Blue Sky Bulletin — January 2024
A monthly roundup of things worth sharing…
Written by Ellen Cochran
Adventures in Atlanta: Blue Sky Robotics
It’s a brand new year, and Blue Sky is starting things off strong. We have moderated forums, facilitated VR exercises, and even indulged in some arts and crafts. This month, however, the focus has been on advancing our robotics offshoot company, Blue Sky Robotics (formerly Robotic Vision). We are passionate about exploring how robotic arms can streamline and automate important tasks, and this year we’re committed to learning and growing in this field.
During the last week of the month, some of our team traveled to Atlanta, GA, to set up both hardware and software for a new client’s uFactory xArms. Steven, Bhargav, and Liz spent a couple of days organizing, programming, and testing the arms, but they might argue that most of their time was spent sorting through cords. In the end, the trip was a success, and we are excited to continue working with our friends in Atlanta.
You may have noticed that Robotic Vision has rebranded to “Blue Sky Robotics,” so it’s time to retrain our brains to use the new name. Although our website does not yet reflect this rebranding, a Blue Sky Robotics website is coming soon.
Blog Spotlight: Why You Should Consider Outsourcing Your Innovation
By Steven King
In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, the ability to continuously innovate is imperative for companies seeking to gain a competitive edge. However, innovation requires unique skills and methodologies that can be difficult for organizations to cultivate and maintain internally. More and more, we see leading companies like IBM, Apple, and Bosch strategically collaborating with specialized external partners to complement their internal capabilities for innovation. The Harvard Business Review recently reported that 94 percent of tech leaders view innovation partnerships as a necessary strategy.
Finding the right innovation partner is critical. In this post, we’ll explore key considerations for identifying and evaluating potential innovation partners that are positioned to deliver fresh thinking, accelerate your innovation velocity, and drive real business impact without overburdening your team.
We will share actionable insights and lessons learned from our lived experience as innovation leaders at UNC Blue Sky Innovations. Whether you are exploring outsourced innovation for the first time or aiming to increase returns from existing partnerships, read on for our advice.
What We’re Watching: The Wall Street Journal’s Review of The Apple Vision Pro
The Apple Vision Pro is officially released today, and we are finally seeing reviews of the mixed-reality headset by actual users. After wearing the device for nearly 24 hours, WSJ’s Joanna Stern has some interesting insights on how this headset could fit into a user’s daily life.
In her video review, Stern provides an honest summary of the pros and cons of this new technology, giving us a good idea of what it’s like to own the Vision Pro. She even offers some guesses on the future of this product. Now, it’s up to you to decide whether to get on board the Vision Pro train or wait for the next arrival.
