Contact:
Evolution Robotics GmbH
Hans Günther Brosius
Vice President & General Manager EMEA
An der Maikammer 31

42553 Velbert
T.: +49 (0)2053 – 4913 719
F.: +49 (0)2053 – 50796
E: hg@evolution.com
onpact AG
Jürgen Wollenschneider

Forstenrieder Allee 194

81476 München
T.: +49 (0)89 – 759003 124
F.: +49 (0)89 – 759003 10
E.: wollenschneider@onpact.de

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Cambridge University Cooperates with Evolution Robotics Software for Research in Vision Technology

University’s Machine Intelligence Laboratory Utilizes ERSP Robotic Development Platform for Ongoing Research

Pasadena, CA, February 14, 2005 – Evolution Robotics, a leading provider of next-generation robotic solutions and the Department of Engineering at the world-renowned University of Cambridge have announced that Evolution Robotics’ visual pattern recognition and autonomous navigation technologies will be utilized by Cambridge’s Machine Intelligence Laboratory to initiate new projects involving the ERSP development kit.

The Machine Intelligence Laboratory’s robotics research focuses on the areas of 3D object shape recovery, object and person-recognition, video surveillance, image-based localization, and human-machine interaction. The department’s overarching goal is to develop intelligent robotic applications that “see and learn” to eventually be used in a variety of devices. For that purpose, automatic identification and archiving of visual landmarks as well as the ability to decide on recording or deletion are a crucial factor in the research being conducted. In the past, these were obstacles that limited significant advancement in Cambridge’s robotics research.

“With ERSP and its integrated visual pattern recognition technology, ViPR, Evolution Robotics has opened new doors in the development of intelligent machines and devices. In particular, the reliability of the object recognition and the standardized usage for the ERSP development platform within various project environments has truly impressed us”, said Roberto Cipolla, professor of Information Engineering and scientific project manager in the Computer Vision & Robotics Department of the Machine Intelligence Laboratory.

Developed by a team of leading robotics experts and engineers at Evolution Robotics, ERSP enables universities and companies to accelerate their robotics research as well as create viable and competitive commercial products easily and cost-effectively. With its proven and tested technology already used in multiple vertical markets, ERSP is the basis for professional developers to create innovative robotics applications for a variety of different products. The integrated visual pattern recognition module, ViPR, is a reliable and robust solution for object recognition, giving electronic devices the ability to recognize complex visual patterns. ERSP is currently being used by more than one hundred major academic and corporate entities and its navigation and vision technologies are deployed in more than one hundred thousand entertainment and consumer robots around the globe.

“We are excited that Cambridge’s Machine Intelligence Laboratory, headed by Prof. Cipolla, has chosen to collaborate with ER and to use ERSP as a platform for their numerous mobile robotics projects. Our visual pattern recognition technology is a powerful solution to solving real world problems and is currently being used in products for retail loss prevention, Sony AIBO for entertainment, and security applications for detection of arms and threats,” said Paolo Pirjanian, Chief Scientist and General Manager of the Robotics & Vision Business Unit at Evolution Robotics. “Prof. Cipolla’s research will extend the capabilities of ERSP for improved vision and navigation. We are committed to working with such distinguished researchers as Prof. Cipolla to continue to expand ERSP and its capabilities for our user community.”

About the Cambridge University Engineering Department The University of Cambridge is one of the oldest educational institutions in the world and one of the largest in Great Britain. Its reputation of exceptional academic achievements is recognized around the globe and reflects the intellectual abilities of its students, professors and numerous research facilities. One of these research facilities is the Department of Engineering, teaching and researching all core areas of engineering sciences. It is among the leading international research centers in its field and recently received the highest possible ranking for research achievements among British universities from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The Department of Engineering is divided into 6 main units. Within the Information Engineering Division, the Computer Vision & Robotics Group of the Machine Intelligence Laboratory, lead by Professor Roberto Cipolla, is the largest unit and specializes in the area of computer vision & robotics. Through intense research, numerous projects, and highly considered publications, Professor Cipolla as well as the Institute have made a significant contribution to the increasing standardization and marketability of intelligent technologies for complex applications. For additional information please see www.eng.cam.ac.uk.

About Evolution Robotics
Evolution Robotics™ (www.evolution.com) develops state-of-the-art robotics solutions, and partners with original equipment manufacturers to integrate those technologies into new and more intelligent products. The company’s product line includes software, hardware and component solutions centered around their core technologies in computer vision and autonomous navigation. Its ERSP™ software development platform provides core infrastructure, computer vision, navigation and path planning and human-robot interaction modules. These can be licensed individually or as a Software Development Kit. The NorthStar™ system is a low-cost localization solution that enables electronic devices to navigate more accurately in indoor environments. The company also markets LaneHawk™, a loss-prevention solution for retailers that reduces inventory shrinkage by automatically ringing up under-cart items. With its award-winning team of engineers, Evolution Robotics offers expertise and guidance to help its partners produce better products at competitive prices. Its mission is to accelerate the creation of a variety of highly functional robotics products across a broad range of industries. Evolution Robotics is an operating company of Idealab, a creator and operator of technology businesses.