Travis Kalanick launched a new company on Friday named Atoms, repurposing and renaming the startup he began after stepping away from the ride-hailing firm he co-founded. The effort centers on specialized industrial robotics intended to automate discrete tasks within the mining, transport and food sectors.
Kalanick said he is placing a strategic emphasis on machines built to perform particular jobs rather than attempting to create general-purpose humanoid robots. "Gainfully employed robots are the machines best suited for the job at hand, that can make a living doing it," he said in a statement.
Under the Atoms banner, the operation will be split into three focused groups. Atoms Food will provide infrastructure aimed at the food industry. Atoms Mining will concentrate on raising productivity in mines. Atoms Transport will act as a "wheelbase for robots," according to Kalanick.
The announcement comes amid rising interest in specialized robotics. The appeal of task-specific machines is partly their clearer route to profitability in industries where automation is under pressure, including transport and waste management. By contrast, attempts to build general-purpose humanoid robots face significant technical obstacles, such as how to teach machines to navigate unpredictable environments and to develop the sophisticated reasoning abilities those situations require.
Kalanick stepped down as Uber chief executive in 2017 after investor pressure that followed a turbulent period for the company, and he left the board in 2019. On the startup's website, he wrote that he was "heartbroken" after leaving Uber and said he has returned to his "calling" of building atoms-based computers. The term, as used by the company, refers to specialized systems that use physical artificial intelligence to automate real-world tasks.
Summary
Travis Kalanick has launched Atoms, reorganizing his prior venture into a company focused on task-specific industrial robotics for mining, transport and food. The business will be divided into Atoms Food, Atoms Mining and Atoms Transport, with a strategic focus on specialized machines as a route to improved productivity. The announcement contrasts the targeted approach with the persistent challenges facing general-purpose humanoid robots.
Key points
- Kalanick relaunched and renamed City Storage Systems as Atoms to develop specialized industrial robots for mining, transport and food.
- Atoms will be structured into three units: Atoms Food, Atoms Mining and Atoms Transport, the latter described as a "wheelbase for robots."
- Industry interest has been rising in task-specific robotics because they may offer a clearer path to profitability compared with general-purpose humanoid robots.
Risks and uncertainties
- General-purpose humanoid robotics faces technical challenges, including teaching machines to navigate unpredictable environments and to develop sophisticated reasoning abilities.
- Whether task-specific machines will achieve the productivity and profitability outcomes proponents expect remains to be demonstrated in the industries targeted, including transport and waste management.