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Meka Robotics
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<h2 id="history">History</h2> <p>Founded in 2006 by Aaron Edsinger and Jeff Weber, it was originally a spin-off of the <a href="/facts/MIT_Computer_Science_and_Artificial_Intelligence_Laboratory/mTg66jb9">MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory</a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> before the founders relocated to San Francisco. </p><p>In 2007, the company provided a forearm and hand for <a href="/facts/MIT_Media_Lab/Vhgn9KFE">MIT Media Lab</a>'s new robot, Nexi. </p><p>In 2008, the company teamed with the Socially Intelligent Machines Lab at the <a href="/facts/Georgia_Institute_of_Technology/HKtrUSao">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> to develop Simon, an upper torso humanoid platform for human robot interaction. </p><p>In 2012, the company teamed with the Human Centered Robotics Group at the <a href="/facts/University_of_Texas_at_Austin/6NApstxT">University of Texas at Austin</a> to develop HUME, a "bipedal robot for human-centered hyper-agility."<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> </p><p>In 2012, the company entered into a <a href="/facts/Joint_venture/f2Fv8QqA">joint venture</a> with <a href="/facts/Willow_Garage/lVox1qKN">Willow Garage</a> and <a href="/facts/SRI_International/flSHunVK">SRI International</a> to found Redwood Robotics, a company specializing in robotic arms.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:7" href="#fn:7"><sup>7</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:8" href="#fn:8"><sup>8</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> </p><p>On December 5, 2013, <a href="/facts/Google_X/ysANPBcR">Google X</a> acquired Meka Robotics.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> </p> <h2 id="products">Products</h2> <ul><li>M1 Mobile Manipulator<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:12" href="#fn:12"><sup>12</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:13" href="#fn:13"><sup>13</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:14" href="#fn:14"><sup>14</sup></a></li> <li>S2 Humanoid Head<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:15" href="#fn:15"><sup>15</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:16" href="#fn:16"><sup>16</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:17" href="#fn:17"><sup>17</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:18" href="#fn:18"><sup>18</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:19" href="#fn:19"><sup>19</sup></a></li></ul> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/Domo_(robot)/82W1QNBT">Domo (robot)</a></li></ul> <h2 id="external-links">External links</h2> <ul><li><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090413150650/http://mekabot.com/">Official website</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>Ackerman, Elise (April 12, 2007). "Is there a robot in your future?". San Jose Mercury News. McClatchy-Tribune Information Services: 1C. Archived from the original on June 11, 2014. Retrieved June 8, 2012. Edsinger said Meka Robotics is planning to focus on health care applications and possibly the entertainment industry ... <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140611030728/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-161943210.html" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20140611030728/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-161943210.html</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"About Us | Meka Robotics". mekabot.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120509162727/http://mekabot.com/about-us/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120509162727/http://mekabot.com/about-us/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Ackerman, Evan (March 27, 2012). "Meka and UT Austin Developing 'Hyper-Agile' Bipedal Robot". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/meka-and-ut-austin-developing-hyperagile-bipedal-robot" target="_blank">https://spectrum.ieee.org/meka-and-ut-austin-developing-hyperagile-bipedal-robot</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Wagstaff, Keith (March 28, 2012). "New Sprinting Humanoid Robot Will One Day Come with Flexible Arms and Tactile Skin". Time. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="https://techland.time.com/2012/03/28/new-sprinting-humanoid-robot-will-one-day-come-with-flexible-arms-and-tactile-skin/" target="_blank">https://techland.time.com/2012/03/28/new-sprinting-humanoid-robot-will-one-day-come-with-flexible-arms-and-tactile-skin/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Daw, David (March 27, 2012). "Meet the Robot That Can Run Like a Human". PCWorld. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/252719/meet_the_robot_that_can_run_like_a_human.html" target="_blank">http://www.pcworld.com/article/252719/meet_the_robot_that_can_run_like_a_human.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>M. Slovich; N. Paine; K.Kemper; A. Metzger; A. Edsinger; J. Weber; L. Sentis. "HUME: A Bipedal Robot for Human-Centered Hyper-Agility". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help) <a href="http://www.me.utexas.edu/~lsentis/files/DW-2012-abstract-2" target="_blank">http://www.me.utexas.edu/~lsentis/files/DW-2012-abstract-2</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>Deyle, Travis (May 3, 2012). "Redwood Robotics: New Silicon Valley Startup by Meka Robotics, Willow Garage, and SRI". Hizook.com. Retrieved June 6, 2012. <a href="http://www.hizook.com/blog/2012/05/03/redwood-robotics-new-silicon-valley-startup-meka-robotics-willow-garage-and-sri" target="_blank">http://www.hizook.com/blog/2012/05/03/redwood-robotics-new-silicon-valley-startup-meka-robotics-willow-garage-and-sri</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>Roush, Wade (May 4, 2012). "Redwood Robotics Aims to Build Next Generation of Robot Arms". Xconomy.com. Retrieved June 6, 2012. <a href="http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2012/05/04/redwood-robotics-aims-to-build-next-generation-of-robot-arms/" target="_blank">http://www.xconomy.com/san-francisco/2012/05/04/redwood-robotics-aims-to-build-next-generation-of-robot-arms/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>Green, Tom (May 6, 2012). "Redwood Could Well Be The Apple, Inc. Of Robotics?". Robotics Business Review. Retrieved June 6, 2012. (subscription required) <a href="http://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/article/redwood_could_well_be_the_apple_inc._of_robotics" target="_blank">http://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/article/redwood_could_well_be_the_apple_inc._of_robotics</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>Ackerman, Evan (May 7, 2012). "Redwood Robotics Brings Big Names to Next Gen Robot Arms". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved June 6, 2012. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/redwood-robotics-brings-big-names-to-next-gen-robot-arms" target="_blank">https://spectrum.ieee.org/redwood-robotics-brings-big-names-to-next-gen-robot-arms</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"Google robotics: A review". The Robot Report. 2017-10-20. Retrieved 2020-05-12. <a href="https://www.therobotreport.com/stifled-ambitions-review-google-robotics/" target="_blank">https://www.therobotreport.com/stifled-ambitions-review-google-robotics/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:12"><p>Guizzo, Erico (February 16, 2011). "Meka Robotics Announces Mobile Manipulator With Kinect and ROS". IEEE Spectrum. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/meka-robotics-announces-mobile-manipulator-with-kinect-and-ros" target="_blank">https://spectrum.ieee.org/meka-robotics-announces-mobile-manipulator-with-kinect-and-ros</a> <a href="#fnref:12" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:13"><p>Eaton, Kit (February 17, 2011). "Meka Robot Works Well With Others--and Is Coming to Steal Your Job". Fast Company. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/1728736/meka-robot-with-kinect-sensor-aboard-is-coming-to-steal-your-job" target="_blank">http://www.fastcompany.com/1728736/meka-robot-with-kinect-sensor-aboard-is-coming-to-steal-your-job</a> <a href="#fnref:13" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:14"><p>"Meka M1 - A Dexterous Mobile Manipulator for Researchers". mekabot.com. Archived from the original on May 29, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20120529103719/http://mekabot.com/products/m1-mobile-manipulator/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20120529103719/http://mekabot.com/products/m1-mobile-manipulator/</a> <a href="#fnref:14" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:15"><p>Ackerman, Evan (October 12, 2011). "Video: Meka Robotics Talks Up its Anime-Style Expressive Head". IEEE Spectrum. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/interview-meka-robotics-talks-up-its-animestyle-expressive-head" target="_blank">https://spectrum.ieee.org/interview-meka-robotics-talks-up-its-animestyle-expressive-head</a> <a href="#fnref:15" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:16"><p>Anthony, Sebastian (October 12, 2011). "The next stage of human-robot love: Meet Meka's anime robot girl". ExtremeTech. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/99573-the-next-stage-of-human-robot-love-meet-mekas-anime-robot-girl" target="_blank">http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/99573-the-next-stage-of-human-robot-love-meet-mekas-anime-robot-girl</a> <a href="#fnref:16" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:17"><p>Hornyak,Tim (October 15, 2011). "Doe-eyed Dreamer robot looking for friends". CNET. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20120845-1/doe-eyed-dreamer-robot-looking-for-friends/" target="_blank">http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20120845-1/doe-eyed-dreamer-robot-looking-for-friends/</a> <a href="#fnref:17" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:18"><p>Melanson, Donald (November 29, 2010). "Meka, UT Austin researchers show off 'sociable' Dreamer robot head". Engadget. Retrieved June 7, 2012. <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2010/11/29/meka-ut-austin-researchers-show-off-sociable-dreamer-robot-he/" target="_blank">https://www.engadget.com/2010/11/29/meka-ut-austin-researchers-show-off-sociable-dreamer-robot-he/</a> <a href="#fnref:18" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:19"><p>"S2 Humanoid Head | Meka Robotics". mekabot.com. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20121011013129/http://mekabot.com/products/humanoid-head/" target="_blank">https://web.archive.org/web/20121011013129/http://mekabot.com/products/humanoid-head/</a> <a href="#fnref:19" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>