The Rapid Machine Operator is a revolutionary industrial cobot that can operate machines performing simple tasks like injection molding, pad printing, heat stamping and pick-and-place "out-of-the-box"—meaning it requires no systems integration, no programming and no robotics expertise. At only $25,000 per year, Rapid Machine Operators cost 75% less than human operators and 90% less than other robotic solutions.

SAN FRANCISCO—November 18, 2020—Rapid Robotics has announced the first ready-to-work robotic machine operator, giving contract manufacturers an easy, affordable way to automate common machine tasks and compete with offshore facilities.

The Rapid Machine Operator is a revolutionary industrial cobot that needs no programming or systems integration. ‘Out of the box,' it can operate machines performing simple tasks such as injection molding, pad printing, heat stamping, pick-and-place and dozens of others across manufacturing sectors including medical devices, electronics, CPG, automotive and more.

At only $25,000 per year, Rapid Machine Operators cost 75% less than human operators and 90% less than other robotic solutions. They deliver proven ROI within three to four months from the time of subscription, increasing operating profits an average of $110,000 per year for each unit installed.

Rapid Machine Operators are easy for even non-technical users to manage. Users simply select a machine type from Rapid's simple touchscreen interface, input variables specific to the project, and Rapid's pretrained AI takes care of the rest. Users can oversee numerous Rapid Machine Operators at once and quickly configure them for new jobs as needed—perfect for high-mix environments.

The Rapid Machine Operator comes with everything it needs to get to work, including fixtures, grippers, cameras and all other components. Its proprietary built-in computer vision system quickly finds parts and automatically creates optimized motion paths for faster cycle times—all without a single line of code or additional costs. Rapid takes care of the initial same-day setup and provides support at no additional charge.

Rapid Machine Operators receive new capabilities monthly over the air and share intelligence in real-time through the cloud, so the entire fleet becomes more valuable the longer it's on the job.

"We looked at automating machine operator tasks before, but as a custom injection molder, the costs were prohibitive," said Tammy Barras, president of Westec Plastics. "Rapid's solution was the first we'd seen that just worked, at a price that made sense for our business. We were pleased with how responsive the Rapid team is and were quickly able to start seeing value."

The Rapid Machine Operator couldn't come at a better time for manufacturers battling a growing nationwide shortage of more than 600,000 machine operators, costing manufacturers and the US economy billions of dollars per year.

"The Rapid Machine Operator is a complete game-changer for contract manufacturers," said Rapid Robotics CEO Jordan Kretchmer. "It makes them more competitive overnight, so they can win more bids and grow their business beyond anything they'd thought possible."

About Rapid Robotics
Rapid Robotics is the creator of the first affordable robotic machine operator designed for simple machine tasks. Available for just $25K a year, and requiring absolutely no programming, systems integration, specialized hardware or robotics skills, the Rapid Machine Operator enables manufacturers to easily deploy a pretrained cobot in hours, moving it between tasks as needed and seeing ROI in months.

Rapid Robotics' founding team combines robotics and manufacturing expertise with a SaaS business model to deliver affordable solutions to real-world industry problems. Investors include Greycroft and Bee Partners. The company is based in San Francisco, California.