Brad Porter has a wealth of experience in putting robots to work, having led a successful push at Amazon to develop a new range of smarter, more adaptive, artificial-intelligence-powered warehouse robots between 2017 and 2020. These robots, including robotic arms and mobile robots, have allowed Amazon to redesign its fulfillment centers for increased automation, faster processing and delivery times, and improved profit margins. Now, as the leader of Cobot, Porter aims to help other companies increase their robotic workforces with their first product, Proxie, a two-armed, four-wheeled warehouse robot. This robot, currently being tested by companies like Maersk and the Mayo Clinic, is designed to assist with the mundane but common task of moving trolleys stacked with items in various settings. Unlike other robots, Proxie’s battery can be easily swapped out to avoid downtime charging. While some companies are focused on developing humanoid robots, Porter believes that the technology is still too expensive and unreliable to be widely deployed. Instead, Cobot is focusing on improving the capabilities of Proxie and other robots to work alongside humans in various industries.
