Clearpath Robotics took only 18 months to reach profitability by targeting mainly the research market. Now, as it continues its growth phase, the company is tackling a new market that poses its own set of challenges – the automated handling of industrial materials in a warehouse, factory or distribution centre.

Clearpath now boasts a strong revenue stream with customers in the academic, mining, military, aerospace and agriculture markets in 40 countries. Its Grizzly, Husky and Kingfisher autonomous  vehicles are largely outdoor craft that are operated by specialists.

But now the company is working on indoor products, which means an entirely different type of user.

``We’re just starting our beta test [of the indoor vehicles] and we’re into our second prototype,” Simon Drexler, Director of Indoor Industrial Products, said in an interview. “The major challenge is the difference in user.  . . . When you bring it over to the industrial space you’re looking at someone who doesn’t use robotics each day.”

The Indoor Industrial Products venture is the latest initiative by Kitchener-based Clearpath, which has quickly established itself as a leader in robotics, data analytics and the internet of things. Launched in 2009, the 80-employee company now has gained traction with such noted clients and partners as Honda, Microsoft, General Dynamics and Intel.

The company received seed funding of $100,000 in 2010 and earlier this year announced a $14 million Series A venture capital round led by RRE Ventures of New York and iNovia Capital of Montreal. That funding will be key to developing and launching to new indoor product.

“Industrial companies and manufacturers across North America are challenged by offshore competitors and cheaper labour overseas,” Founder and CEO Matt Rendall – a finalist in the BDC Young Entrepreneur competition – said in a statement. “Intelligent automation can help them reduce costs, protect their workers from workplace injuries, and become more competitive, all of which can give a much-needed boost to the Canadian economy.”

The yet-to-be-named product will basically work in an environment in which workers need materials fetched. Clearpath – which is dedicated to automating jobs that virtually no one wants to do – envisages a factory with a production line, and its robot would move between the warehouse and production line to bring workers the materials they need. Using sensors and automated programs, it can tell if something is in its way and how to change the route. It can tell if a worker has moved to a different part of the production line. The vehicle does not need magnetic tape on the floor or other such infrastructure to tell it where to go.

Drexler said his team is developing a dashboard that is intuitive to all industrial workers, though he added developing the product is a continuous learning process.

The company plans to develop two versions of the vehicle in the near future. The first (the current prototype) will carry large materials on pallets, and then it will move on to a vehicle that moves smaller payloads. They will then work on a third indoor product.

“It’s an exciting roadmap that we have,” said Drexler. “It tackles a lot of different client issues and we can’t wait to get there.” 

Eye on KW is a regular feature on Entrevestor that showcases the startup community in Kitchener-Waterloo.