By Scott Simmie
We feel a bit like proud parents.
That’s because a company we have incubated, Cypher Robotics, recently took to the world stage at the big Hannover Messe 2025 show in Germany. It’s one of the largest automation and technology shows in the world. More than 125,000 people attended and Cypher’s Founder and CEO Peter King (seen on the left in the panel above) was one of them.
King was there to showcase the Captis cycle counting solution – a three-in-one robot that can autonomously scan inventory, capture RFID tags, and carry out precision scans on missions that last up to five hours. A single shift with Captis can capture all inventory in a large warehouse while transferring that data in realtime to a client’s Warehouse Management System or Warehouse Execution System software.
What differentiates Captis from other solutions is a ROS2-based tethered drone. In the back of a warehouse, that drone ascends from the Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) base. As the base moves down the aisles, the drone optically scans product codes. This eliminates human error, and saves people from the repetitive – and potentially risky – task of working from heights.
Below: The Captis system with its ROS2 tethered drone. InDro Robotics is the incubator for Cypher Robotics
ERICSSON AND 5G
Captis was on display at the Ericsson booth. That company is the world leader in telecommunications hardware and software. It’s very likely that your local cellular provider is running on a network built by Ericsson.
And now, as companies globally transition toward an Industry 4.0 (IR4) world of automation and connected devices, those networks are more important than ever. Secure, high-speed data throughput in the form of private 5G networks is the foundation of IR4.
“As manufacturers modernize their operations, the need for the right connectivity has never been more critical,” explains Ericsson. “Data transformation in manufacturing starts with a unified connectivity platform that seamlessly integrates your existing digital assets to enable new technologies. At the heart of this transformation is 5G connectivity, delivering scalable, flexible solutions that harness massive amounts of data generated by Industrial IoT devices.”
At big shows like Hannover Messe, Ericsson wants a tangible way to demonstrate what these private 5G networks mean in the real world. That’s why Cypher Robotics, along with several other innovators, was invited to display at the Ericsson booth.
“There was a lot of interest in Captis at Hannover Messe,” says King. “People immediately understand the value proposition.”
Below: Cypher Robotics Founder and CEO Peter King, left, along with partners Ericsson and Slolam Consulting
INDRO’S TAKE
InDro was pleased to see Captis and Peter King once again take to the global stage. As the incubator for Cypher Robotics, we are particularly proud.
“The Captis solution is truly at the forefront of cycle-counting technology, and it’s been very satisfying to assist the Cypher Robotics team overcome some of the demanding technical hurdles,” says InDro Robotics Founder and CEO Philip Reece. “In addition to what it can do for clients, Captis is also a great way for Ericsson to demonstrate the undeniable efficiencies that private 5G networks enable in an Industry 4.0 setting.”
Bonus: If you’d like to see highlights from the big show – along with a glimpse of a robotic goaltender built by Ontario high school students that was on display – check out the video below.