Robotic arms enhance workplace safety. They are able to handle hazardous tasks and be installed in dangerous environments, thereby reducing the risk of injury to human workers, and they boost efficiency and productivity by operating around the clock without fatigue. Their inherent precision even allows them to perform tasks that require extreme accuracy on a continuous basis. Additionally, robotic arms offer great flexibility because they easily adapt to new tasks or platforms, such as autonomous mobile robots or stationary assembly lines, as business needs evolve. However, not all robotic arms are created equally, with some being much more advanced than others.
At SGBI, co-founders and innovators Aronin Ponnappan, Akhil Asokan, and Achu Wilson have developed an advanced robotic platform that replicates realistic human finger interactions across various Human-Machine Interfaces (HMIs) such as touch screens and complex switches. This innovative solution aims to address the inefficiencies and errors in human and traditional testing methods. Their advanced industrial-grade robotic arm and AI-driven platform are engineered for complex, high-stakes tasks across various sectors, including automotive, banking POS/ATM systems, smartphone testing, avionics, and other hardware-dependent software environments.
The Inception of SGBI
Aronin’s passion for robotics was sparked in college. “In 2009, while in college, my introduction to robotics came through a seminar by my co-founder and classmate, Achu Wilson. At that time, I was engaged in various electronics projects as a hobby. During college, we built around 25 robots, including obstacle-avoiding and humanoid robots. In 2010, we showcased some of our creations at a large tech event in Bangalore.”
This initial exposure led to mentorship and guidance from many industrial leaders and robotics scientists across the industry. Meeting a famous Senior Roboticist from Google, Mrinal Kalakrishnan, at that event laid a pretty solid foundation for the team’s deep dive into robotics.
“He taught us the basics, along with various professors from our college and others, who provided us with knowledge beyond the curriculum on building, modeling, testing, and ensuring the reliability of robots. After college, when we dove into attempting to build a robotic arm.”
Aronin, Akhil, and Achu’s robotic arms were initially inspired by prosthetic technology, which uses Myoelectric (ME) signals (from muscle movements) to interpret human intentions and offer high-precision control.
“We knew that incorporating touch and feel capabilities into a robotic hand would make it perform even better than a human. We developed a robotic arm and hand that closely resembles their real-world counterparts. With advanced AI integration, this system can automate and enhance testing scenarios, significantly improving accuracy and reliability in applications where touch screens are a primary interaction element,” explains Aronin.
Impressively, their first customer was a prominent one, Robert Bosch. Aronin recalls, “One of the engineers from Bosch saw our model and concept and the results from our online media, and they reached out to us. They said, ‘If you come up with a standard and industrial version of the same arm, we could probably use it for our infotainment system testing and validation.’”
As a German company known for quality, Bosch provided the SGBI team with valuable guidance along with access to their German team as part of their DNA Accelerator program. This collaboration, plus garnering the ability to source quality components from South Korea, Switzerland, Germany, and the USA, has been crucial in helping SGBI develop its high-quality product.
“Our college experiences and hands-on projects, coupled with this industry guidance, allowed us to create a stable, unique robotic product,” asserts Aronin.
Traditionally, testing infotainment systems in the automotive industry, where touch-screen malfunctions can lead to costly recalls and safety hazards, has been challenging because they rely heavily on humans manually interacting with touchscreens and visually checking the results.
“To improve this, our robotic arm with computer vision and AI performs these tasks much more efficiently. Our arm can precisely touch the screen and verify its performance which replaces the need for human testers,” says Aronin.
After the success in infotainment testing many industries started adopting it, especially banking, smart consumer electronics, smart phone, avionics, etc.
Tasks that once took days can now be completed in hours with SGBI’s robotic arm; even complex test cases are executed in minutes. “This efficiency is crucial for industries facing intense competition and growing product complexity,” explains Aronin.
A Vision for the Future
From a business perspective, investing in robotics technology is essential, notes Aronin. The automotive industry is a perfect example. As it shifts from gasoline to electric vehicles, the infotainment system in the center console becomes crucial for data processing and decision-making. A malfunction in this system can threaten human lives, making errors unacceptable.
Aronin recalls, “Recently, a leading electric vehicle manufacturer recalled approximately 130,000 vehicles due to infotainment system malfunctions, resulting in costs estimated between $350 to $400 million. Similar issues have also occurred with a major Japanese automaker. In the US, addressing recalls related to touchscreen malfunctions typically costs companies at least $12 million, not to mention additional expenses from fines, litigation, and potential brand damage.”
Aronin envisions SGBI’s solutions making a global impact across a number of industries beyond automotive and the other verticals they currently support, including avionics cockpit panels, mission-critical medical diagnostic devices, smart home appliances, industrial equipment, and mobile phones (both hardware as well as applications).
“Anywhere there are complex interactions between hardware and software, our robotic solutions will be indispensable,” says Aronin.
SGBI’s Business Model
In the early days, SGBI sold robots bundled with software for coding control. These robots featured fingertip pressure and vibration detection capabilities. Initially, users needed coding skills to operate the robots, but now SGBI has developed a no-code software suite (Quaco Studio AI) that allows for simple mouse-click training. Aronin remarks, “With our AI, users can give plain English commands, which are then automatically transcribed into executable steps.”
SGBI’s pricing model is unique and impactful as well. Aronin explains, “We have evolved from just an outreach sales model to having an operating lease model as well in the US.” Their lease model is priced per robot, per month and includes software and maintenance which allows customers to scale usage flexibly without large capital investments. SGBI also assigns customer success managers to its partners to ensure effective adoption of their technology.
SGBIs go-to-market strategy currently involves partnerships with IT companies to resell products and establish a dedicated sales force, starting in California and expanding to Michigan and Texas.
Aronin, Akhil and Achu’s’s exploration of robotics as a hobby in college has evolved into an important advanced robotic solution. With their robotic arms and AI-driven platform, they are modernizing the testing processes across various industries, ensuring high-quality assurance and reliability and with it, an increase in safety. With a robust business model and a focus on expansion, SGBI is on its way to making a significant global impact.
