ABB strengthens its robotics division through the acquisition of start-up Sevensense, focusing more on AI-powered navigation for autonomous robots. The company, specializing in software and sensor technology development for autonomous robots, was launched as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.
ABB acquires full ownership of Sevensense, taking an important step towards an AI-supported robotic environment.
Sevensense CEO Gregory Hitz also expressed positive views on the acquisition, stating that the company can now introduce its self-developed technology in various markets and sectors. ABB is the ideal home to further scale the 3D vision autonomy platform. Sevensense's technology allows autonomous robots to navigate factories and warehouses without human assistance and perform tasks such as transporting components. Currently, robots with Sevensense technology are already being used at Ford in the US for the production of the F150 Lightning electric pickup, and the tire manufacturer Michelin is also using autonomous ABB robots at a plant in Spain. According to ABB manager Atiya, Sevensense's technology is now mature enough to be fully integrated into its own product portfolio. ABB's robotics division is primarily known for stationary robots in the automotive industry, but with the acquisition of Spanish mobile robot manufacturer Asti in 2021, the company has also entered the growing market of mobile robots. Atiya is convinced that ABB is ahead of the competition in this field and that Sevensense's technology will be the "core" of its mobile robots. According to ABB, the market for mobile robots is expected to grow by 20 percent annually until 2026, while the market for stationary robots will only see 8 percent growth. Competitors such as Kuka from Germany and Fanuc from Japan have already invested in the robotics business in recent years. The Sevensense team will be fully integrated into ABB and will continue to grow. The company's technology will also be offered for sale to other robot manufacturers. With their autonomous cleaning robot, which has already been developed in cooperation with Swiss cleaning machine manufacturer Wetrok, they have already tapped into initial application areas. Additional applications such as autonomous delivery robots or forklifts are planned, aiming to make Sevensense a supplier for the entire industry. In parallel, ABB and Sevensense are working on facilitating the operation of robots through complex AI language models. According to Atiya, it will be possible to operate robots using voice control within one to two years, reducing installation costs and enabling smaller companies to access automated robot technology. ABB and Sevensense thus aim to enable mass automation for medium-sized companies.
