Creating a robotics ecosystem with apps
Elad Inbar founder and CEO of the Robots App Store tells Robotics Trends Managing Director Richard Erb how developers can work with his company.
Recent growth in worldwide robot ownership has prompted Silicon Valley-based RobotsAppStore.com to launch the first portal that sells Robot Apps. The online marketplace, modeled after today's mobile app stores, enables robot owners to purchase and download applications written by developers around the globe that extend the functionality of their robots.
"RobotsAppStore allows innovative developers to make available their robot apps for secure and efficient consumer purchase," said RobotsAppStore.com founder Elad Inbar. "We provide the connecting medium that is helping launch personal robotics into a new era of creativity and sophistication." The store will feature robotic apps written for all kinds of robots, from vacuum cleaners and dogs to humanoids and vehicles.
Diverse, state-of-the-art robot applications available for purchase within RobotsAppStore.com enable robots to extend their functionality by performing tasks such as folding laundry, feeding pets, and even playing soccer.
According to the International Federation of Robotics, the personal robotics market has increased tenfold in four years, with nine million units owned in 2010. The industry is expected to continue growing exponentially, surpassing $17 billion in five years, with an anticipated 100 million personal robots in circulation by 2018.
The promising future of robotics has led to Robot Apps development taking center stage in business, research and education settings alike. Sony, for example, has invested millions in manufacturing robotic toys, and this year alone, 250,000 high school students worldwide participated in a Lego-sponsored robot software building competitions.
RobotsAppStore.com predicts the robot applications market is ripe and will rise at a similar rate to the mobile apps industry, which increased from 500 to 750,000 unique apps in four years, with over 18 billion downloads and $3 billion paid to developers.
As the leading robot software marketplace, RobotsAppStore.com has patented its unique robotics software repository and the security of its apps.
