Avular finds a new business with a new strategy at the old Strijp-T.
Olga Koltsova | Jul 26, 2019 |
New accents, a new strategy, and a new business: since Avular, a mobile robotics start-up from Eindhoven, secured an investment from Lumipol, the business model has been significantly changed. Avular has also moved to a new, larger location at Strijp-T, exactly where the most famous Philips innovations originated long ago.
Shift towards research and development
"We have shifted from manufacturing industrial drones, which is how we started as a company, to providing technical services for R&D clients," says Albert Maas, CEO at Avular. "We notice that the market is shifting – many companies are eager to try out a mobile robot such as a drone. Sometimes for a business case that is not so clear and sometimes there is a hidden larger business case behind the initial question. However, most people wonder what they can do with a drone or mobile robot. Due to our technical background, we have decided to shift our entire business model towards enabling mobile robotics and creating real tools for engineers and R&D."
Three tracks of development
According to Maas, Avular focuses on three important business lines:
(1) "Services - the engineering services provided by the Avular team to make mobile robots accessible to customers who do not have the necessary resources to build them themselves. If you do not want to build a robot yourself or do not have the resources to do so, we can deliver a complete robot tailored to specific needs, with sensors, a camera, and more. From creating a custom-made robot to specific circuit boards, controls, and interfaces."
The essential line - The Core and Verax positioning systems. The Core can be the brain of any (mobile) robot. It allows users to connect their own sensors and actuators (components responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism) and facilitates programming with MATLAB Simulink. It also provides built-in GPS and IMU modules. For customers with more demanding applications, we have developed the Verax localization products. These positioning systems work with the Core and provide highly accurate data both indoors and outdoors.
The Curiosity line features ready-to-use products such as Aerial Curiosity - our drone. The Aerial Curiosity is a modular quadcopter platform, which carries the Core as its brain. This means that Aerial Curiosity is the tool for creating new drone applications. That is the philosophy behind the Curiosity line: providing platforms that customers can use for their own applications.
© Avular
A robot for Signify
"At the moment, we are working on the development of a new Rover robot in collaboration with Signify. The goal of the Rover platform is to measure light intensity in stadiums. This task requires precise localization in the stadium, so we are implementing and improving our Verax Ultra-WideBand positioning system. With the help of the Core, we have the tools to create an autonomously moving rover, so we have developed the entire platform in collaboration with Signify according to their specifications. We are constantly working on improving and developing the platform, also aiming to create the possibility for other customers to eventually use it. The Rover itself is thus becoming a product of curiosity."
Business case: Chimney inspection
"We are currently working on a business case that combines all elements of our business model with a company that produces tiles for industrial chimneys. They need to inspect chimneys to see if any tiles are broken or missing, as this can lead to heat loss. To do this, you have to climb into the chimney or you can let a drone do it. However, flying a drone in a small enclosed area is quite challenging and requires precise localization, even if GPS is not available. Therefore, we have come up with a solution for the chimney company - a localization system tailored to the chimney manufacturer. In this specific business case, we are using the Aerial Curiosity with the Core as its brain, the Verax positioning system, and we are developing it for our customer."
Future plans
"Next year we will launch new products for our Essential line. They will be fully certified and will complete the ecosystem of our technologies along with our other products. Once our ecosystem is complete, we will be able to enable everyone to own or build complex mobile robots."
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