The robots have arrived on Castro Street in Mountain View. But don’t worry, these aren’t scary murder bots from “The Terminator” or even chatty AI’s having a quasi-mental breakdown. The robots at InOrbit’s new concept store and “robot space” move things from place to place, glide around the floor without bumping into you and can even bust a dance move with their own soundtrack.
“We’re really trying to show people how robots work in the real world,” said Florian Pestoni, CEO and co-founder of InOrbit, a company that makes software for robots. “For many people, it’s a new experience and it’s not what you see in movies.”
A robot evangelist, Pestoni got the idea to open the storefront at 293 Castro Street from his high-school age daughter and saw an opportunity to let people get comfortable being side-by-side with robots while also creating a community space. Already, InOrbit plans to host meetings by Women in Robotics, Silicon Valley Robotics, and Robot Operations Group.
Obviously, being on Mountain View’s most popular street isn’t bad for visibility. Pestoni said people who work at Intel, Nvidia and even NASA were either at a preview party on Feb. 3 or have stopped by since the official public opening Feb. 20. The robots on display include small, delivery-style models as well as a larger transporter — think of a shelving unit on wheels — that can take merchandise like sweatshirts and water bottles around to store shelves for restocking.
It’s jobs like these — moving items around a warehouse, taking inventory — that will make robots ideal co-workers, Pestoni said, freeing people to less mind-numbing jobs.
The autonomous mobile robots in the InOrbit store can travel on a programmed route or to a specific spot in the store, maybe to bring a child a figurine of Orbito, the company’s mascot, and use lidar to avoid obstacles. And, yes, they can “dance” — moving about with flashing lights and music. It’s not exactly Gene Kelly, but R2-D2 wasn’t so light on his feet, either. Other robots are expected to join the ranks in the future.
Right now, the space is open Monday through Friday from noon to 6 p.m., and you can get more information at www.inorbit.ai/robotspace.
COURAGEOUS PARENTS: My colleague Scooty Nickerson was on the scene Wednesday as six Bay Area parents were honored by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office for dedicating their lives to raising awareness about fentanyl after their own children died of fentanyl.
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen was visibly choked up while introducing the families who were being honored with courage awards from the DA’s office. Many in the audience, including police chiefs and deputy district attorneys who have investigated and prosecuted dealers who target children with fentanyl sales, fought back tears.
“A small pale blue pill is a threat to every parents’ hopes, and to our children’s lives,” Rosen said, referring to popular, blue-colored counterfeit oxycodone pills which are often laced with fentanyl. The district attorney’s office’s annual “Justice for All” high school art contest in 2022 also was dedicated to raising awareness about fentanyl.
One of the parents receiving the award, Ed Ternan, formed a nonprofit called Song for Charlie dedicated to spreading awareness about the dangers of fentanyl across the nation after his 22-year-old son Charlie Ternan, a Santa Clara University student, died of fentanyl poisoning in 2020. “All we can do as bereaved parents is prevent the next death,” Ternan said. “That’s what we focus on. That’s the only way we can contribute to this national crisis.”
WINE AND DINE: Testarossa Winery owner Rob Jensen shared stories about the Los Gatos winery Wednesday night at the first wine dinner held at the Signia by Hilton hotel in downtown San Jose. The lively event, held in the hotel’s Fountain restaurant, featured a menu created by Chef Joe Derla, paired with wines picked by Jensen.
Signia General Manager Jimmy Sarfraz says more wine dinners will be held for the hotel, which took over the former Fairmont building last spring. Testarossa, meanwhile, will be getting some Southern California exposure as Jensen and Testarossa Executive Chef Nadiv Geiger will be part of a workshop on how professionals pair wine and food at home during the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival next month.
SCHOOL BELLS: Bellarmine College Prep’s 47th annual Golden Bell auction is coming up March 18. That will give many of the San Jose Jesuit boys school’s supporters a chance to meet Roderick D. “Rod” Jemison, who was announced this month as Bellarmine’s new principal. Bellarmine President Chris Meyercord says he’s thrilled to welcome Jemison, who was the founding head of school of United World College ISAK Japan and will start his new position in July.
Sonya Arriola, who has been interim principal for Bellarmine, will help with the transition and return to her role planning strategic initiatives for the school. And if you’re interested in more information about the Golden Bell auction, which supports the school’s direct financial aid program, go to www.bcp.org/goldenbell.
Source: www.mercurynews.com