US Positronix Pioneers Magnetic Levitation Solutions
Serial Entrepreneurs Disrupt Manufacturing and Logistics Industries
Reducing Cost and Complexity
US Positronix, is revolutionizing warehouse operations with an efficient and adaptive low-power, high-capacity mobility platform that deploys magnetic levitation to move inventory, people, and robots, reducing cost and complexity.
Imagine “movers” that “float” and navigate a warehouse without power, intelligence, or wheels.
“Ours is a solution that is lean, simple, and elegant,” said Mico Perales, President of US Positronix, “We build intelligent, smart flooring systems that coordinate the motion of high volumes of very low-cost movers propelled by actuated permanent magnets. The movers are controlled by a programmable intelligence within modular tiles that we install on warehouse floors.”
The levitated movers are simple to change in shape or size and are not limited to a single function or a single path. They consume no power and can be interconnected to increase their size and load capacity. With no moving parts that are accessible for injury and no belts or large pieces of machinery on wheels, the system enhances safety as well.
Founders pivoted from treadmill innovation to scalable advanced technology solution for manufacturing and logistics
The smart flooring system is a pivot on an idea that came to Perales and Co-founder and CTO John Baker—friends and professional associates since they met as undergraduate students in engineering and physics at MIT—during Covid.
“With the pandemic, we both moved into our home gyms,” Perales said. “We didn’t like spending time on uncomfortable and unnatural treadmills. Wouldn’t it be more fun, we thought if we could run on a levitated treadmill that could quickly change direction and speed?”
It didn’t take long for the two founders to realize that an even better opportunity for such a technology would be in warehousing and logistics.
Next Steps
Recently, Perales participated in a pitch competition at Automate, the largest trade show and conference for automation in North America.
“We had a video that animates and illustrates how we can simplify warehouse work flows autonomously, without large heavy equipment,” he said,” when we shared that video, customers got it.”
The company’s major next milestone is to set up an in-house pilot that can simulate customer workflows and prove how the system can improve safety, save costs, and simplify and accelerate operations for a customer’s specific use case.
“We are talking with customers who are looking to adapt to changing market and workflow needs but are restrained by high costs or inflexible automated solutions that are not a fit for their production lines or warehouse,” Perales said. “These are customers we can help.”
