Mobile Industrial Robots, MiR, announced that it has opened a US office and its award-winning autonomous mobile robot—the MiR100—will be available to North American companies as another tool to drive efficiency. Already in use in 19 countries at prominent manufacturers such as Leoni, Flextronics, and Continental, MiR leads a new generation of autonomous mobile robots whose ease of use, flexibility and payback of less than a year will secure MiR’s leadership role in North America. The emerging mobile robot industry is expected to achieve total sales of 14,500 units and revenue of $20 billion over the next three years according to the International Federation of Robotics.    MiR100’s ease of use, flexibility and repayment period sets it apart from other transport logistics solutions on the market. Traditionally, logistics robots demanded that the surroundings be remodeled to accommodate in-floor tracking systems for the robots. But, MiR100 is designed to be highly adaptable, finding its way around obstacles and changes in the environment. It will revolutionize how companies move items throughout facilities. And, its attractive price point of less than $30k, combined with an open, customizable technology platform and intuitive interface, will make MiR100 a perfect complement to the innovative solutions being put in place by North American industrial automation distributors.    MiR100 is the most advanced autonomous mobile robot for small-task indoor transportation of items in the manufacturing and healthcare markets. Programming and operation happen through an intuitive interface accessible via a smartphone and tablet app (iOS and Android) or PC application in just a few hours without additional implementation costs. The robot can either “identify” its drive area and surroundings or import 3D drawings of the building layout. Built-in sensors and cameras enable the MiR to be used for safe collaborative operation in an environment with people as it automatically stops and routes around obstacles. MiR100 has a carrying capacity of 220 pounds and can tow approximately 660 pounds. Various custom module solutions can be added.

“MiR’s launch into the US market provides excellent opportunities for North American companies focused on increasing operational efficiency to become competitive globally, by optimizing and automating internal transport in both industry and healthcare sectors,” confirmed Thomas Visti, CEO, MiR, who was Chief Commercial Officer at Universal Robots from 2009 – 2014 before joining MiR.  “The MiR100 enable companies to take automation efficiency to the next level and reflect the general trend in robotics now from traditional robots that stay in safety cages to modern robots that move around, interact and assist people in becoming more productive.”

Ed Mullen directed to drive US expansion  MiR has appointed Ed Mullen as vice president of sales for North America. Ed has more than 28 years in key positions within industrial automation, most recently serving as vice president of sales and marketing at Simplimatic Automation. He began his career at Micron as a designer, but quickly moved to sales because of his love for identifying solutions for customer problems. His success won him the opportunity to direct sales for Universal Robots when it entered the North American market in Fall 2012. Ed took that Danish company from a position of being relatively unknown in North America to becoming today’s market leader of collaborative robotics. MiR looks forward to tapping into Mullen’s ability to drive new markets and create a leadership position for MiR in North America within the autonomous mobile market.    “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to once again launch an amazing product here in North America,” stated Ed Mullen. “Over the last five years, the world has had a chance to see what a true technology hub Denmark is with the success of Universal Robots. I believe that MiR, with the technology they have developed, has the potential of creating a similar success story. It’s a privilege to again team up with Thomas Visti to make MiR a global leader in the autonomous mobile robot field.”    “We are pleased to have someone with the experience and proven track record that Ed Mullen possesses to lead our North American sales effort,” added Visti. “Ed’s in-depth knowledge of the industrial automation market and successful launch of Universal Robots enables us to hit the ground running.”