Silver Lineworks
 | |
| Company type | Subsidiary of Quicksilver Industries |
|---|---|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 21 April 2015 |
| Headquarters | Casterratti, Thessia Province , |
Key people | Adamo Castagnola (President & Project Director) |
| Revenue | $4.2 billion |
| Total assets | $50 billion |
Number of employees | 4,160 |
| Parent | Quicksilver Industries |
| Divisions |
|
| Subsidiaries |
|
Silver Lineworks is a global engineering and robotics design holding company based in Caphiria. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Quicksilver Industries under its 'QS Innovations' division.
The company was formed in 2011 by Quicksilver Industries to consolidate its holdings and assets in the fields of robotics, engineering, and automation. Silver Lineworks is made up of several highly autonomous companies and teams. Each team is lead by a project manager, who in turn reports to Adamo Castagnola - the Project Director and President of Silver Lineworks.
Silver Lineworks is best known for its "Situational Reconnaissance Unit" of semi-autonomous robotic machines used in classified military operations. The company also builds robots for defense, energy, and hazardous activity support as well as mobile robotic fulfillment systems for use across other internal teams. It also produces machines of varying degrees of autonomy under contract from military drones to advanced artificial intelligence for tech companies and 3D simulations. In addition to manufacturing hardware, Silver Lineworks also develops software and vision guidance tools for military and civilian use. Since 2020, Silver Lineworks has released a series of dynamic highly-mobile robots available for commercial and consumer use and has stated its intent to commercialize other robots as well.
Since its formation, the company has been a pioneer in robotics, and it is one of the most advanced in its domain. As President, Castagnola oversees the major contracts and projects the company takes on, and as Project Director he sets the long-term vision and direction for the company. Castagnola has been incredibly vocal regarding the advancements in robotics and artificial intelligence and has been proclaimed "Rex Robotixa" (Robot King) by media outlets.
History
2006-2010: Formation
Between 2006 and 2010, Quicksilver Industries made a significant investment in the emerging robotics and automation industries by going on an aggressive acquisition spree, purchasing dozens of robotics and engineering companies. Quicksilver Industries also made strategic investments in several robotics startups, such as Achlon Robotics and Kayris Enterprises. This would form the backbone of QSI's robotics and automation program (R&A), which ultimately helped position Quicksilver Industries as a leader and pioneer in robotics. By 2010 however, the R&A program - consisting of dozens of projects being worked on simultaneously with little internal communication between teams, was bloated and inefficient to manage, leading to a drop in innovation.
2011-2019: Early success and growth
In 2011, QSI decided to "soft-reboot" its robotics and automation program and Silver Lineworks was formed as the de facto holding company for all of its robotic & engineering interests. The company focused on streamlining its operations and improving its internal communication, resulting in a significant increase in innovation. During this time, Silver Lineworks achieved several notable milestones in robotics and engineering. In 2013, Silver Lineworks' Situational Reconnaissance Unit (SRU) received widespread recognition for its performance in a classified military operation. The unit's ability to gather information and provide real-time intelligence without putting soldiers in harm's way was praised as a major accomplishment in the field of robotics. The company also converted their internal mobile robotic fulfillment systems to be deployed in several major retail warehouses and distribution centers, greatly increasing their efficiency and productivity. The company also launched a new line of industrial robots for use in manufacturing and assembly operations, which received high praise from industry experts.
In 2014 and 2015, Silver Lineworks was awarded the prestigious "Robotics Company of the Year" award at the International Robotics Conference.
In late 2016, Silver Lineworks attempted to enter into a partnership with the Gura Corporation - a newer competitor in the robotics industry who had won the IRC "Robotics Company of the Year" award in the previous year. Paulo Gura - the founder and Chief Executive of the Gura Corporation, was often described as a visionary, an engineer with a sharp mind, and a passion for robotics. However, he was often described as a control freak, unwilling to listen to the opinions of others and insisting on having the final say on every decision. As a result, he was notorious for uncooperation and unwillingness to negotiate, and prone to blowing up deals at the last moment. After months of back-and-forth discussions however, Gura ultimately agreed to the partnership, allowing Silver Lineworks to acquire a 7.5% stake in the Gura Corporation. The partnership was aimed at leveraging the synergies between the two companies and providing additional resources to drive growth and innovation. Together, under the co-brands "GURA-LINEWORKS®" and "GURA® EDITION", the two companies collaborated on several projects, most notably their "DYNAMICLINK™ Dynamic Robot Collaboration System." This system enabled robots to work together in real-time to complete complex tasks, making them more efficient and versatile. It was designed with advanced algorithms and software that allow robots to work together in harmony. Each robot is able to share its resources, capabilities, and sensory information with the other robots in the network, creating a seamless collaboration system. The system features advanced communication protocols and wireless technologies that ensure fast and reliable data transfer between the robots. While there are no specific prices, a standard model with basic functionality could range anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000. Higher-end models with advanced features and increased capabilities can reach upwards of $10 million.
The company also signed several contracts with leading tech companies to integrate their system into their existing robotics offerings.
In late 2019, after months of negotiations and five failed proposals, Silver Lineworks had an agreement to fully acquire the Gura Corporation. The deal was structured as an asset purchase, with Gura Corporation becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Silver Lineworks, but with Paulo staying on as the Chief Innovations Officer. The deal also gave Paulo his own research laboratory called Gura Advanced Design Solutions with full autonomy. The deal was worth a reported $25 billion, making it Silver Lineworks' largest acquisition to date.
2021-2028
In December 2021, Adamo Castagnola - a senior project manager who worked directly with Paulo and is considered to be his "heir", was promoted to run Silver Lineworks. He was given the title President & Project Director', and is responsible for managing all
The most notable acquisition was Paulo Ávila Gura- a world-renowned robotics engineer - and his engineering team Gura Advanced Design Solutions.
Structure
Silver Lineworks consists of 7 primary engineering firms and five research & development teams; each firm has a project manager who reports directly to Castagnola, who reports to the head of QS Innovations.
| Project Manager | Subsidiary | Acquisition date | Notable projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paulo Gura | Gura Corporation | 15 August 2009 | |
| Octavio Așkenci | Achlon Robotics | ||
| Matellian Fertănăsello | Kayris Enterprises | ||
| Ovio Daniengenturra | Merivran Automation | ||
| Malfedevenzo Cappedrio | Med-El | ||
| Madruț Selris | Selris Industries | ||
| Pasqualeo Chelovek | Chelovek |
Products
MPDU
The MPDU (Multi-Purpose Deployment Unit) is a series of semi-autonomous battle-ready robots. There are three variants, each equipped with a specific set of detachable arms and a bunch of "rules" that govern how it operates.
The A-Type is designed for active duty combat and is fitted with one general-purpose machine gun on its right arm capable of firing 7.62×51mm rounds in ball, tracer, and rubber variants. Its left arm is weaponless but features God's Hand, allowing it to serve in various environments and applications.
The B-Type machine is designed for heavy combat and features two 7.62×51mm general-purpose machine guns, preceding God's Hand. The B-Type also has reinforced steel plates in key vulnerable areas and has an upgraded targeting system.
The C-Type machine is also known as Scout-C due to its streamlined design and lack of offensive weapons. It has God's Hands on both of its arms, and the head region has been stripped of the missile housing, instead containing a large loudspeaker flanked by a pair of flashing sirens on its shoulder. While it does not have autonomous communicative abilities, it can project the voice from its Command Tower and utilize its onboard cameras and sensors in real time. In some of the more prominent cities of Caphiria and worldwide, the C-Type machine has been deployed in the local police force and has proven highly effective.
God's Hand
One of the essential innovations in the field of robotics is what is called a Ligintum Divus (the Hand of God) or simply referred to as God's Hand. It is a myoelectric, multi-articulating prosthetic hand with five individually powered digits that offers electrically rotating thumbs with manual override. With 20 actuated degrees of freedom, absolute position and force sensors, and ultra-sensitive touch sensors on the fingertips, The Hand of God provide unique capabilities for problems that require the closest approximation. God's Hand also has four under-actuated movements for 24 joints. Each joint has a movement range again the same as or very close to that of a human hand, including the thumb and even the flex of the palm for the little finger. With 129 sensors in total, The Hand of God provides detailed telemetry, which can be exploited to generate innovative manipulation control systems or to provide a detailed understanding of the external environment. As well as absolute position sensing for each joint, God's Hand includes force sensing for each actuator, tactile sensing on fingertips, temperature and motor current, and voltage sensing. All this data is made available to the Command Tower from 100Hz and up to 1kHz via a high bandwidth EtherCAT interface. Supporting this high frequency for information is the fast movement of the hand – from open to closed in 0.3 seconds. It also features four custom AGM-176 Griffin missiles in place of a "head" designed for precision low-collateral damage. Directly below this, however, are the multitude of sensors and cameras that allow the MPDU to have some autonomy.
DYNAMICLINK™
DYNAMICLINK™ is a robotic collaboration system originally co-developed by the Gura Corporation and Silver Lineworks as part of their early partnership. The system allows multiple robots to work together seamlessly and efficiently. This product line has received international recognition for its innovative technology, intuitive software, and flexible design. DYNAMICLINK™ is designed to enable the collaboration of multiple robots in an environment where they can work together to achieve a common defined goal. This is accomplished through the use of advanced robotic algorithms, communication protocols, and intelligent sensor systems. The system is flexible, allowing robots to be added or removed as needed, and is scalable to meet the demands of different projects and applications.
DYNAMICLINK™ is highly customizable, allowing customers to configure their systems to meet their specific needs. The system is also equipped with user-friendly software that makes it easy for operators to manage their robots, even those with limited technical knowledge. The system has a unit cost of approximately $500,000, generating approximately $2.3 billion in revenue for the Gura Corporation and Silver Lineworks.
FEDYA
The 06-T9 at a Zinoviy Test Site.
The 06-T9, also known as "FEDYA," is the alpha unit of the Zinoviy Enterprise robots. This machine is still developing and not ready to be sent to the battlefield. The ultimate goal for 06-T9 is to "be the best assault support system during land missions and drastically reduce the need for human infantry during select missions." The 06-T9 is designed to go anywhere soldiers and marines go on foot. The development of the first unit took over 36 months and a team of the best engineers and scientists from the top institutions in the world.
The cost of a single unit has been estimated to be close to US$700 million.
Crowby
A photo from one of the leaked documents of Crowby-44
The Type-44 Heavy Artillery Robot, also known as Crowby-44 is a project still in development, and little is known about it other than a few leaked documents. The documents describe Crowby-44 as "a giant heavy machine gun on legs," and from the photos in the document, that is a true statement.
Crowby-44 is at least ten feet tall and weighs over 800 pounds; the most recent iteration features a heavy machine gun that fires custom .950 JDJ rounds. Loaded .950 JDJ cases are approximately the length of an empty .50 BMG casing (i.e., 4 in or 10 cm) and are based on a 20×102mm case shortened and necked up to accept the .950 in (24.1 mm) bullet. Projectiles are custom-made and most commonly weigh 3,600 grains (230 g), 8.2 ounces, or over half a pound. The cartridge propels its 3,600 gr (230 g) bullet at approximately 2,200 ft/s (670 m/s). This yields a muzzle energy of 38,685 ft·lbf (52,450 J) and momentum of 154.1 Newton-seconds, about the same as a 20×102mm Vulcan round.
Older versions of Crowby-44 show a seat on top of the machine, indicating that soldiers can mount and ride the machine. Based on documents, the ideas were scrapped because of the intense recoil from the weapon, which caused significant injuries during internal testing.
Templar Project
The culmination of famed robotics engineer Edon Guraziu's career is The Templar Project. In his own words, Guraziu has said, "Templar is more than my final engineering project before retirement. It's more than just the largest, the most expensive, the longest project in development...Templar represents a schism in the grand development of humanity, a schism that will define the next step in our race."
In the broadest sense, the Templar Project is a multi-faceted engineering project that aims to create the world's first synthetic organism with accurate full artificial intelligence. The project started over thirty years ago and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars since its inception and will continue well after project lead Edon Guraziu retires. While the Templar Project has one clear purpose, it is hundreds of "micro-projects" that drive the progress forward. There are apparent technological hurdles involved, namely in artificial intelligence. The micro-projects help to tackle the scope of the project, focusing on more minor and more actionable things, such as building a framework and robotic skeleton that will become the basis of the machine, as well as things like getting limb articulation correct.
Many of Silver Lineworks' existing projects serve as working prototypes for specific mini-projects; a notable example is the Shadow Hand, which continues to be iterated on for the specific purpose of the Templar Project. Another significant milestone occurred in 2014 when a team from Caterpillar Robotics created a human skull replica by programmed nanomachines. A notable advancement was made about the "brain" of the skull, which taps into a neural network that, in turn, is directly linked to the Internet. By learning and studying from hundreds of websites, sources, and IxTube videos, the "brain" (composed of a custom nanotube compound) can analyze patterns and create a semi-autonomous "thought," and make very rudimentary human-like decisions.
The most recent milestone was the completion of the EE-06 Smart Skin. The Smart Skin is not one "skin." Still, dozens of smaller skins and components are designed to mimic the look, feel, and texture of human-like skin and, at the same time, provide the necessary reinforcements on the top of the skeleton to ensure stability. Made from high-quality Fullerene-intrinsically conducting polymers and a superalloy multi-function structure, the Smart Skin is the product of a dozen combinations of technologies. While very little is known about the Smart Skin, it has passed basic stability testing and can withstand temperatures up to 600 degrees, and does not compress until a minimum of 600 lbs of force.
A render of the latest Templar Shadow Hand
The AH Skull
The EE-06 Smart Skin