Collaborative Robotics Unveils Proxie: A New Era of Mobile Manipulators in Industrial Automation

Jakarta, INTI – The robotics industry witnessed a groundbreaking development today as Collaborative Robotics Inc. publicly unveiled its innovative mobile manipulator, Proxie, for the first time. The company, which has maintained a shroud of secrecy around the robot's design since its establishment by Brad Porter in 2022, is poised to disrupt how industries approach automation.

Proxie’s design is tailored specifically for warehouse workflows and industrial settings, marking a significant departure from humanoid robots. With its advanced capabilities, Proxie promises to deliver unprecedented efficiency and safety in manufacturing, supply chain logistics, and healthcare operations.

Brad Porter's Visionary Leadership in Robotics

Brad Porter, the visionary founder of Collaborative Robotics, brings decades of experience and a forward-looking perspective to the table. As the former Vice President of Robotics and Senior Engineer at Amazon, Porter was instrumental in deploying over 500,000 robots across Amazon’s facilities. This achievement cemented his reputation as a trailblazer in industrial automation.

Following his tenure at Amazon, Porter joined Scale AI as Chief Technology Officer, focusing on leveraging data and advanced tooling to accelerate the adoption of autonomy across diverse sectors. His deep understanding of robotics' practical applications guided the development of Proxie, which he believes is a better fit for industrial workflows than humanoid robots.

In interviews, Porter has consistently highlighted the limitations of humanoid robots in practical environments. "While humanoids may look futuristic, their complexity, cost, and operational inefficiencies make them less viable for real-world applications," he explained. Proxie, by contrast, is purpose-built to address these challenges head-on.

Proxie: Revolutionizing Mobile Manipulation

In April 2024, Collaborative Robotics secured a $100 million Series B funding round, which was dedicated to commercializing its Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) platform, Proxie. Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, the company designed Proxie to work safely alongside humans in diverse environments.

Proxie’s cutting-edge technology includes a "turn drive" mechanism powered by four motors. This design enables holonomic motion, allowing the robot to slide sideways and maneuver with precision in tight spaces. Unlike traditional differential drive AMRs, Proxie’s turn drive eliminates awkward movement and enhances operational efficiency.

“Turn drives offer pseudo-holonomic motion, allowing Proxie to smoothly slide into narrow shelving units. They also avoid the caster-locking issue found in other designs, making Proxie far more agile,” Porter noted.

On top of its robust base, Proxie features a vertical linear axis that supports a six-degree-of-freedom robotic arm. This configuration enables advanced manipulation tasks, such as moving carts and handling objects. Future iterations of Proxie will include dual-arm setups with enhanced grippers, further expanding its capabilities.

Collaborative Robotics has already begun trial deployments of Proxie with key clients, including global logistics companies and leading healthcare organizations like Moderna, Mayo Clinic, Owens & Minor, and Tampa General Hospital. These trials underscore Proxie’s potential to revolutionize workflows in sectors where automation is critical.

The Growing Demand for Mobile Manipulators

Proxie’s entry into the market comes at a time when mobile manipulators are gaining significant traction. Industry players such as Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) are also introducing innovative solutions like the MC600, which combines MiR’s AMR platform with Universal Robots’ collaborative robotic arms, the UR20 and UR30.

The MC600 boasts a payload capacity of up to 600 kg (1,322 lbs.), making it a compelling choice for automating complex industrial workflows. Despite this competition, Porter is confident in Proxie’s unique value proposition.

“I believe mobile manipulators like Proxie are inherently better solutions than humanoids,” Porter stated. “In environments like Amazon’s warehouses, where we analyzed process flows and task complexity, humanoids proved to be less robust, less efficient, and far more expensive to deploy. Proxie, on the other hand, can handle tasks like moving 1,500-pound carts—something humanoids simply cannot do effectively.”

Standardizing Mobile Manipulators

As mobile manipulation technology advances, the need for standardized testing and performance evaluation has become increasingly apparent. ASTM International’s F45 Robotics Committee is addressing this need by proposing a new standard (WK92144) to evaluate how mobile manipulators perform in unstructured environments.

This proposed standard will provide guidelines for documenting how robotic arms handle disturbances, particularly in sectors like aerospace and energy, where precision and reliability are paramount.

According to Omar Aboul-Enein of ASTM, the standard will benefit manufacturers, integrators, and end-users by offering a clear framework for measuring reliability and improving the performance of mobile manipulators. Collaborative Robotics has expressed interest in contributing to this standardization effort, aligning with its mission to drive innovation and accountability in the robotics industry.

The Future of Collaborative Robotics

As robotics technology evolves, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced hardware is unlocking new possibilities. Collaborative Robotics is at the forefront of this transformation, with Proxie serving as a testament to the company’s commitment to creating practical, scalable solutions for industrial automation.

With its powerful features, strong client interest, and robust funding, Proxie is well-positioned to become a cornerstone of next-generation automation. Brad Porter envisions a future where robots like Proxie enable companies to achieve greater efficiency, safety, and profitability across a wide range of applications.

As the robotics industry continues to grow, Collaborative Robotics is set to play a pivotal role in shaping its trajectory, proving that innovation, when guided by experience and a clear vision, can redefine what’s possible.