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started the sales process in 2017. The European Commission classified Partnering Robotics as a “Future Unicorn” in 2018. Meanwhile, we received more than 25 awards in various regions across the world. When you are in the field of disruptive innovation, everything is complex and takes time: from prototypes to the actual product to marketing. We are making some progress and this is keeping us happy. We are in the process of scaling. for Well-Being Robots are used by numerous sectors such as manufacturing, automobiles, supply chains, construction, and so on. Owing to its vast applications, robotics has come a long way from assembly robots in automobile assembly plants. Advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning coupled with innovations in robotics have stimulated interest in designing robots that are able to carry out wide-ranging tasks. However, Partnering Robotics is the first company to pioneer a way to clean the air indoors and keep it that way through innovative use of sensory data compiled through a plethora of instruments powered by an artificial intelligence algorithm. Its robot, christened the Diya One X is the world’s very first robot dedicated to wellness. In conversation with the brains behind Partnering Robotics, Ramesh Caussy Can you talk about your company’s flagship offering? Partnering Robotics created Diya One X (autonomous mobile robot) that is dedicated to the well-being of buildings or open space occupants by continuously making indoor atmosphere analyses (air quality, temperature, relative humidity, level of sound, and luminosity) and cleaning the air. This best-in-class robot can charge its battery and perform its service all day in highly dynamic environments where people work Would you describe your company as a leader or a follower? and live. Besides these services, Diya one X generates granular indoor mass data square meter by square meter. This data enables the team at Partnering Robotics to propose an excellent suite of service data such as indoor air maps or Live Dynamic Dash Board that gives weekly relevant KPI about the indoor atmosphere. My robot makes the invisible air pollution visible in real- time and takes care of people; this is why we call it the well-being robot. In recent years, there has been a distinct shift in the way companies are taking care of employee wellness. As a result, many organizations are starting to invest more in comprehensive employee programmes to improve the well- being of employees. By employing Partnering Robotics’ Diya One X in place, employers can take care of their employees’ air quality and thereby increase their productivity and reduce the rate of absenteeism. How was your company’s first project received? Partnering Robotics was awarded the “Key R&D” success in 2013 for its “neuro-inspired approach” by the European Commission. Our advanced prototype was demonstrated in 2014 and we Just imagine you are in the field of disruptive innovation and you are following. This would obviously suggest that something is going wrong! We are definitely in a leader’s mindset. When I started with bio-inspired AI, an autonomous service robot for air quality and wellness in a position against humanoid robots in 2007, people were looking at me as though I was crazy. It is still the case today, by the way! Today, Partnering Robotics has an amazing team of 35 talented researchers, engineers, and business developers. Rich in their experience in large international teams and task forces in highly competitive fields such as IT, these 35 employees including 9 women, are centered on the dynamic city of Paris for a technology in the service of well- being and energy efficiency. What were the challenges that you faced in your early years? One of the most challenging things in a technological project is to keep the belief of a team in a potential success alive when everything is taking time and you have limited cash. Surviving is a skill! It is not about “Improvised innovation”, it is about what I would call “YOGA AUGUST 2019 29