Idealab operating company
Evolution Robotics Inc. has
raised $13.88 million in a second round of venture funding. CMEA Ventures led the round, with participation from Vodafone Ventures, Idealab and Quercus Trust.
Evolution Robotics will use the new funds to further develop its consumer-related robot technology. The company develops
state-of-the-art robotics gear and partners with original equipment
manufacturers to integrate its technologies into
products. Those include include NorthStar, a hardware and software localization product that allows mobile devices to navigate more intelligently in indoor environments.
The company's technology was first used in Sony Corp.'s
Aibo robotic dog (since put to sleep), and more recently was implanted in
Rovio (pictured), a WiFi-enabled mobile Web cam that lets people speak and hear from anywhere in the world. Among the practical uses of the device are to allow parents to say good night to a child from wherever they are, participate in video conferences or check in on pets. It retails for around $350.
--David ShabelmanSee Nov. 10 press release from Evolution Robotics
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