Carter Collaborative Mobile Robot

Robust.AI is a US robotics company founded in 2019 and based in San Francisco. It builds AI-powered collaborative mobile robots for warehouses and factories, aiming to raise throughput while keeping people at the centre of the work and reducing walking and pushing carts that drive fatigue and staff turnover.

Carter is a cart-sized robot with a 360-degree camera-based vision system, vSLAM mapping and localisation, whole-body force sensing and a patented holonomic drive that moves in any direction. Operators can steer it with a force-sensitive handlebar or send it off autonomously, and it carries a touch screen, built-in barcode scanner, put-to-light LEDs and configurable shelving. It is offered as a no-CapEx, all-inclusive solution to 3PLs and manufacturers such as DHL Supply Chain, Saddle Creek and Aptiv.

• 360-degree vision: AI-optimised cameras and vSLAM for mapping and localisation without fixed markers.
• Holonomic drive: patented drive that moves in any direction in narrow aisles.
• Force-sensitive handlebar: one-handed manual control when workers prefer to push.
• Autonomous dispatch: sends the robot to the next station on its own.
• Picking aids: touch screen, built-in barcode scanner and put-to-light LEDs.
• Configurable shelving: thousands of shelf layouts for totes and cartons.

A 3PL in Vietnam can use Carter for pick-assist in e-commerce zones, cutting walking time for pickers. A manufacturer can move kits and parts between warehouse and assembly cells. A distribution centre can trial robots during peak season without capital spending.

Carter carries up to 100 kg and runs 18 hours per charge. The all-inclusive, no-CapEx model lets warehouses start without large capital approval and targets return on investment from the first day. Workers can push or dispatch the robot as needed, which eases adoption, and the company has deployed more than 100 units with deployments doubling every six months.

Warehouses face high turnover among pickers and pressure to raise throughput without large capital projects. Collaborative robots that work beside people, need no infrastructure changes and are sold as an all-inclusive service suit 3PLs and manufacturers, including fast-growing contract logistics in Southeast Asia.

Founded in 2019, with its dateline in San Francisco. Backed by Playground, Jazz Venture Partners, Future Ventures, Energy Impact Partners and Prime Movers Lab. Named to Fast Company's 2026 Most Innovative Companies list, and appointed Marin Tchakarov as CEO in August 2026 while co-founder Anthony Jules became Chief Innovation Officer.