Rethink Robotics rolls out research robot Down Under

Rethink Robotics reported today that its Baxter Research Robot is now available to academic and corporate researchers in Australia and New Zealand thanks to a new distribution partnership.

Rethink has entered into an exclusive partnership to distribute the robot with Training Systems Australia, which supplies technology-related products and training systems to universities and technical colleges in the region. The robot was already available in the United States and Japan as well as the United Kingdom, France and other countries in continental Europe.

The Baxter Research Robot launched in April to bring the benefits of the Baxter platform to researchers. It’s an open-source platform that runs on the Robot Operating System (ROS) standard, and Rethink says it is now in use at Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Worcester Polytechnic Institute as well as various corporate R&D centers.

“Empowering corporate research and development teams and educating students in the field of robotics are no longer futuristic goals, but absolutely essential. Baxter is the perfect robot for researchers looking to find ways robots can be used in all areas of endeavor,” Peter Birnbaum, managing director of Training Systems Australia, said in a statement. “Whether it is in manufacturing, assisting the incapacitated, transportation or healthcare, robots have an increasingly vital role to play in innovation and growth across many sectors.”

[ photo courtesy of Rethink Robotics ]