The ANYmal robot addresses key challenges in industrial operations by offering autonomous, highly mobile inspection capabilities in complex and hazardous environments. Its four-legged design enables navigation through uneven terrains, stairs, and confined spaces.
ANYbotics ANYmal robot is addressing key challenges in Industrial Robotics
Q&A with Péter Fankhauser, PhD, founder and CEO | ANYbotics
Tell us about yourself and what led you to found ANYbotics.
My fascination with robotics led me to start a doctorate in robotics at ETH Zurich in 2013. During this time, we discovered the potential of four-legged robots for the inspection of critical infrastructure, which led us to find ANYbotics in 2016. Today, we're a company of 200 employees, shipping our autonomous inspection robot ANYmal into critical infrastructure industries around the world.
What drove the decision to launch ANYbotics in the U.S., and what key opportunities do you see for robotics in this market that might differ from other parts of the world?
The decision to launch ANYbotics in the U.S. was driven by the region's high demand for advanced automation, a robust innovation ecosystem, and access to leading industrial players. The U.S. offers unique opportunities due to its large-scale industries, including energy, oil & gas, chemicals, and metals, which face increasing pressure to improve safety, efficiency, and reliability.
Compared to other parts of the world, the U.S. market has a higher adoption rate for cutting-edge technology and greater availability of venture funding to scale innovations. By establishing a presence in the U.S., ANYbotics can serve our customers better with local support and services and our Robot-as-a-Service offering.
As ANYbotics scales globally, how do you ensure that innovation and product quality that are fundamental to your founding in Switzerland remain central to your operations?
We prioritize maintaining our Swiss roots of precision, innovation, and quality by keeping our largest team, especially in R&D, in Switzerland. We achieve this through rigorous engineering standards, investing in R&D, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring alignment across all teams with our core values. Our culture is encoded in our processes, hiring practices, and collaboration. We select our partners to match this commitment, ensuring that our solutions consistently reflect excellence.
Can you share how the ANYmal robot is addressing key challenges in the field of industrial robotics worldwide, and what makes it particularly suited for U.S. use cases?
The ANYmal robot addresses key challenges in industrial operations by offering autonomous, highly mobile inspection capabilities in complex and hazardous environments. Its four-legged design enables navigation through uneven terrains, stairs, and confined spaces, making it ideal for industries such as oil and gas, chemicals, and energy. Equipped with advanced sensors, ANYmal performs visual, thermal, gas, and acoustic inspections, providing real-time data to enhance safety and operational efficiency.
In the U.S., industries face stringent safety regulations and a growing need for automation to improve productivity. ANYmal's ability to operate autonomously in hazardous areas reduces human risk exposure and ensures compliance with safety standards. Its adaptability to various industrial environments and integration with existing asset management systems make it particularly suited for U.S. use cases where diverse and complex industrial operations are prevalent.
How are strategic partnerships with AWS, Siemens, and SLB helping to accelerate your U.S. expansion, and what role will these collaborations play in shaping your expansion plans moving forward?
ANYbotics' U.S. expansion is strengthened by several strategic partnerships, including AWS, Siemens Energy, SLB, Gresco, NVIDIA, and Stanford University. These partners enhance our capabilities in key areas: AWS supports scalable cloud data processing, Siemens Energy collaborates on safety and efficiency for power generation, SLB provides robotic services for oil and gas, Gresco integrates ANYmal into U.S. power and utility inspections, NVIDIA enables AI-driven robotics, and Stanford advances robotics research. These partnerships provide industry expertise, advanced technologies, and research opportunities, enabling ANYbotics to strengthen its position in the U.S. market.
Switzerland has long been recognized as a leader in robotics and engineering. How has being part of this country’s well-established R&D ecosystem influenced ANYbotics’ approach to robotics development?
Switzerland’s reputation as a global leader in robotics and engineering has deeply influenced ANYbotics’ approach to development. Being part of the country’s robust R&D ecosystem has provided access to world-class academic institutions, cutting-edge research, and a culture of precision and innovation. Collaboration with institutions like ETH Zurich has fostered scientific breakthroughs and World-Leading technologies. At the same time, Switzerland's emphasis on quality and reliability has shaped the design and performance standards of ANYbotics’ robots. This ecosystem nurtures talent and promotes close industry-academic collaboration, allowing ANYbotics to push the boundaries of autonomous robotics continuously.
ETH Zurich has a notable reputation in robotics research. How did your experience there help shape ANYbotics' early-stage ideas, and what role does your experience at the school continue to play in the building of ANYbotics?
Our journey began in 2009 as a student project to build a four-legged robot, which evolved into a major applied research initiative. This allowed us to create one of the largest and most experienced robotics teams in the world. Through this work, we gained technical expertise in seamlessly integrating hardware and software, working as an interdisciplinary team, and staying at the forefront of technological innovation. With ANYbotics, we combined our technical expertise with a strong customer and market-centric perspective, driving innovation in our go-to-market approach. We also maintain a close relationship with ETH Zurich, fostering collaboration and leveraging their world-class research.
Looking into the future 5 years from now, where do you see ANYbotics and products like ANYmal?
Our mission is to create a workforce of autonomous robots by expanding our portfolio to include a variety of robots, all powered by the same advanced AI-robotics system. ANYmal and future robots will be integral to industries worldwide, improving safety, efficiency, and automation including sectors like construction and agriculture. We aim to move beyond inspection to advanced manipulation, enabling interaction with the environment for maintenance and repair work. We will continue global expansion, focusing on high-demand regions like North America, the Gulf region, and Asia Pacific by leveraging our strategic partnerships. Advances in AI will enable smarter machines that seamlessly integrate with human workforces, maximizing the strengths of both humans and robots.
Péter Fankhauser is the Co-Founder and CEO of ANYbotics, a Zurich-based robotics company that is at the forefront of revolutionizing autonomous mobile robots for challenging environments. With over 12 years of experience in robotics, Péter has played a crucial role in driving the success of ANYbotics and shaping the cutting-edge technology they develop. He completed his doctorate in robotics at ETH Zurich in 2017. At ANYbotics, Péter and his dedicated team are committed to creating a more human-friendly working world through their autonomous systems. The recent $50m Series B funding round by investors such as Walden Catalyst, NGP Capital, and Bessemer Venture Partners, has further solidified ANYbotics' position as a Swiss robotics pioneer.
The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow
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