Veo Robotics

Veo Robotics, established in 2016 by co-founders Patrick Sobalvarro, Clara Vu, and Scott Denenberg, is focused on enabling safer and more fluid collaboration between humans and powerful industrial robots. The company was founded on the insight that manufacturing and logistics operations require both the strength and precision of large robots and the judgment and dexterity of human workers. Sobalvarro, the CEO, brings over two decades of experience in computer vision and robotics, having previously founded IntelliVid and served as President of Rethink Robotics. CTO Clara Vu's extensive background in autonomous robotics includes early work at iRobot, where she contributed to the development of the Roomba's programming language. This collective expertise underpins the company's core mission.

The company's flagship product, FreeMove, is a 3D safeguarding system that equips standard industrial robots with advanced perception and intelligence. Instead of operating within locked safety cages, FreeMove allows high-performance robots from major manufacturers like FANUC, Yaskawa, ABB, and KUKA to work at full speed until a human enters the collaborative space. The system uses a network of custom 3D time-of-flight sensors placed around the workcell to capture a detailed 3D representation of the entire area. A high-performance computer, the FreeMove Engine, processes this data with proprietary AI-driven software to track people and equipment, calculating potential future states and ensuring a safe separation distance is maintained. If a person gets too close, the system signals the robot to slow down or stop, and allows it to resume once the area is clear. This approach is designed to increase flexibility and efficiency on factory floors, reducing the need for traditional stop-start workflows associated with caged automation.

Veo Robotics targets clients in the advanced manufacturing and logistics sectors, including automotive, durable goods manufacturers, and e-commerce retailers. The business model involves selling the FreeMove system, comprised of hardware and software, directly to large manufacturers and through system integrators who specialize in factory automation. The technology has achieved Performance Level D (PLd) functional safety certification, a critical standard for industrial machinery. In August 2024, logistics automation leader Symbotic acquired substantially all of the assets of Veo Robotics for $8.7 million, integrating the FreeMove technology to enhance safety and productivity in its own AI-powered supply chain solutions. The company has secured significant funding throughout its history, with investors including Amazon's Industrial Innovation Fund, Google Ventures, Lux Capital, and Yamaha Motor Ventures.

Keywords: human-robot collaboration, industrial automation, machine safety, 3D safeguarding, computer vision, advanced manufacturing, factory efficiency, logistics automation, speed and separation monitoring, FreeMove system