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
On the menu: The Sundry tastes expansion with move to Plexpod
Moving The Sundry this month to Plexpod reflects the evolution and future of where people live and work, Ryan Wing said. And, of course, how they eat. A leader in Kansas City’s sustainable food movement, The Sundry plans to relocate its store from the Crossroads to a 3,300-square-foot space at Plexpod Westport Commons. It’s the…
Leaders say Kansas City is prime for Amazon HQ2
In the wake of news Amazon is planning a second, U.S. headquarters, a group of Kansas City organizations is tossing Kansas City’s proverbial hat in the e-commerce giant’s shopping cart. Amazon announced Thursday it plans to invest more than $5 billion in a new headquarters that could create as many as 50,000 jobs in which…
Techstars Spotlight: Planetarians’ hunger for tasty snacks blooms with Sunflower State secret ingredient
It’s a simple solution: Eat your fruits and vegetables. Treating diseases caused by poor diet costs the United States about $1.4 trillion each year, Aleh Manchuliantsau said. “Fiber and plant protein have been shown to prevent diabetes, heart disease and obesity,” said Manchuliantsau, co-founder and CEO of Planetarians. “But despite the effort to get kids…
Spanish-language business law class targets KC resource gap
¡Llamando a todos los emprendedores! Language isn’t a barrier to entrepreneurial spirit, Adrienne Haynes said, and it shouldn’t prevent Kansas Citians from finding business success just because they don’t understand the nuances of startup lingo or legal processes. “Whether you’re a black- or brown-owned company, whether you’re woman-owned, whether Spanish is your primary language, or…