Toy startup Sphero has made a name for itself making connected toys, most famously their toy version of Star Wars' BB-8 droid. Now they're spinning out a new company, Misty Robotics, which has set forth the relatively modest goal of putting a robot in every home and office. And not just silent drones, either. Misty wants to build robots like R2-D2 or Rosie from The Jetsons - useful companions with personality.
Misty Robotics was cofounded by former Sphero CTO Ian Bernstein and serial entrepreneur Tim Enwall. On Tuesday, the company announced that it's closed a Series A funding round of $11.5 million. Sphero also holds a minority state in the company.
There are two key robotics approaches that the company believes distinguishes it from other ongoing companies. The first approach is building robots capable of doing more than one thing - it's not practical, Bernstein argues, to have a bunch of robots that only do one thing, like a robot to clean the gutters and another to clean the pool and another to vacuum the floor.
"Robots in the home need to be more multipurpose," he said. "Our big vision is like Rosie from The Jetsons - for robots to be present in our lives, cooking food, cleaning houses and doing all kinds of things."
To that end, Misty sees robots as platforms that other developers can use to be creative with potential robotics applications, like a smartphone or a PC.
"You could probably go to the lab and build a Rosie robot and put it out there, but I don't think that would be successful," said David Pakman, a partner at Venrock, one of the venture capital firms investing in the Series A. "Look at the Apple II. It was sold to hobbyists with the idea, this is what you can program it to do. There's a similar path here: allow applications to emerge on the platform, so more creators can work on it."
Misty's modest goal.
Misty RoboticsThe second approach towards robotics Misty is taking differently is engagement. "Robots have to look and feel familiar," said Enwall. "They can't freak us out."
This is another aspect of the company that attracted investment dollars, affirms Pakman. "It's hard to build consumer products with both high sales and high engagement, but Sphero has done that. This isn't going to be a toy, but a lot of what makes toys successful will be important here. Cost, personality, engagement - all the things that make toys fun to use over time."
Pakman says that one of Misty's goals is to really integrate robots into people's lives - almost like pets. Even to the point where different robots might have different personalities. An Alfred-style Butler for some or a mischievous trickster for others.
"It's a grand vision," Pakman said. "A robot for everyone."
