BOSTON, MA--(Marketwired - Nov 6, 2013) - Rethink Robotics today announced it has expanded the distribution of its Baxter Research Robot into the Asian market by signing an exclusive partnership with Nihon Binary, a leading robotics and technology supplier, to distribute the revolutionary humanoid research robot in Japan. Already available in the U.S. and Europe, the Baxter Research Robot is an open source platform that allows researchers to fuel robotics exploration and create a wide array of custom applications for robots.
"Researchers across the globe are continuing to turn to robotics as a critical source for innovation and a means to solve real-world challenges faced by people and organizations in a variety of industries. Having researchers in the U.S., Europe and now Japan use the Baxter Research Robot to carry out industry-critical research means that the platform's success increases, while helping researchers internationally develop an exciting new generation of products and applications with our technology," said Rethink Robotics CEO Scott Eckert. "Rethink Robotics will continue its efforts to encourage such cooperation through its partnership with Nihon Binary, a company that has introduced new technologies and products in both the academic and corporate research markets in Japan for nearly 35 years."
Launched in April 2013, the Baxter Research Robot runs on the global Robot Operating System (ROS) standard and gives researchers the ability to share innovations and build on each other's work and knowledge. The Baxter Research Robot has been adopted at many of the leading engineering schools across the U.S., including Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University and Worcester Polytechnic Institute. In September 2013, it was made available to academic and corporate researchers in the European Union through Rethink Robotics' official distribution partners Active Robots and Generation Robots, offering the robot in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and other portions of continental Europe.
About Rethink Robotics
Rethink Robotics, Inc. develops intelligent, affordable, user-friendly robots that can operate safely next to people in a wide range of manufacturing, production and R&D environments. Rethink Robotics' Baxter is the world's first interactive production robot, making manufacturers of all sizes more efficient, their workers more productive, and helping to keep jobs from emigrating to low-cost regions. The Baxter Research Robot is a humanoid robot platform with integrated sensors and an open software development kit allowing academic and corporate researchers to create custom applications. Based in the Innovation District of Boston, Massachusetts, the company is funded by Charles River Ventures, Highland Capital Partners, Sigma Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Two Sigma Ventures, and Bezos Expeditions, the personal investment company of Jeff Bezos. For more information about Rethink Robotics, please visit www.rethinkrobotics.com or follow us on Twitter @rethinkrobotics.