Seattle-based startup Scaled Foundations has recently emerged from stealth mode and secured an undisclosed investment from Khosla Ventures and E14 Fund. Led by CEO Ashish Kapoor, a former general manager of autonomous systems and robotics research at Microsoft, Scaled Foundations aims to simplify the process of creating commands for robots by providing an AI-powered development platform.

The company’s flagship platform, General Robotic Intelligence Development (GRID), includes an AI foundation model for robotics, synthetic data generation capabilities, and an orchestration, training, and fine-tuning tool. Operating independently from Microsoft, Scaled Foundations focuses on enhancing robotics systems by incorporating real-world physics, environmental context, and physical actions.

One key application of Scaled Foundations’ platform is programming drones for inspection missions. By leveraging GRID, customers can plan optimal flight paths, analyze inspection data, and ensure drone safety by avoiding obstacles and identifying safe landing spots. Currently, the company is primarily targeting aerial robotics and vehicles, with plans to expand its offerings to manipulation and wheeled robots in the future.

Scaled Foundations shares a similar approach with another Seattle-based startup called Groundlight. Groundlight utilizes computer vision and AI to gather real-time data from camera networks. Its platform allows users to ask questions in natural language and receive instant results, serving various applications including video stream analysis, industrial automation, process monitoring, retail analytics, and robotics. Groundlight has recently raised $10 million in funding.

Scaled Foundations has not disclosed specific customer information but has mentioned that it collaborates with industries such as renewable energy, oil and gas, wildfire detection, and urban air mobility vehicles. The company firmly believes that integrating AI into robotics will facilitate safer operations for robots and commercial vehicles, ultimately expediting regulatory support for these industries.

With its team consisting of former Microsoft colleagues Sai Vemprala and Shuhang Chen leading the technical strategy, and Dinesh Narayanan as the Head of Commercialization, Scaled Foundations is well-positioned to drive innovation in the field of robotics development.

Sources:
– Article: GeekWire
– Paper: ChatGPT for Robotics