Doosan Inc Announces $33.7M Funding, Introduces Robotic Camera System

Robot (cobot) manufacturer, Doosan Robotics has announced a $33.7 million in funding, leading Praxis Capital Partners and Korea Investment Partners, with the fundraising news coming in at a time the Seoul-based company began showing off its wares at CES in Las Vegas.

The funding will be drafted to increase research and development, while attracting new partners in a bid to expand its global footprints, according to a statement by the company. The company in the statement also announced that its robotics systems has hit 1,000 units annually, while sales outside of Korea (primarily North America and Western Europe) now accounting for roughly 70% of that total figure. Doosan is also making moves of having an IPO.

The Chief Executive Officer of Doosan, Junghoon Ryu in a release said:

“We’re looking forward to expediting the growth of our business with the recent funds raised. We will further enhance the competitiveness of new products and software that are mounted with our proprietary technology and strive to attain the position as number one market share holder in the global cobot market.”

Doosan famed for its widely acclaimed collaborative robots (cobots), with the company running the gamut from manufacturing and research to the coffee-making barista robot, Dr. Presso, which debuted late last year, also announced the NINA (“New Inspiration. New Angle”) camera system.

According to the company, NINA is a ‘prosumer’ system, which comes with a relatively push-button approach to grabbing potentially complicated shots. That arrives in part, due to things like object tracking, coupled with an open platform that allows users to program different shots.

“NINA brings in a whole new era for Doosan as we expand our offerings into the entertainment and content genre,” the company’s CEO said in a separate statement. “Our goal has been to deliver something accessible yet innovative for professional content creators across entertainment, advertising, social media, and other relevant industries, and we’re confident NINA will deliver in big ways across the board.”

 Doosan offers a range of cobots that designed in a way to handle complex tasks with precision and efficiency. The cobot has highly sensitive torque sensors that can detect obstructions in the workspace, which will allow people work safely alongside the cobot. With a 6-axis articulation, light weight structure, up to 1,700 mm (66.9 in.) reach, the cobot is capable of being mounted in a variety of locations including walls, roofs, and floors.

According to the company’s website,  the Doosan Robotics strategy is hinged on the 2G principle which is: ‘Growth of Business by Growth of People’, with the 2G being a virtuous circle where it’s business growth are driven by people, which in turn provides the people the leverage for advancement.