Tesseract’s robot reveal: Wearable proximity trackers to keep workers at a safe distance
May 27, 2020 | Austin Barnes
Kansas City-wired clip-on robots could make social distancing a second thought, as Tesseract Ventures shares its first mainstream product with the world.
“This product exemplifies our mantra that there is nothing more human than technology and is a great example of what you can expect to see from Tesseract Ventures in the future,” said John Boucard, Tesseract Ventures founder and CEO.
Tesseract PRISM
The high-tech robotics startup — one of Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 — announced the Tesseract PRISM (TM) Wednesday, marking the first major unveiling of a product for the company, which has raised significant venture capital from local funders — despite heavily guarding its plans and technology.
“We recognize how hard essential employees are working right now, and we are proud to be able to provide a technology that can help create safer work environments during this difficult time,” Boucard added.
Click here to read more about Boucard and his vision for the future of robotics.
Unveiled as Stay at Home orders continue their roll back, PRISM acts as part of a larger cyber-physical worksite-management system, in tandem with Tesseract PRISM Anchors — wearable badges which track and document the proximity of workers and students in real time and alerts staff and management if social distance is broken, ultimately creating safer work and school environments, the company explained in a release.
“The capabilities of this product are endless, now and in the future,” said Dave Starr, vice president of research and development for Tesseract. “Not only is PRISM a vital piece of technology for ensuring workers keep their distance from one another during this pandemic, it was originally designed to benefit industry operators by providing data to help them identify problem zones within a site.”
Full product capabilities include credentialed worker identification; emergency SOS beaconing; control site access, defined entry and exclusion zones within the job site; the ability to assign workgroups, privileges and certifications for individuals; the ability to assign personal space requirements and receive alerts when cross-contamination occurs; rugged, site-ready construction; and RFID compatibility with existing access points.
John Boucard, Tesseract Ventures
PRISM was developed in Tesseract Ventures’, Crossroads-based Future Lab — an advanced, multi-disciplinary R&D studio — and was built in the company’s Martin City-based Cyber-Physical studio, which develops products that will define the future of work.
The company has two additional development studios — Experiential Entertainment and Human Things — which round out its mission to empower businesses and people to be able to defy the boundaries of space and time, Boucard told a crowd gathered for the Startland News’ Kansas City Startups to Watch in 2020 Celebration in January.
The startup’s mission was most recently backed by a $2 million investment from UMB Capital Corporation in March.
Featured Business
2020 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Kauffman report: KC ranks 28 out of 40 in entrepreneurial growth
Fewer Kansas City companies are growing to become medium- or large-sized firms, according to a report released Thursday by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. It’s a common story across the U.S., as the nation rebounds from the slump of the Great Recession, the report says. The 2017 Kauffman Index of Growth Entrepreneurship report suggests the…
Housing trends show young professionals don’t care about Troost’s stigma, UC-B says
Lance Carlton initially was skeptical of developing east of Troost Avenue, he said. “But the mentality of the market has changed,” said Carlton, co-managing partner of UC-B Properties, which brought its offices to the 4300 block of Troost in August 2016. The company helped prove an appetite for residential development on the corridor with 19…
Mac Properties plans four-corner food startup village at Armour and Troost
Mac Properties’ Kansas City arm wants to turn a “sleepy intersection” on Troost into a four-corner incubator for thriving residential and restaurant activity. The vision is to create a “food startup village” as the foundation of the development, which would bring 400 new market rate apartments to Armour Boulevard and Troost, said Peter Cassel, director…
Wonder developers eye emerging businesses and creatives for Troost
Business is brewing at the former Wonder Bread bakery. With a flurry of activity at 30th and Troost, the historic site is undergoing a transformation: from yet another vacant space on the corridor to an anchor for residential and commercial life on Troost. “They’ve gutted the inside and they’ve done a ton of work,” said…