GelSight Awarded $728,000 Federal Grant to Develop Human-Like Tactile Sensors for Robots

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WALTHAM, Mass., May 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D metrology solutions for the aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and medical device industries, today announced that it has been awarded a $728,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to develop a compact sensor toolkit that will provide human-like tactile sensing capabilities for robotics. The SBIR Phase II project will based on concepts that were validated through GelSight’s SBIR Phase I grant as well as ongoing research at MIT in robotic tactile sensing using elastomeric sensors.

“There is no tactile sensor on the market today that can match the human finger,” said Kimo Johnson, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GelSight. “Current touch technologies have limited sensitivity and resolution. GelSight sensors are soft like human fingers but have resolution well above that of human skin. Industries have been transformed by the digitization of our auditory and visual worlds, and a high-resolution fingertip will provide the mechanism for translating tactile world leading to applications and technological developments that could transform many industries,” said Johnson.

In this SBIR Phase II project, GelSight will develop a soft, compact, and high-resolution tactile sensor as a toolkit that companies can integrate and optimize for their own applications; from the picking of fruit to the sorting and e-commerce fulfillment. To achieve the desired form factor while maintaining a large sensing area, this project will develop novel optical and illumination configurations for the elastomeric sensor that are more compact than designs using conventional optics. The system will be coupled with a GelSight Tactile software development kit (SDK) that provides real-time tactile information, including contact locations, force, magnitude and direction. The GelSight Tactile SDK will make the system accessible to researchers and engineers from other disciplines.

The high-resolution digital fingertip, together with the GelSight Tactile SDK, will provide a foundation for further exploration into digital touch as well as applications that benefit from tactile information.

­GelSight’s elastomeric imaging technology was originally developed by Professor Edward H. Adelson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Professor Adelson is the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Vision Science at MIT, in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and is a leading innovator in robotic tactile sensing.

For more information about GelSight and its product offering, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

About GelSight
GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive, and other high-value industries. For more information, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

CONTACT
Rob Haralson for GelSight
(202) 674-6679, rhh@anzupartners.com

3D Imaging System Innovator GelSight Raises $10M in Series B Funding Round

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Aviation Executive David Hurley, US Navy Vice Admiral David Buss (Ret.), US Air Force Lieutenant General Judith Fedder (Ret.) join Board of Directors

WALTHAM, Mass., January 23, 2020 /PRNewswire / — GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D imaging solutions for the aerospace, automotive, and other electronics industries, today announced that it has raised $10 million in new funding. The Series B round was led by industrial technology-focused venture capital firm Anzu Partners. The funding will be used to accelerate GelSight’s growth as adoption of its unique elastomeric-based imaging system gains deeper traction with major aerospace customers around the globe.

“GelSight’s handheld systems enable dramatic improvements to conventional inspection and quality processes, and we are seeing broader use among the world’s leading aerospace and automobile manufacturers,” said Kimo Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of GelSight. “We are excited to have the backing of Anzu Partners to help us take our commercialization and product development efforts to the next level, expanding into other major aircraft manufacturers and aircraft maintenance operations here in the United States and abroad.”

GelSight Mobile™, the company’s flagship device, is a handheld instrument that precisely and repeatably visualizes and measures the 3D topography of any surface in seconds, revealing microscopic structures that are impossible to precisely assess in real time. GelSight’s proprietary elastomeric sensor conforms to the surface topography of any material, including metals, composites, and glass to reveal the features of the surface regardless of ambient lighting conditions or material reflectivity. The GelSight Mobile system gives instant visual feedback along with position, depth, and other surface measurements with high spatial resolution down to the micron level.

  • Fig. 1 GelSight Mobile™ handheld device
  • Fig. 2 Examples of GelSight Mobile™ imaging results

Rolls-Royce, an early adopter of the technology, is actively deploying GelSight Mobile, validating critical aerospace applications.

“We have integrated GelSight Mobile™ into a number of our global value streams where the technology has proven its value very quickly,” said Alistair Donaldson, Transformation Executive – Head of Innovation and New Product Design at Rolls-Royce. “We are pleased to be supporting GelSight in their growth journey and look forward to working together on the future roadmap of GelSight products and services.”

In connection with this significant financing, GelSight attracted aviation executive David Hurley, US Navy Vice Admiral David Buss (Ret.), and US Air Force Lieutenant General Judith Fedder (Ret.) to join its Board of Directors. Mr. Hurley previously served as Chairman of the National Air and Space Museum Board and is the former Chief Executive Officer of business aviation group PrivatAir. As a Vice Admiral, Mr. Buss served as the Commander of the Naval Air Forces, or the Navy’s “Air Boss”. As an Air Force Lieutenant General, Ms. Fedder served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations, and Mission Support at the Pentagon.

Longtime company advisor Pierre Villeneuve, PhD has also joined the company’s Board. Dr. Villeneuve is the cofounder of Equity Management Partners and has over 25 years of experience as a senior business executive and scientist.

“Mr. Hurley, Vice Admiral Buss, and Lieutenant General Fedder bring unmatched knowledge and experience in commercial and military aviation,” said Dr. John Ho, GelSight Board Member and Partner at Anzu Partners. “We are honored that they have joined GelSight’s Board, along with Dr. Villeneuve, to help bring its breakthrough technology to worldwide aviation.”

For more information about GelSight and its product offering, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

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About GelSight
GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive, and other high-value industries. For more information, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

About Anzu Partners
Anzu Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in breakthrough industrial technologies. Anzu teams with entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize technological innovations by providing capital and deep expertise in business development, market positioning, global connectivity, and operations. For more information, please visit https://anzupartners.com. On Twitter: @anzupartners.