GelSight Blazes Forward with Several Award Wins Recognizing its Innovations in Tactile Intelligence

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GelSight, a pioneer in tactile intelligence technology, announced today that it has been selected as a winner in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech 2021 in the Smart Machines category, a 2021 BostInno on Firehonoree in the Robotics category, and the winner of the 2021 Eddie Award in the Technology & AI category. All three awards honor GelSight for its breakthroughs in tactile intelligence and demonstrate the company’s strong momentum and growth over the last year.

The Fast Company Next Big Thing in Tech Awards recognize technology breakthroughs that promise to define the future of industries. Alongside 11 other companies, GelSight was chosen as a winner in the Smart Machines category for helping to give robots a sense of touch and enabling the machines we rely on every day to “feel” the world around them using its proprietary combination of cameras and soft tactile sensors.

BostInno on Fire honors 50 of the most impressive innovators in the Greater Boston region each year for raising money, growing their firms, bringing in new customers, launching new products and boosting Boston’s ecosystem. GelSight earned its spot on the list thanks to new fundraising this year and announcing its partnership with Meta AI to manufacture the DIGIT tactile sensor.

Similarly, the Massachusetts Innovation Network’s Eddie Awards are dedicated to recognizing, nurturing, and fueling local innovation, and this year’s winners were selected from a pool of 119 startups across 8 categories following an 8-month long season, live pitch competition, and exhibition of the technologies. GelSight’s elastomeric platform won the Technology & AI category for its ability to capture 3D images that can then be interpreted using artificial intelligence.

“Thanks to the incredible work of the entire GelSight team, we have the honor of accepting these three prestigious and competitive awards,” said Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO at GelSight. “We’re excited to see that organizations like Fast Company, BostInno, and the Massachusetts Innovation Network that work with companies at the forefront of innovation recognize the ways that tactile imaging, sensing, and intelligence can revolutionize industries such as robotics, manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, and more.”

These accolades come on the heels of GelSight announcing a new partnership with Meta AI to commercially manufacture the DIGITtactile sensor, which will help digitize the sense of touch and expand the field of tactile sensing research. GelSight also recently launched its GelSight Mobile™ series 2, which offers a sleek form-factor that is one-third lighter and less than half the volume of its predecessor, enabling users to scan surfaces in tighter spaces and make more intelligent, informed decisions, while maintaining accuracy, speed, and field of view. For more details and to purchase DIGIT or GelSight Mobile™, please visithttps://www.gelsight.com/online-store/.

To learn more about GelSight, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

About GelSight

GelSight is a pioneer in digital, imaging-based tactile intelligence. The proprietary technology that was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides extremely detailed and rapid surface characterization, enabling several surface measurement applications and robotic sensing capabilities. Its elastomeric 3D imaging systems are currently in use in aerospace, automotive, forensics and in many robotic research labs throughout the world. GelSight is Digital Touch and Feel. For more information, please visithttps://www.gelsight.com/.

Contacts

Media 
Brandon Reid for GelSight 
bwr@anzupartners.com

Massachusetts Innovation Network Announces the 2021 Eddies Winners

LINCOLN, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Massachusetts Innovation Network celebrated the wrap-up of its 2021 Innovation Season last night at the NorthStar Campus in Lincoln, MA. The 8-month long season started with 119 startup teams representing 8 Innovation Tracks; 23 teams advanced to the final, live phase of the competition (October 6) which included final pitches and exhibit of the technologies. Through the program the teams received individualized mentorship, specifically-designed mentorship modules to address their needs, and hands-on support to thrust them forward towards their commercialization and scaling journey. The season culminated with an exciting Evening of Innovation, during which 11 companies were honored with The Eddie (formerly New England Innovation Award).

The ceremony featured a keynote address by Aron Ain, CEO of UKG. Aron has built a company where everyone loves to work, where employees feel truly cared for, respected and energized.

Author of the award-winning book “WorkInspired: How to Build an Organization Where Everyone Loves to Work”, Mr. Ain shared some surprising simple rules on how to achieve success by focusing on your greatest asset – your people. He also presented the 2021 Robert J. Crowley Eddie Award and signed his book for all the finalist teams.

The 2021 Eddies Winners are:

Biotech: Ichosia Biotechnology 
Cleantech & Sustainability: Evergreens 
Healthy Living: PlenOptika 
Medical Devices: Dynocardia 
Minority-Owned: ShikiWrap 
Robotics: TargetArm 
Smart Living & IoT: RaySecur 
Technology & AI: GelSight 
Social Impact: We Are America Project and Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice

The cross-category, Robert J. Crowley Eddie Award, which honors the individual or team that embodies the values of breakthrough thinking, passion to improve lives and unwavering commitment to the spirit of advancement was bestowed to Dr. Jon Bloom and his team at Podimetrics.

We extend our Warmest Congratulations and Best Wishes for continued success to all our startups, finalists and winners , and look forward to sharing their stories, successes and achievements in the years to come!

Contacts

Sophia Kambanis 
SKambanis@NewEnglandInnovation.org

GelSight Partners with Meta AI to Democratize Digital Tactile Sensing

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GelSight, a pioneer in tactile imaging and sensing technology, today announced a partnership with Meta AI to commercially manufacture the DIGIT tactile sensor and expand the field of tactile sensing research.

DIGIT is a reliable, low-cost, compact, high-resolution tactile sensor designed for robotic in-hand manipulation designed and open-sourced in 2020 by Meta (then Facebook) AI researchers to enable AI and robotics researchers to work with touch. GelSight will manufacture and sell DIGIT as part of the company’s offering of digital tactile sensors, making this sensor even more accessible to the global research community.

While other human senses such as sight and hearing have already been replicated in robotic applications, touch is the next sense that will be digitized to enable robots to perform tasks they were previously unable to do. GelSight develops and sells technology for digital tactile sensing with the sensitivity and resolution of human touch. The company offers unique elastomeric and imaging-based tactile sensing technology that also enables robotic engineers to develop solutions for complex object manipulation and many other dexterous tasks.

Digitizing touch will enable not only new applications in robotics, but in industrial applications that require surface and texture understanding. This includes robotic inspection for quality assurance, material properties identification, manufacturing, and assembly process efficiency, and much more.

“GelSight and the Meta AI research team share the same vision around making tactile sensing technology more accessible,” said Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO of GelSight. “Our technology and this partnership will help generate new applications for robotics as engineers, hobbyists and researchers will have access to a small form factor, imaging-based technology at a more accessible price point than ever before.”

“Since we first open-sourced DIGIT last year, it’s been exciting to see researchers use the sensor in their work,” said Roberto Calandra, Meta AI research scientist. “GelSight making DIGIT commercially available will help make touch readily accessible to many more researchers and practitioners, and we hope that it will accelerate further progress advancing AI and robotics.”

DIGIT is available now. For more details and to purchase, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/online-store/.

To learn more about GelSight, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

About GelSight 
GelSight is a pioneer in digital, imaging-based tactile sensing. The proprietary technology that was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides extremely detailed and rapid surface characterization, enabling several surface measurement applications and robotic sensing capabilities. Its elastomeric 3D imaging systems are currently in use in aerospace, automotive, forensics and in many robotic research labs throughout the world. GelSight is Digital Touch and Feel. For more information, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

Contacts

Media 
Kalyn Schieffer for GelSight 
kos@anzupartners.com

GelSight Unveils Sleek Next Generation Mobile 3D Measurement Device to Expand into New Industries

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GelSight, a pioneer in tactile imaging and sensing technology, today introduced the latest version of its GelSight Mobile™ probe, the Series 2. This new generation of GelSight’s mobile device offers a sleek form-factor that is one-third lighter and less than half the volume of its predecessor, allowing it to scan surfaces in tighter spaces, while maintaining accuracy, speed, and field of view.

GelSight’s technology enables digital tactile sensing with the sensitivity and resolution of human touch. Data captured by GelSight’s elastomeric tactile sensing platform leverages proprietary software and algorithms to provide detailed, accurate surface characterization that can generate significant gains in productivity both on the production floor and in the field while also reducing the costs associated with manual or tool-based visual inspection. The handheld GelSight Mobile device can be deployed on production and assembly lines to enable rapid and well documented quality assurance decisions. Dimensions of scratches, dents, hits, gaps, offset, hole diameter, and fastener flushness can be measured in high-resolution, on any surface, in seconds.

The Series 2 head size has been minimized, so it can be utilized across a wider variety of applications. This is especially critical in the automotive and aerospace industries where it can provide rapid, repeatable, non-destructive testing for manufacturing and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of engines, fuselages, and other critical components.

The Series 2 product addresses needs in new market verticals and creates new use cases as customers experience its game-changing performance first-hand. After bringing on new CEO, Youssef Benmokhtar, in June 2021, GelSight has set its sights on industries that can benefit from fast, accurate, micron-level measurements on a wide variety of surfaces, such as the additive manufacturing and energy sectors. The company will also continue to grow its core business in automotive, aerospace, and forensics.

“We took the accuracy, speed and mobility that our customers loved about the first-generation handheld device, and incorporated that into a smaller, more user-friendly form-factor that can deliver payback value in a matter of weeks in terms of saved production time, labor costs, and scrap,” said Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO, GelSight. “The introduction of Series 2 is ushering GelSight into a new era. We are digitizing tactile sensing to unlock new opportunities for in-line and off-line quality control innovation, across industries.”

“We use the GelSight Mobile for our MRO operations, and we are delighted to now incorporate the Mobile Series 2,” said Yann Siehen of Safran Helicopter Engines. “We had the opportunity to evaluate Series 2 and have been impressed by its performance. Its compact and lightweight design will definitely increase the number of use cases and will accelerate our return on investment.”

GelSight will be demoing the new device at the 2021 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE) October 12-14, 2021, in Las Vegas, NV at Booth #1224 – West Hall. To schedule a meeting and demo, please reach out to sales@gelsight.com.

The GelSight Mobile Series 2 is shipping now. To learn more about demo evaluations or purchasing, please email info@gelsight.com.

To learn more about GelSight, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

About GelSight

GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive and other high-value industries. The proprietary technology that was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides extremely detailed and rapid surface measurements and robotic sensing capabilities. For more information, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

Contacts

Media 
Kalyn Schieffer for GelSight 
kos@anzupartners.com

GelSight Welcomes New CEO to Drive Market Adoption of Tactile Imaging and Sensing Technology

WALTHAM, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–GelSight, a pioneer in industrial tactile imaging and sensing technology, today announced that experienced imaging technology executive Youssef Benmokhtar has joined the company as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Benmokhtar joins GelSight from enterprise augmented reality leader Magic Leap, where he spearheaded the company’s business development activities and formed major strategic partnerships with technology, media, and telecommunications firms. Prior to his tenure at Magic Leap, Mr. Benmokhtar held leadership positions for a number of imaging, optics and semiconductor companies, including FotoNation, OmniVision Technologies, DigitalOptics, and STMicroelectronics.

With a B.S. Industrial Engineering from the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Industrial Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Mr. Benmokhtar brings a unique blend of technical and engineering skills, deal-making experience, and talent for building top-performing teams. Specifically, at Magic Leap, he worked across several different business functions to close major partnerships, secure investments, and adjust product definitions to better define target audience and increase customer base across the globe.

“I was drawn to GelSight, not just by the potential of the elastomeric technology, but by the highly-skilled team that Dr. Kimo Johnson and the other core executives have assembled to push the boundaries of 3D imaging,” said Youssef Benmokhtar, CEO, GelSight. “I am looking forward to working with Kimo and the team to drive market adoption of this exceptional technology and to pursue new use cases in industries that could benefit from the ability to measure any solid surface, including highly reflective surfaces like glass and polished metal, unlike traditional tactile and vision measurement tools.”

GelSight co-founder, Dr. Kimo Johnson will step into the role of Chief Product Officer to oversee the link between GelSight’s technology and its customers’ evolving needs. As the company enters new markets, Mr. Johnson will ensure that the product roadmap aligns with the unique trends and use cases for 3D imaging and tactile sensing within industries such as robotics, aerospace, automotive, forensics, and more.

“This is an exciting time for GelSight as we prepare to further advance our technology and drive growth in new areas,” said Dr. Kimo Johnson, Chief Product Officer, GelSight. “As a founding member of the company, I bring deep connectivity with our customers and partners into my new role, and I look forward to working alongside Youssef and the rest of the growing team to enhance our product offering.”

To learn more about GelSight’s technology and team, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

About GelSight
GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive and other high-value industries. The proprietary technology that was invented at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provides extremely detailed and rapid surface measurements and robotic sensing capabilities. For more information, please visit https://www.gelsight.com/.

Contacts

Kalyn Schieffer for GelSight
kos@anzupartners.com

GelSight Awarded $728,000 Federal Grant to Develop Human-Like Tactile Sensors for Robots

WALTHAM, Mass., May 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D metrology solutions for the aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics and medical device industries, today announced that it has been awarded a $728,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program to develop a compact sensor toolkit that will provide human-like tactile sensing capabilities for robotics. The SBIR Phase II project will based on concepts that were validated through GelSight’s SBIR Phase I grant as well as ongoing research at MIT in robotic tactile sensing using elastomeric sensors.

“There is no tactile sensor on the market today that can match the human finger,” said Kimo Johnson, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of GelSight. “Current touch technologies have limited sensitivity and resolution. GelSight sensors are soft like human fingers but have resolution well above that of human skin. Industries have been transformed by the digitization of our auditory and visual worlds, and a high-resolution fingertip will provide the mechanism for translating tactile world leading to applications and technological developments that could transform many industries,” said Johnson.

In this SBIR Phase II project, GelSight will develop a soft, compact, and high-resolution tactile sensor as a toolkit that companies can integrate and optimize for their own applications; from the picking of fruit to the sorting and e-commerce fulfillment. To achieve the desired form factor while maintaining a large sensing area, this project will develop novel optical and illumination configurations for the elastomeric sensor that are more compact than designs using conventional optics. The system will be coupled with a GelSight Tactile software development kit (SDK) that provides real-time tactile information, including contact locations, force, magnitude and direction. The GelSight Tactile SDK will make the system accessible to researchers and engineers from other disciplines.

The high-resolution digital fingertip, together with the GelSight Tactile SDK, will provide a foundation for further exploration into digital touch as well as applications that benefit from tactile information.

­GelSight’s elastomeric imaging technology was originally developed by Professor Edward H. Adelson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Professor Adelson is the John and Dorothy Wilson Professor of Vision Science at MIT, in the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and is a leading innovator in robotic tactile sensing.

For more information about GelSight and its product offering, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

About GelSight
GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive, and other high-value industries. For more information, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

CONTACT
Rob Haralson for GelSight
(202) 674-6679, rhh@anzupartners.com

3D Imaging System Innovator GelSight Raises $10M in Series B Funding Round

Aviation Executive David Hurley, US Navy Vice Admiral David Buss (Ret.), US Air Force Lieutenant General Judith Fedder (Ret.) join Board of Directors

WALTHAM, Mass., January 23, 2020 /PRNewswire / — GelSight, the developer of industrial 3D imaging solutions for the aerospace, automotive, and other electronics industries, today announced that it has raised $10 million in new funding. The Series B round was led by industrial technology-focused venture capital firm Anzu Partners. The funding will be used to accelerate GelSight’s growth as adoption of its unique elastomeric-based imaging system gains deeper traction with major aerospace customers around the globe.

“GelSight’s handheld systems enable dramatic improvements to conventional inspection and quality processes, and we are seeing broader use among the world’s leading aerospace and automobile manufacturers,” said Kimo Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of GelSight. “We are excited to have the backing of Anzu Partners to help us take our commercialization and product development efforts to the next level, expanding into other major aircraft manufacturers and aircraft maintenance operations here in the United States and abroad.”

GelSight Mobile™, the company’s flagship device, is a handheld instrument that precisely and repeatably visualizes and measures the 3D topography of any surface in seconds, revealing microscopic structures that are impossible to precisely assess in real time. GelSight’s proprietary elastomeric sensor conforms to the surface topography of any material, including metals, composites, and glass to reveal the features of the surface regardless of ambient lighting conditions or material reflectivity. The GelSight Mobile system gives instant visual feedback along with position, depth, and other surface measurements with high spatial resolution down to the micron level.

Rolls-Royce, an early adopter of the technology, is actively deploying GelSight Mobile, validating critical aerospace applications.

“We have integrated GelSight Mobile™ into a number of our global value streams where the technology has proven its value very quickly,” said Alistair Donaldson, Transformation Executive – Head of Innovation and New Product Design at Rolls-Royce. “We are pleased to be supporting GelSight in their growth journey and look forward to working together on the future roadmap of GelSight products and services.”

In connection with this significant financing, GelSight attracted aviation executive David Hurley, US Navy Vice Admiral David Buss (Ret.), and US Air Force Lieutenant General Judith Fedder (Ret.) to join its Board of Directors. Mr. Hurley previously served as Chairman of the National Air and Space Museum Board and is the former Chief Executive Officer of business aviation group PrivatAir. As a Vice Admiral, Mr. Buss served as the Commander of the Naval Air Forces, or the Navy’s “Air Boss”. As an Air Force Lieutenant General, Ms. Fedder served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics, Installations, and Mission Support at the Pentagon.

Longtime company advisor Pierre Villeneuve, PhD has also joined the company’s Board. Dr. Villeneuve is the cofounder of Equity Management Partners and has over 25 years of experience as a senior business executive and scientist.

“Mr. Hurley, Vice Admiral Buss, and Lieutenant General Fedder bring unmatched knowledge and experience in commercial and military aviation,” said Dr. John Ho, GelSight Board Member and Partner at Anzu Partners. “We are honored that they have joined GelSight’s Board, along with Dr. Villeneuve, to help bring its breakthrough technology to worldwide aviation.”

For more information about GelSight and its product offering, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

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About GelSight
GelSight develops portable, non-destructive elastomeric 3D imaging systems used to improve quality control processes in aerospace, automotive, and other high-value industries. For more information, please visit: https://www.gelsight.com.

About Anzu Partners
Anzu Partners is a venture capital and private equity firm that invests in breakthrough industrial technologies. Anzu teams with entrepreneurs to develop and commercialize technological innovations by providing capital and deep expertise in business development, market positioning, global connectivity, and operations. For more information, please visit https://anzupartners.com. On Twitter: @anzupartners.