Melt Interface Technologies and ugo Announce Business Partnership to Co-Develop Data Collection Device for Humanoid Robots
~ Leveraging the finger-tracking technology of the “ContactGlove3” series to achieve high-precision data collection that melts the boundary between humans and robots ~
Melt Interface Technologies, Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yamato Sakoda; hereinafter “Melt Interface Technologies”), an interface development company, and ugo Inc. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Ken Matsui; hereinafter “ugo”), which promotes the social implementation of physical AI, have agreed to form a business partnership to co-develop a wearable data collection system for imitation learning and teleoperation of humanoid robots, and have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regarding the partnership.
The two companies will combine the high-precision hand-tracking technology that Melt Interface Technologies has cultivated through its “ContactGlove” series with the robot learning technology that ugo has cultivated through the development of AI robots and the provision of its “Imitation Learning Kit for AI Robots,” with the aim of commercializing and launching the product during 2027.
In the research and development of robot foundation models such as VLA models, it is necessary to accurately capture not only video footage of human work but also the position, posture, and time-series data of finger movements, and convert this into data that robots can learn from.
In particular, for delicate tasks such as grasping, assembly, and tool manipulation, it is necessary to stably record fine finger movements over extended periods of time, as well as to build a mechanism that absorbs the differences in hand structure and range of motion between humans and robots and converts this data into robot movement.
Melt Interface Technologies develops the “ContactGlove” series, which utilizes its proprietary electromagnetic-field-based hand-tracking technology. In addition to developing and operating AI robots, ugo provides a “Data Collection Kit” that collects human operation data for use in robot learning.
Through this partnership, the two companies will integrate their technologies to build an environment that allows robot developers to seamlessly handle everything from measuring finger movements to connecting to robots and collecting data.
By combining the technologies and expertise of both companies, we will advance the development of a data collection device that supports research and development of robot foundation models. Melt Interface Technologies will be responsible for developing the device itself, while ugo will handle its integration with robots, with the aim of launching the product during 2027.
Business: Development, manufacturing, and sales of XR-related devices, and providing manufacturing process improvement solutions using these devices
■About Melt Interface Technologies, Inc.
Location: 1-24-1 Kanda Jimbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Toky
Founded: March 2021
Representative: Yamato Sakoda
URL: https://melt-interface-technologies.com/
■About ugo Inc.
Location: 1-7-8 Higashi-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Founded: 2018
Representative: Ken Matsui
URL: https://ugo.plus/
Business: Development, provision, and operation of ugo solutions; development, provision, and operation of physical AI
