ECA Group, Subsidiary of Groupe Gorgé, Buys into Humanoid Robotics
01 Juli 2015 - 12:00PM
Business Wire
ECA Group, a Groupe Gorgé subsidiary, has taken a
non-controlling stake in Wandercraft, one of the few companies
specializing in cutting-edge technology for dynamic robotics. It
has also created a new company, ECA Dynamics.
Wandercraft, which was founded in 2012, is developing an
exoskeleton for medical use which should help disabled people
recover mobility and lead an independent life. The innovations of
this young company are realizations of new theories on humanoid
robotics: hybrid dynamic robotics. These have already made possible
several advances in humanoid robots, including:
- Faster movement,
- Shocks between feet and ground,
- Better performance in unpredictable situations (slippery
surfaces, uneven terrain, etc.).
The biggest impact of these advances has been to make walking
more fluid, increasing its energy efficiency and multiplying its
autonomy.
ECA and Wandercraft have signed a cooperation agreement,
creating the jointly-owned company ECA Dynamics. The new company
will be 51% owned by ECA and 49% by Wandercraft. Its purpose will
be to combine Wandercraft's humanoid robotics technology with ECA's
mobile robotics to develop bipedal or quadrupedal robots for use in
defense and security applications.
ECA Group is investing in these developments with the conviction
that future bipedal and quadrupedal robots will complement the
Group's existing range of mobile robots and that Wandercraft's
technology will make foot-borne robots independent enough to be
useful. They will be able to get round obstacles and move in spaces
where current robots are hampered by their wheels or tracks.
Humanoid-based robots will be able, for instance, to inspect an
accident zone or carry loads.
The new company, ECA Dynamics, will help fill out ECA Group's
range of terrestrial robots.
With this move, ECA Group has confirmed its strategy of offering
customers complementary robots capable of working together to
fulfill any mission tasks. In this case, humanoid robots will work
alongside the Group's airborne drones (IT180) and land drones
(Caméléon, Cobra, etc.).
ECA Group has taken a stake of around 9% in Wandercraft. ECA
will bring its support and skills to Wandercraft for the
industrialization and production of its exoskeleton aimed at the
medical market. Some of the components used to make the exoskeleton
are already produced by Groupe Gorgé's 3D printing arm,
Prodways.
Demonstrations of this new technology in action will be released
in early September.
About Groupe Gorgé:
Established in 1990, Group Gorgé is an industrial group
operating in different areas of expertise: Smart Safety Systems,
Protection in Nuclear Environments, Industrial Projects &
Services and 3D Printing
In 2014, the Group reported revenue of €223.3 million. It is
backed by 1,370 employees and operations in over ten countries.
Groupe Gorgé is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (ISIN: FR0000062671;
Ticker code: GOE) and on the US OTC market (ISIN: US3994511034; OTC
Pink: GGRGY / GGRGF) in the form of ADR.
More information available on www.groupe-gorge.com
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150701005173/en/
Groupe GorgéNathalie Lagos, +33 1 44 77 94 77Communications
Managercontact@groupe-gorge.com
Credit Suisse (AMEX:GOE)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Nov 2024 bis Dez 2024
Credit Suisse (AMEX:GOE)
Historical Stock Chart
Von Dez 2023 bis Dez 2024