Bossa Nova de-emphasizes robots in 'retail AI' rebrand

Bossa Nova is taking a "broader approach" to image-based AI analytics for retailers. Bossa Nova Robotics is no stranger to pivoting its business. The company started out working on robotic toys when it was founded in 2005. Then it developed a robot for researchers called "mObi" that was based on Carnegie Mellon University's ballbot spherical locomotion technology. Then it rolled out what it's best known for – autonomous mobile robots for inventory tracking, with Walmart as its primary customer.