As anyone familiar with Kohli Ventures, and the work of our Lead Investor Tej Kohli, will know already, we are always looking for new and innovative technology projects to provide with support and backing.
Now, Mr Kohli is giving his backing to the ground-breaking robotics venture studio Rewired, through the multi-family office Cascade Global. Here, we explore the importance of Rewired’s pioneering approach to advancing robotics technology.
Who are Rewired?
Rewired are a robotics-focused venture studio specialising in applied science and technologies with the aim of advancing machine perception[1].
In August 2017 they announced the launch of their initial $100 million investment fund for technologies that will enable robots to interact properly with real-world environments.
Unlike the controlled environments in which robotics have so far proved to be most successful, real world environments present a far greater level of variation and unpredictability.
Rewired are focusing on the technologies that will help the next generation of smart robots gather and interpret data about these environments, in order to navigate and interact with them more effectively.
The Rewired team are currently based in both London and Lausanne – a Swiss city quickly establishing a reputation for itself as a hub of robotics technology comparable to Silicon Valley [2]. They also have plans to expand to the United States.
Why is their work important?
In backing the development of robots’ sensory capabilities and understanding of the world around them, Rewired are playing a major, proactive part in enabling the safe and efficient integration of robotics into our everyday lives.
For our BACKER, Tej Kohli, robotics and AI could provide the desperately needed solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing our world today.
From performing complex surgical procedures to tackling climate change and threats to food security, the potential application of robotics for humanitarian and life-improving ends is enormous. However, in order to achieve these goals, several hurdles still need to be addressed, including the ability of robots to navigate their way through unpredictable environments and interact safely with humans.
Several initiatives have already attempted to assist with this integration, ranging from the development of self-repairing robots [3] to the experimental Empowerment project, which aims to mathematically produce a behavioural and ethical framework for robots [4]
However, ensuring that robots are capable of understanding and interpreting the physical world around them is also vital to their future development, and it is this field of development which Rewired hopes to play a part in transforming.
Rewired and Mr Kohli share similar, complementary visions for the enormous benefits that robotics can bring. Among Rewired’s portfolio are Seldon, who aim to democratise machine learning deployment, and Open Bionics, who are pioneering the next generation of affordable robotic prosthetics.
Rewired’s ambitious vision and commitment to improving the world through robotics technology is an admirable and important one, and made them an ideal choice for Mr Kohli’s backing and support.
[3] https://www.kohliventures.com/newsroom/self-healing-robots-are-here/
[4] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/07/170718103528.htm
