iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party

In this guest post, Frank Tobe, a robotics analyst and publisher of The Robot Report , describes a recent debate between two prominent robotics executives and their opposing views on how to nurture profitable robotics businesses. Left: Colin Angle, co-founder and CEO of iRobot, in Bedford, Mass. Right: Robert Bauer, executive director for commercialization at Willow Garage in Menlo Park, Calif. What's the best approach to building commercially successful robotics companies: To develop specific, proprietary products that satisfy the needs of large markets, or to develop and share free, open-source technologies and wait for the commercial applications to emerge? These two points of view were presented by executives from iRobot and Willow Garage in a spirited cocktail party debate the other evening in Lyon, France, at InnoRobo 2012, a trade show for service robotics. Here's h...

Full article: http://spectrum.ieee.org/automaton/robotics/robotics-soft...

Tweets

@ieeear » 19 Apr '12, 1pm
RT @jgabardini: Closed vs Open Source robot? [link] @ieeear
@jgabardini » 17 Apr '12, 8pm
Closed vs Open Source robot? [link] @ieeear
@ENGINEUR » 04 Apr '12, 1am
The Open Source Debate has reached a hot point in the robotics industry.... [link]
@BuildingIoT » 03 Apr '12, 4pm
@RoboticsHack Closed vs Open Source Robotics: [link]
@loveparkrobotic » 03 Apr '12, 3pm
RT @tpanzarella: Open vs. Closed Robotics: [link] - perspectives from execs of two leading robotics companies.
@tpanzarella » 03 Apr '12, 3pm
Open vs. Closed Robotics: [link] - perspectives from execs of two leading robotics companies.
@AUVSI » 28 Mar '12, 5pm
iRobot, Willow Garage CEOs debate open vs. closed source robotics [link]
@cayzer » 25 Mar '12, 12am
iRobot vs Willow Garage Debate Closed vs Open Systems Robotics [link] protect IP from commodotisers vs standard setting ala PC
@LinuxLB » 24 Mar '12, 10am
Irobot and willow garage debate closed vs. open source robotics at cocktail party [link] #Linux #Lebanon
@_guillem_ » 23 Mar '12, 7am
Take some time to read: debate on closed vs. open source robotics [link]" @AutomatonBlog ,@willowgarage
@joaofabro » 23 Mar '12, 1am
Open Source versus Comercial! Software? No.....Robots!!! [link]
@georgevhulme » 23 Mar '12, 12am
RT @mfratto: iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party - IEEE Spectrum [link] << Open vs closed
@StanfordCIS » 22 Mar '12, 11pm
RT @AutomatonBlog: iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link]
@Mattlloydbos » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics - what do you think? - [link] #irobot
@IEEEGreen » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link] #IEEE #IEEEGreen
@WWRobots » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party: In this guest post, Frank T... [link]
@FrankAldorf » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link] @IeeeSpectrum
@wkenneth » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party: What's the best approach to b... [link]
@nowsolutions » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party - IEEE Spectrum: ... [link] #opensource
@yayGotitCool » 28 Mar '12, 5am
[link] iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source ...
@yayGotitCool » 28 Mar '12, 2am
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source ... [link]
@timimatic » 27 Mar '12, 6am
"iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party" - [link] #IEEE #in
@fiowhit » 25 Mar '12, 5am
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party - IEEE Spectrum [link]
@schestowitz » 23 Mar '12, 9pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link] #opensource
@grymacinvestav » 23 Mar '12, 4pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party - IEEE Spectrum [link]
@yayGotitCool » 23 Mar '12, 2pm
[link] iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party
@TransBotica » 23 Mar '12, 1pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source ... [link]
@TransBotica » 23 Mar '12, 1pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source ... [link]
@yayGotitCool » 23 Mar '12, 8am
[link] iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source ...
@eepublishers » 23 Mar '12, 6am
“@IEEESpectrum: iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link]”
@nsashi » 23 Mar '12, 5am
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party: What's the best approach to b... [link]
@bestClearMax » 23 Mar '12, 4am
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party - IEEE Spectrum [link]
@robotech_jp » 23 Mar '12, 12am
RT @AutomatonBlog: iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link]
@anhn_cs » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party: What's the best... [link] #ieeeSpectrum
@electrosoftinc » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link]
@IEEESpectrum » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party [link]
@openfeed » 22 Mar '12, 6pm
iRobot and Willow Garage Debate Closed vs. Open Source Robotics at Cocktail Party - IEEE Spectrum [link]