In an exclusive interview with TimesTech, Puru Rastogi, Co-Founder of Mowito, shares insights on Mowito’s pioneering AI-powered vision software transforming warehouse and factory automation. Drawing from experiences at Clean Robotics and Near-Earth Autonomy, Rastogi discusses Mowito’s advanced no-code interface, flexibility in dynamic tasks, and ambitious plans for scaling internationally amid rising labor costs and evolving industry demands.
Read the full interview here:
TimesTech: What led you to co-found Mowito, and how did your experience at Clean Robotics and Near-Earth Autonomy influence your work on AI-powered vision software?
Puru: My journey to co-founding Mowito began with a passion for solving complex challenges in warehouse and factory automation. At Clean Robotics, I developed a smart trash sorting system, gaining valuable insights into applying AI for autonomous tasks. My time at Near-Earth Autonomy further deepened my understanding of AI and robotics, particularly in autonomous systems that can transform industries.
In 2019, after visiting over 50 factories and warehouses, Adityanag and I identified a critical gap. We recognized that robotic automation is essential for process efficiency. While the hardware for robotics has matured, many companies still lack intelligent software to effectively utilize these robots for automation. Picking, a crucial warehouse process, was done manually because robotic arms struggled to handle the wide variation in item shapes and sizes.
In 2021, we co-founded Mowito to address this challenge. Leveraging my previous experiences, we developed vision-based AI software that allows robotic arms to pick items with human-like precision, even when encountering previously unseen objects. This innovation has unlocked new efficiencies in automation, helping businesses optimize their processes. It aligns with Mowito’s focus on AI-powered vision software and its application in improving warehouse automation.
TimesTech: Mowito’s software handles dynamic tasks like moving conveyors. What makes your technology more flexible compared to traditional automation systems?
Puru: Mowito’s software excels in real-time adaptability, enabling it to manage dynamic tasks like effortlessly operating on objects on conveyors. In contrast to traditional systems, which are often rigid and slow to adjust, our AI-powered software can recognize and handle a wide variety of objects, even those it has never encountered before. It intelligently estimates orientation, adjusts grip, and applies the appropriate pressure, making it particularly effective for delicate items like fruits and vegetables. Additionally, being hardware agnostic allows Mowito’s software to work with various robotic arms and cameras, providing businesses the flexibility to select solutions that best meet their specific needs.
TimesTech: How does Mowito’s no-code interface, which allows workers to reconfigure systems without engineers, improve efficiency and reduce costs in factories and warehouses?
Puru: Mowito’s no-code interface significantly enhances efficiency and reduces costs in factories and warehouses by empowering workers to reconfigure robotic systems independently, without the need for specialized engineers. This capability allows businesses to swiftly adapt to changing demands, such as adjusting to different items on production lines, thereby minimizing downtime associated with system reprogramming. The user-friendly interface enables factory staff to easily update settings for a diverse range of products, from delicate items to complex electronics. As a result, companies can maintain smooth operations while eliminating the expense of engineering support, leading to substantial cost savings and improved operational performance.
TimesTech: With rising labour costs and shortages, especially in industries like FMCG and pharmaceuticals, how does Mowito’s technology address these challenges?
Puru: Mowito addresses rising labor costs and shortages in industries like FMCG and pharmaceuticals by automating key tasks such as picking, packing, and sorting with AI-powered robotic arms. This reduces reliance on manual labor, helping businesses maintain efficiency even during workforce shortages. Mowito’s flexible, easy-to-deploy technology also minimizes costs associated with training and labour turnover, providing a scalable solution for industries facing labour challenges. By integrating advanced AI and robotics, Mowito allows businesses to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and reduce operational costs. As companies grow, Mowito’s solutions can be scaled to support larger volumes, more complex processes, and diverse environments, ensuring seamless expansion in automation initiatives.
TimesTech: You’ve partnered with US distributors and deployed your technology at companies like Denso. What have been the key takeaways, and what’s next for Mowito’s international expansion?
Puru: Partnering with U.S. distributors and deploying our technology at companies like Denso has provided valuable insights into the effectiveness of Mowito’s solutions. The positive outcomes at Denso, where our robotic arms have been successfully integrated across various applications, demonstrate our technology’s ability to enhance operational efficiency in demanding industrial tasks. Denso’s request for additional deployments is a strong endorsement of our impact.
We have partnered with multiple system integrators in the U.S. who provide automation solutions to notable companies like Tesla, Lucid Motors, and Caterpillar. These partners see Mowito’s technology as innovative and are eager to use it to automate processes that are typically challenging to automate.
TimesTech: What major trends do you see shaping factory and warehouse automation, and how is Mowito positioned to drive these changes in the next 5-10 years?
Puru: Today’s manufacturers aim to offer greater product customization and faster iterations, leading to multiple variants produced on a single line and new products introduced every few weeks. To support this, factories are minimizing fixed infrastructure and adopting adaptable automation solutions, such as mobile robots instead of conveyor belts and vision-guided robotic arms instead of traditional ones that rely on jigs and fixtures.
Similarly, warehouses are embracing adaptable automation to handle varying order loads, products, and processes. They prefer autonomous forklifts and mobile robots to move the goods around, autonomous truck loading and unloading solutions, and robotic arms that pick all kinds of items from storage bins and pack them autonomously.
Picking is a crucial aspect of automation. Any task requiring human intervention will eventually require robotic arms for automation. Until now, only structured, repetitive processes have been automated, which are relatively few and require significant infrastructure. However, in the next 5-10 years, more variable and less repetitive tasks will be automated. To achieve this, robotic arms must learn new tasks as quickly as humans and adapt to changing environments.
Mowito is well-positioned to lead these advancements. The company is developing automation solutions that learn tasks by observing humans, allowing robots to handle more complex activities like folding clothes, packaging fruit, or wiring inside cars. Additionally, Mowito has developed (and keeps improving ) the technology that enables robotic arms to function while in motion, paving the way for humanoid robots, which can be described as two robotic arms or legs.
