NON-HUMAN WORKERS: The Veterans Administration, for example, lacked enough pharmacists to serve veterans living in remote areas. Our team designed and built a dispensing and communications system that solved the pressing problem by enabling pharmacists at a central location to download drugs at remote clinics via a local automated dispensing device. That labor-saving system was purchased by AmerisourceBergen, the country’s largest drug distributor.

Black-I has worked with MIT, Princeton, Carnegie Mellon and other universities on a range of projects. We’ve also completed research and operational projects for Raytheon. DARPA — the government’s leading edge technology organization — initiated our work on a robotic arm as it looked for ways to improve productivity among government agencies. Black-I was charged to develop a robust, intelligent, state-of-the-arm robotic arm that integrated advanced technologies into a low-cost productivity solution.

SAFELY PICK AND PLACE: The arm was first used by the Army Corps of Engineers in its 3D printing program, and has been strengthened and streamlined for the commercial market, in particular the logistics industry. Black-I’s Fullscope Mobile Heavy Lift Arm was introduced to the commercial market at Modex in March, 2022. It was the hit of the show based on its lift capacity — four times existing arms — and vision capabilities that enable it to safely pick and place virtually any item in, say, a busy warehouse to assist and replace labor as necessary. Black-I is working with a half dozen companies  interested in exploring the arm’s fit in their operations.