Hardware-as-a-service (HaaS) is gaining momentum across a variety of industries. Many of the early adopters of HaaS are in robotics, offering robots-as-a-service (RaaS) to decrease barriers to entry and improve overall value to customers. Others offer machine-as-a-service (MaaS), device-as-a-service (DaaS), or equipment-as-a-service (EaaS).
Some companies pitch outcomes more than assets, offering data-as-a-service or platform-as-a-service models. From network-as-a-service, facades cleaning, and autonomous construction equipment, to diagnostic sensors and piece-picking, these companies are on the cutting-edge of their fields.
This post is part of a series about modern hardware companies, their business models, and the future of HaaS. For more, see posts from January, February, March, April, May, June, and July.
Brightpick manufactures warehouse automation solutions for order fulfillment for customers in the e-commerce, e-grocery, and third-party logistics industries. Its two primary offerings are the Brightpick Autopicker, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) for in-aisle order picking, inventory replenishment, dynamic slotting, and more; and the Brightpick Dispatcher, a solution for post-pick order consolidation, buffer, and dispatch.
The company offers its robots under two different purchase models—a capex model and a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model. The latter allows customers to automate their warehouses with lower overhead costs. The hardware is paired with Brightpick’s proprietary software, Brightpick Intuition, which uses data and analytics to orchestrate and optimize the fleet and the fulfillment process, ensuring maximum efficiency on the warehouse floor.
Jan Zizka, CEO and co-founder of Brightpick, says the upside of RaaS is that “each solution is designed to a customer’s specific needs and throughput requirements. We’re also regularly iterating on and enhancing our fleet management software, so customers on subscription will always have the most updated application. And deployment is fast and scalable, which is particularly valuable for our customers that see seasonal fluctuations in throughput.”
Muddy Machines’ primary offering is an autonomous, fully-electric agricultural robot named Sprout that can precisely harvest asparagus for up to 16 hours a day. A lightweight, all-terrain farming vehicle, Sprout autonomously drives into fields and detects, measures, cuts, and baskets asparagus spears according to the grower’s specifications. Sprout can also navigate tight clusters of vegetables, and harvest spears that are crooked or grow sideways.
The company’s robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model ensures that farmers don’t have to spend capex dollars on robots that will sit unused for much of the year—the harvesting season lasts only 12 weeks. Customers monitor “herds” of Sprout robots through Muddy Machines’ custom app, which displays live harvest performance to farm owners and machine operators, allowing them to make decisions based on real-time information. Sprout’s advanced AI also uses reinforcement learning to predict crop yields and report them to growers.
Christopher Chavasse, Founder and CEO, says, “we’re working toward a broader harvesting-as-a-service model through robots that perform selective harvesting and precision farm operations. Our current RaaS model allows customers to order and deploy robots on the same day, promptly addressing labor shortages. Farmers can also quickly scale up and down: When Sprout operates as part of a larger herd, it communicates with other machines to optimize harvest performance.”
Pano AI is a leader in early wildfire detection and intelligence. Its platform uses AI and computer vision alongside high-definition mountaintop cameras, satellite imagery, and 5G connectivity to detect and confirm wildfire events in real-time, while disseminating critical information to first responders so they can best determine how to respond. The cameras continuously scan the landscape, rotating 360 degrees per minute, and use artificial intelligence to detect the first wisps of smoke versus other atmospheric conditions such as fog or dust. Once the system detects smoke, it puts those images into the hands of dispatchers and first responders through built-in communication tools, speeding response time so firefighters can move quickly and mitigate wildfire threats.
In the company’s subscription model, Pano owns both the cameras and the supporting infrastructure. It sells subscriptions to its proprietary software to customers, most of whom are government fire agencies, power utilities, and private landowners (e.g., ski resorts). Costs vary by customer deployment, but standard pricing is $50,000 per camera station per year.
Cobalt AI is a developer of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for indoor security applications. Its robots come equipped with over 60 sensors, including 360-degree cameras, night vision, a thermal camera, and lidar. For communication, the AMR includes two-way audiovisual chat, a mobile PA system and siren, and a badge reader; for environmental safety, it includes temperature, humidity, smoke, and CO2 sensors. Cobalt's AMRs gather and process data with machine-learning algorithms to detect and flag anomalies as they patrol, and can call for human assistance when necessary.
The company offers its AMRs under a robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model that includes Cobalt Monitoring Intelligence, an AI-powered software platform for real-time monitoring of devices such as surveillance cameras, alarms, and the AMRs themselves. It also includes the Cobalt Command Center, where trained security specialists monitor alerts and provide threat intelligence through automated communications. The RaaS subscription also covers customer support and ongoing maintenance. Cobalt charges an hourly rate that only accounts for the time the robots are actively monitoring.
6 River Systems is a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for the logistics and non-grocery retail sectors. Its flagship hardware product, “Chuck,” works collaboratively with warehouse employees on a variety of order fulfillment-related tasks, such as picking, sorting, putaway, and replenishment. Every Chuck connects to 6 River’s cloud-based software, which assigns the work using a patented algorithm to calculate optimal task allocation and path planning. The software also offers real-time performance metrics to help warehouse operators fine-tune operations.
The company’s robots-as-a-service (RaaS) model offers a way to add AMRs to a warehouse operation without breaking the bank. Rental agreements include both the robots and their software, including continuous updates. Existing customers can also rent additional Chucks to scale fast during temporary peak periods.