GEERHEAD
by David Geer
geercom@neo.rr.com
Innorobo is a leading
European contest/event for
robotics startups that may
be from just about
anywhere globally. The
yearly event offers support
to the top five — this year,
six — entrants. The prize: A
free stand at the Innorobo
2015 event from July 1st
through the 3rd in Lyon,
France, where they can
press the flesh and seek
investment from audience
members and, on July 2nd,
to an international panel of
investors.
This year’s six finalist
companies included Reach
Robotics, OptoForce,
Robotbase, Flyability SA,
Empire Robotics, and
MagnebotiX. Let’s take a
look at these robotic
entries.
10 SERVO 09.2015
Six Widely Varied Robot
Finalists in Innorobo
Call for Startups
European Competition Tests Robot’s Metal
(or plastic, as the case may be)
Artist’s rendering of Mecha Monsters — the world’s first computer gaming
robots which bring avatars out of the virtual world and into reality.
Reach Robotics/Mecha Monsters
Reach Robotics’ Mecha Monsters (still in the prototyping phase) bring the
game play of virtual sim worlds into the physical world with small fighting robots
that duke it out in real life. This isn’t BattleBots™. This is robots acting out the
same kind of game play you would engage in video games but with a physical
component.
One of the coolest things about Mecha Monsters is that you probably
already own the RC device: It’s your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet.
With the app (as yet unnamed and not available for download) from Reach
Robotics and Bluetooth technology, game play is framed in a responsive, colorful,
user-friendly interface.
