Collaborative Robotics, also known as Cobot, is a company founded by Brad Porter, a former Amazon Robotics VP and Distinguished Engineer, in 2022. The company has recently hired Michael Vogelsong, who played a role in co-founding Amazon’s Deep Learning Technologies team. Vogelsong will head the new Foundation Models AI research team from a newly established office in Seattle, which is situated in an emerging AI corridor on the north side of Lake Union. The company has also made a grant to the UW Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering to support research led by Sidd Srinivasa, a former Amazon executive and advisor to Cobot.
Cobot is currently working on a new mobile collaborative robot that is being used at a transload facility in the Seattle region as part of a global shipping and logistics operation. The company’s CEO, Brad Porter, describes their robot as “human-capable, but not humanoid,” with fewer design constraints than those that mimic the human form. Competitors in the AI and robotics field include Covariant, Figure AI, Agility Robotics, 1X, Sanctuary AI, and others. Cobot recently secured $100 million in Series B funding, illustrating Seattle’s emergence as an AI hub and the significance of advancements in fundamental AI for robotics technology.
The expansion of Collaborative Robotics in Seattle highlights the city’s growing importance as an AI hub. CEO Brad Porter sees Seattle as a great place to recruit AI talent due to the presence of major tech players like Google, Apple, Microsoft, and Oculus. The company is optimistic about the future of the Northlake Avenue corridor as an AI hub and has leased space to accommodate about 30 employees initially, with potential for future expansion. The new office will support Cobot’s Foundation Models AI research group and provide in-person workplace options for Seattle-area employees transitioning to a hybrid model.
Collaborative Robotics envisions AI playing a crucial role in advancing robotics in areas such as manipulation and human collaboration. The company aims to develop robots that can better understand humans and assist with tasks using advanced foundation models that can generalize to a wider range of capabilities. Michael Vogelsong, who has experience working on AI and robotics projects at Amazon, including as the chief machine learning engineer for Groundlight AI, will lead the new AI research team. The group will focus on fundamental research into AI foundation models and partner with others to advance the field.
The new Foundation Models AI research group at Collaborative Robotics will explore the growing multimodal capabilities of AI foundation models, including text, language, and computer vision, to enhance robotic task learning and manipulation. The company is actively hiring for roles such as AI Research Scientist and AI Research Engineer to support these efforts. Collaborative Robotics has received funding exceeding $140 million, with General Catalyst leading its most recent $100 million round joined by other investors. Alongside the funding, former Amazon and Microsoft public sector leader Teresa Carlson was appointed as an advisor to the company.
Overall, Collaborative Robotics’ expansion in Seattle, led by Brad Porter, demonstrates the company’s commitment to advancing robotics through AI research and development. With the hiring of Michael Vogelsong and the establishment of the Foundation Models AI team, the company is well-positioned to drive innovation in the field of robotics technology. Seattle’s emergence as an AI hub provides Cobot with access to top AI talent and opportunities for growth and collaboration in the industry. Collaborative Robotics aims to leverage advanced AI models to create robots that can better interact with humans and perform a wider range of tasks efficiently.
