ITRI Introduces Delivery Robot, Metal Working Robot at CES 2023

The Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI, is showing off a range of its technologies this week at CES 2023, from delivery robots to AI-powered aquariums. The Taiwanese institute was founded in 1973 and focuses on applied research centered on industrial development.

ITRI’s booth is located at booth 9855, North Hall, LVCC. It also has a virtual even site that can be accessed at https://event.itri.org/CES2023/IndexN?Language=en-US.

5G, AIOT, and V2X help power ITRI’s delivery robot

The research institute claims its robot, the Cubot ONE, is the first “to combine 5G, AIoT (artificial intelligence of things) and V2X (vehicle-to-everything) to provide door-to-door delivery services.”

The robot features lidar sensors and software that allows it to have high-precision mapping and position as well as flexible path planning.

The institute added the robots travels both indoors and outdoors, can travel up accessibility ramps, takes elevators, and navigates signalized intersections installed with cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) roadside units.

Cubot has already been used to complete orders at 7-Eleven stores in Taiwan as part of the connivence store’s automated delivery service, foodmo. A national library in Taiwan is also using Cubot to automate book returns.

To allow for multiple Cubots in the same area to communicate with one another, ITRI said it developed its own management platform. It also has given companies access to its APIs.

The Cubot delivery robot is being used in a 7-Eleven in Taiwan. Source: ITRI

RobotSmith takes on metal working

The institute developed the RobotSmith to automate metal workpiece grinding and polishing. ITRI said the RobotSmith is helping address labor and supply chain challenges in the manufacturing industry.

RobotSmith takes advantage of ITRI’s AI software platform, EzSim. ITRI added EzSim “performs simulation, trajectory planning and it optimizes path parameters to achieve high precision and efficiency to perform surface treatment as delicately as a human expert.”

It noted that RobotSmith also incorporates sensing, robotics, and trained AI models. It has been used to manufacture plumbing fixtures, high-end knives, and medical devices.

ITRI also showcased a range of other products, including its AI Aquarium, which was recognized as a CES 2023 Innovation Award honoree. Using virtural-real fusion, the aquarium can be used to identify specific aquatic species within the tank with up to 98% accuracy.

Additionally, it showed the Athena Orchestrator, a private network platform based on O-RAN ALLIANCE specifications and the SiC Electric Powertrain Controller, which was designed for electric vehicles.

Robot Smith takes advantage of ITRI's EzSim simulation platform. Source: ITRI