We love robots

The InnoTech Oregon Conference wraps up today and I was lucky enough to have some time yesterday to listen to some session tracks and talk with some interesting companies. One of those companies is called futureRobotics. Still in its infancy, the company has designed software for autonomous navigation. The obvious application for this is of course robots, but during my conversation with the founder, Jonathan Fant, he explained how the software (and a bit of hardware) can be fitted to any number of objects for navigation. Imagine wheelchairs in an airport taking the elderly or handicapped from gate to gate, or forklifts in a warehouse loading and unloading without human drivers....sound crazy? Mr. Fant doesn't think so! As a matter of fact, Fant had Solo 1.3 at the show. Solo is a robot that can do a ton of tasks. He cleans, vacuums, serves as a security officer, can take people to items in stores, can restock shelves...you name it, he can pretty much accomplish it with a little programming tweak. Solo has a 10 inch touch screen where people can go through guided menus or simply tell the robot what they need. While I'll admit, the application of robots into customer service seems a bit hookie right now, autonomous navigation is no joke. The US Military is spending a bundle to get this technology in assault vehicles and planes.

So, interested in investing in Fant...simply send him check for 50, 100, 150 thousand dollars and he'd be happy to put you on the board.

-posted by Justin