robotics to design workflows for hardware systems seamlessly.
By providing a comprehensive solution builder, Intrinsic enables users to create, construct, and implement customized workflows effortlessly. Recognizing the early stage of robotics skills available to the world, Flowstate offers a curated library of skills that can be seamlessly integrated into workflows. Additionally, Intrinsic welcomes third-party skills, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that drives innovation.
What sets Intrinsic apart is its ability to tap into Alphabet’s extensive resources and expertise. Drawing on sophisticated skills like vision and force feedback, which leverages machine learning and deep reinforcement learning, Intrinsic has developed a robust set of capabilities. Flowstate not only equips users with a versatile solution builder but also provides access to a rich library of skills, some of which are currently unavailable or difficult to access elsewhere.
As CEO Wendy Tan White highlights, Flowstate represents a significant step towards democratizing robotics development. The platform empowers users to design, build, and deploy workflows without the need for specialized knowledge. By offering a diverse range of skills and fostering collaboration within the broader ecosystem, Intrinsic paves the way for accelerated advancements in the field.
At the heart of Flowstate, Intrinsic’s groundbreaking development platform lies a graphical tree structure that enables users to create intricate and sophisticated workflows effortlessly. The platform boasts a range of existing skills, including pose estimation, manipulation, force-based insertion, and path planning. To further expand its capabilities, Intrinsic is opening the platform to third-party developers, inviting them to design and integrate their own skills into the workflow.
Simulation plays a crucial role in robotics, allowing users to simultaneously run scenarios in a virtual world to predict real-world outcomes. Intrinsic leverages Gazebo, an open-source platform managed by Open Robotics, renowned for overseeing the Robot Operating System (ROS). Intrinsic acquired Open Source Robotics Corporation (the for-profit arm of Open Robotics) in December, integrating its core engineering team into Intrinsic. This move reinforces Intrinsic’s commitment to the ROS ecosystem, aiming to support the development and contribution of engineers back to the ROS community.
Intrinsic’s recent news follows Alphabet’s company-wide layoffs, including the absorption of Every Day Robotics (EDR) by Google Brain. The fully integrated Google DeepMind team is actively collaborating with Intrinsic to enhance their skillset, including those originally intended for EDR.
Regarding Intrinsic’s workforce, CEO Wendy Tan White clarifies that while there was a reduction of around 40 employees, the company was not significantly affected by the layoffs. The changes were part of a strategic pivot within the company, focusing more on software and AI, leading to the decision to divest from certain hardware-based projects. The acquisitions of Open Robotics and Vicarious have been instrumental in shaping Intrinsic’s direction, with approximately 80% of the Vicarious team still contributing their expertise to the company.
Flowstate is now available as a beta, and its launch has already garnered substantial interest, with over 100 signups within the first hour. Intrinsic’s dedication to software-focused innovation, coupled with its collaborative approach and cutting-edge simulation capabilities, positions Flowstate as a game-changing solution that empowers users to revolutionize robotic workflows and drive advancements in the field.
Conlcusion:
The introduction of Intrinsic’s Flowstate robotic app development platform signifies a transformative milestone in the robotics market. By offering a user-friendly solution that enables the design and deployment of customized workflows, Intrinsic empowers a broader audience to participate in robotics development. The platform’s advanced capabilities, integration of cutting-edge techniques, and collaboration with third-party developers foster innovation and drive the evolution of the market.
Moreover, Intrinsic’s strategic focus on software and AI, coupled with its acquisition of key players in the field, positions the company at the forefront of industry advancements. The availability of Flowstate as a beta and the significant interest it has generated highlight the growing demand for accessible and efficient solutions in the robotics market. Overall, Intrinsic’s Flowstate sets a new standard for robotic app development, unlocking opportunities for businesses and individuals alike and shaping the future of the market.
