Australian automation firm Lyro Robotics has raised $1.5 million to deliver around 20 autonomous robotic packers to its clients. Founded in 2019 by researchers from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision, the company says it now has the “brains, the eyes, and the hands” to replace manual produce packing, after winning international acclaim for a budget prototype in 2017.
The pre-series A rise was announced on Thursday and comes after years of development and a boost from the Queensland government, which provided a $100,000 grant in April. The company has facilities in Melbourne and Brisbane, where it designs and builds a full technology stack of robotic “produce packers”.
A conveyor belt feeds items into the Lyro’s box shaped machine. Cameras scan the produce and the robot’s computer vision detects what the items are and how they should be picked. Depending on the application, various grippers are used to pick up the items and place into a box.
Lyro says the robots can be retrofitted to existing packing lines, and are well suited for agriculture, horticulture and logistics clients, but would also work for similar processes in manufacturing and recycling.
Lyro Robotics was founded by members of the Australian Centre for Robotic Vision, formerly Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Robotic Vision.
Source: innovationaus.com