Mentee Robotics, a company founded by Amnon Shashua, the visionary behind Mobileye, is gearing up to launch its first humanoid robot. This exciting development has the potential to shake up the industry, with applications ranging from industrial automation to potentially even home assistance.
Shashua isn’t venturing into this field alone. He’s joined by a powerhouse team, including Lior Wolf, former director at Facebook AI Research as CEO, and Shai Shalev-Shwartz, a renowned computer scientist, as CTO. This group boasts a proven track record in artificial intelligence and robotics, which bodes well for Mentee’s upcoming robot.
While details are still emerging, Mentee has offered a glimpse of their creation, dubbed “Menteebot.” The robot is expected to utilize camera-only perception for navigation and interaction with the world. Additionally, it will be powered by proprietary electric motors designed for exceptional dexterity. These features suggest a focus on agility and adaptability, potentially making Menteebot suitable for various tasks.
The company has also revealed plans to integrate AI fully into Menteebot. This integration could imbue the robot with advanced decision-making capabilities and the ability to learn and improve over time. While the specific functionalities of Menteebot remain under wraps, the combination of these elements hints at a potentially groundbreaking robot.
Mentee Robotics has secured $17 million in funding so far, led by Ahren Innovation Capital. This investment signifies the confidence investors have in the company’s vision and the potential of Menteebot. The production-ready prototype is expected to be deployed by early 2025, which has generated a buzz within the robotics community.
Whether Menteebot will usher in a new era of human-robot collaboration or primarily target industrial applications remains to be seen. However, one thing is certain: Shashua and his team are poised to make a significant mark on the robotics landscape. With their expertise and vision, Mentee Robotics has the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with machines.
