Beam, a telepresence robot with a screen that a person can remotely control and use to communicate via video, became a breakthrough success in the world of robotics in part because of its role in helping high-profile, but movement-limited, people like Edward Snowden better communicate with the outside world, and disability rights activists meet with world leaders. Now, the control of Beam the product itself is changing: Suitable Technologies, the creator of the Beam, is selling it to Blue Ocean Robotics, a Denmark-based developer and incubator that describes itself as a "Robot Venture Factory." In an interview we conducted via a Beam robot -- where I dialled into Blue Ocean's offices and navigated a Beam from its docking station around the office and into a private room -- Blue Ocean's CEO and co-founder Claus Risager said his company is not buying Suitable itself: the deal includes only the IP, staff who work on Beam robots, hardware inventory and other related assets. Currently, there are a few versions of the Beam on the market: the two main categories are a smaller robot that is priced around $2,000-$4,000, and a larger Beam Pro that sells for around $15,000 per machine. The key with Blue Ocean's development to date is that it has built a "toolbox" (Risager's term) that it uses to build different robotic hardware -- one of its most successful has been its UVD Robot that can perform remote, ultra-violet-based disinfection in hospitals and other infection-prone environments -- that it will be using to develop iterations of the Beam. That could mean that long-rumored ideas of the Beam getting robotic arms and other appendages could be coming at some point.

In recent times, robotics technology is widely recognized for delivering efficiency, reliability, low spoilage, and higher overall productivity. Owing to the benefits and also to realize its complete potential in the business domain, extensive research and development works are conducted to further improve the quality while obliterating various design and operational constraints in robots. Latest techniques and algorithms are making robots smaller, safer, more practical, and cost-effective to be used by organizations in multiple industries such as manufacturing, construction, and healthcare. Moreover, the convergence of robotics with a wide range of complementary technologies such as machine vision, force sensing, speech recognition, and advanced mechanics is offering increased levels of functionality. Well positioned to fulfill the demand for robots in different industries is the Denmark based firm, Blue Ocean Robotics that identifies the users and their generic challenges to develop robots as the solution.