MEET BLUEBOTICS

At BlueBotics we help companies meet the challenge of vehicle automation. We provide the navigation technology and expert support they need to bring their AGV, automated forklift or mobile robot successfully to market.

The reference in autonomous navigation

Established in Switzerland in 2001, we have spent 23 years refining our natural feature navigation technology (ANT) in order to make AGVs easier to install and operate. Over this period, we have helped companies to develop dozens of ANT driven AGVs, automated forklifts and mobile robots.

23 YRS
Of Natural
Feature
Navigation
5,000+
ANT driven
VEHICLES IN
OPERATION
1,000+
END-USER
INSTALLATIONS
10+
MILLION KM
DRIVEN BY ANT

Our values

At BlueBotics everything we do is driven by our three core values.

COMMUNICATION

We value effective communication. Listening and understanding is key, then our goal is to always convey clear and constructive messages, with customers, partners and each other.

INNOVATION

We are committed to continuous innovation that brings real-world value to our customers.

SIMPLICITY

Pioneering technology is only useful if it is simple to use. We strive to make our products (and team) as easy to work with as possible.

Swiss
made

Our products are not only engineered in Switzerland, they are also produced here. Together with our network of suppliers, we deliver precise Swiss Made solutions, which guarantee your vehicles perform perfectly, both now and in the future.

Swiss Made

See how we evolved from EPFL start-up to the world's leading provider of natural feature navigation.

Our
story

2001
BlueBotics is founded as a spin-off of EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne.

2002

BlueBotics participates in the Swiss National Exhibition, installing 11 RoboX robot guides that run for six months.

2006

First AGV pilot project signed with Esatroll.

2007

BlueBotics designs & manufactures a robotic mobile coffee machine for Nespresso.

2009

First ANT driven AGV (Esatroll Paquito) goes into operation 24/7 in the food production industry.

2012

ANT localization launched for AGV suppliers who use their own vehicle control system.

2013

ANT lite is launched as a compact and simple navigation solution for service robotics.

2014

- 100th ANT system delivered.
- ANT lite⁺ launched to automate forklifts and AGVs.
- ANT server fleet management software launched.
- Oppent launches the EVOcart™ AGV for hospital logistics.
- Cleanfix launches the RA660 Navi commercial cleaning robot.
- Stöcklin launches the EagleANT automated forklift.

2016

ANT localization⁺ launched, enabling customers to upgrade line-following AGVs to ANT.

2017

500th ANT system delivered.

2018

- 1,000th ANT system delivered.
- BlueBotics signs distribution deal with Shanghai TONGPU Electronics Co. Ltd. to meet growing demand in China.

2019

BlueBotics signs distribution deals with ALTECH Co. Ltd. in Japan and Alumotion Srl in Italy.

2020

- 2,000th ANT system delivered.
- BlueBotics signs distribution deal with MacPion Co. Ltd. to meet growing demand in South Korea.

2021

- BlueBotics celebrates 20th anniversary.
- 3,000th ANT system delivered.
- ANT driven vehicles driven over 10 million km.
- BlueBotics named top 3 market leader.

2022

- BlueBotics acquired by Zapi Group
- 4,000+ vehicles ANT driven vehicles in operation
- Launched ANTdriven.com
- Opened offices in China and United States

2023

- ANT everywhere enables a new era of AGV and AMR operation
- Our global market survey, Automated Vehicles in Material Handling, indicates significant growth
- Inaugural Prix BlueBotics for Excellence in Robotics awarded
- Growth of presence in China

Meet Our Experts

Management

Dr. Nicola TOMATIS

CEO

Languages:
EN, FR, IT, DE

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Nicola has been the CEO of BlueBotics since 2003 and joined its Board of Directors in 2015. He holds an M.Sc. in Computer Science from ETH Zurich and a PhD in Robotics from the EPFL in Lausanne. He received the IEEE Early Career Award in Robotics and Automation in 2008 and has twice been included in Bilan’s 300 Most Influential People in Switzerland.

Patrick BALMER

VP Operations

Languages:
EN, FR, DE

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Patrick has worked with BlueBotics for more than a decade, first as a project manager before moving into the role of VP of Operations. After gaining his diploma of Engineering from the EPFL in Lausanne, Patrick worked with companies focused on med-tech and lasers.

Jacques FLAMANT

VP Sales

Languages:
EN, FR, ES

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Jacques leads BlueBotics’ global sales team, bringing a wealth of skills from his background in the automotive industry. Before joining BlueBotics, he led commercial sales teams with companies including NNG, Honeywell and Delphi Systems. When not at work, Jacques enjoys golfing, football and looking after his tropical fish aquarium.

Dr. Pierre LAMON

VP Research

Languages:
EN, FR, DE, IT

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Pierre leads BlueBotics' R&D group and the software development team. He brings to the team technical skills in software and algorithms, including mapping, localization, calibration and outdoor robotics. While working towards his postdoc at the EPFL in Lausanne, Pierre led a project developing an autonomous smart car.

Fabrice SCHERTENLEIB

VP Finance, HR & Legal

Languages:
EN, FR

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Fabrice joins the BlueBotics team with a wealth of experience as a managing director at an international manufacturer, as well as in finance positions at a number of different companies and industries. On the weekends, Fabrice enjoys skiing, e-mountain biking, and a lot more.

Grégoire TERRIEN

VP Engineering

Languages:
EN, FR, DE, IT

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Grégoire has been with BlueBotics since the company was founded in 2001, having gained a Master’s degree in Microengineering from the EPFL in Lausanne. As the VP of Development, he oversees the team responsible for technical customer partnerships as well as mechatronics development.

Matt WADE

VP Marketing

Languages:
EN, FR

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Matt joined BlueBotics in 2019 to head up the firm's growing marketing function. A well-travelled ex-journalist, he has a wealth of experience working with cutting-edge technology companies across the globe.

If you partner with BlueBotics, these are
the staff you’ll work with the most.

Systems
Engineering

Dr. Mathias PERROLLAZ

Head of Systems

Languages:
EN, FR, IT

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Mathias gained an engineering degree from Grenoble INPG and a PhD in computer vision from UPMC in Paris, before working in academic research with a focus on robotics and intelligent vehicle applications. He joined BlueBotics as a support engineer in 2015, and has led the Systems Engineering team since 2019.

Antoine AUPEE

Lead Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR

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Antoine joined BlueBotics after working on a robotic exoskeleton for his Master’s thesis at ETH Zurich. At BlueBotics, Antoine works with customers on their vehicle installations, and as part of the R&D team he also helps to develop projects such as the mini™ UVC.

Yann BOUDIGOU

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, ES

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Yann studied Robotics Engineering at EPFL in Lausanne. Before joining the BlueBotics team as a Systems Engineer, he worked for a car manufacturer in Alabama, USA and with a team dedicated to breaking the world speed record for sailing in Lausanne, Switzerland. Outside of the office, Yann enjoys calisthenics, DJing and spending time with friends.

Jean Francois BURNIER

Senior Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, DE, ES

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Jean-François (‘JF’) Burnier gained his Master’s of Science in Microengineering from the EPFL in Lausanne. He also interned at NASA before joining the BlueBotics support team and works in four different languages (and in as many time zones) to ensure the best possible outcomes for our customers.

Lisandro DE OLIVEIRA

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, PT, ES

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Lisandro gained a degree in Engineering from ENSAM in France, with a special focus in mechatronics. Before joining the BlueBotics Systems Team, Lisandro worked as a mechatronics engineer in the defence industry. In his spare time, Lisandro enjoys tinkering with electronics and 3D printing, is an accomplished sky diver, and has an interest in street hypnosis.

Iven DONG

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, CN

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Iven gained his bachelor’s degree at Shanghai University and then Master’s degrees at the University of Edinburgh and University College London. He speaks English, Mandarin, Japanese and a little Urdu. When not at work in BlueBotics’ Shanghai office, Iven enjoys learning languages.

Guillaume DUPRÉ LA TOUR

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR

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Guillaume joined the BlueBotics team after studying aerospace engineering at Ecole Centrale de Lyon in France and working with both drones and industrial robotics. Outside of work, Guillaume enjoys mountain biking and ski touring through the Alps.

Armand LAMOUILLE

Senior Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, ES

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Armand has worked at BlueBotics since 2019. Before joining the team, gained his Master’s degree in Microengineering from the EPFL in Lausanne. Armand still works closely with customers to create the best possible designs. In his spare time, Armand enjoy skiing and travelling around the world.

Andrew METZ

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN

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Andrew holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from North Carolina State University. Before joining the BlueBotics Support team, he worked in manufacturing, doing R&D and parts modelling. Outside of the office, Andrew plays ice hockey, enjoys good coffee and is an advocate for dog adoption.

Victor TWARDOWSKI

Senior Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, IT

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Victor joined BlueBotics as a Systems Engineer after gaining a Master of Engineering in Mechatronics from Politecnico di Torino in Italy and interning as a project manager leading a mechatronics R&D project. At BlueBotics, Victor supports commissioning and project installations, both in-person and remotely.

Hugo VIARD

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, ES

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Hugo holds Master’s degrees in Microengineering (from the EPFL in Lausanne), and in Mechatronics, Robotics and Automation Engineering (from the University of California, Berkeley). Hugo works in BlueBotics’ R&D and Engineering teams and helped create the Cleanfix autonomous cleaning machine.

Charles VUICHARD

Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR

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Charles studied mechanical and electronic engineering at Arts et Métiers in Bordeaux and EPFL in Lausanne. Before joining BlueBotics, Charles worked for a drone company in Switzerland. A self-described jack of all trades, Charles enjoys hiking and sports, as well as crafts, culture and culinary experiments.

Tao WU

Senior Systems Engineer

Languages:
EN, FR, CN

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Tao is an expert roboticist with experience in China, France and Switzerland. He holds a Master’s degree in mechatronics from the University of Montpellier, with a focus on robotics and automation. At BlueBotics Tao focuses on process improvements to help clients get the best results.

Operations

Richard REVANGUE

Project Manager

Languages:
EN, FR

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Richard was born and raised in Paris before moving to Switzerland to work with BlueBotics. Before joining the team, he studied aeronautical engineering at IPSA in Paris, and worked as a Services Sales Expert at Dassault Systems. Outside of work, Richard enjoys travelling, music and playing football.

Alexandra ZEHR

Project Manager

Languages:
EN, FR, ES

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Alexandra has a wealth of experience, having worked within sectors ranging from ecommerce to the Swiss watch industry, with roles including customer experience, product and project management. Alexandra grew up in Spain, gained her MA in the USA, and has since returned to her mother country, Switzerland. A self-described epicurean, Alexandra enjoys food and wine, as well as travelling.

Sales &
Marketing

Sander BURGHARDT

Senior Sales Manager, Europe

Languages:
EN, FR, DE, IT, TR

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The most multilingual team member at BlueBotics, Sander puts his five perfectly-spoken languages to work driving the company's commercial growth across Europe. A highly experienced sales professional, he holds a Masters in International Business from Sorbonne University in Paris.

Mehdi DJELASSI

Sales Manager, EMEA

Languages:
EN, FR

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Mehdi studied industrial design in Paris and worked in car manufacturing for a decade before pivoting into technical sales and business development for industrial and automotive companies. When not in the office, you’ll find Mehdi hiking, kitesurfing, or relaxing in nature or a good restaurant.

Fanny DORTA

Sales Manager, APAC

Languages:
EN, FR

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Fanny holds Master’s degrees in Materials Science, and in Management of Technology & Entrepreneurship from EPFL in Lausanne. Before joining BlueBotics, she worked in Sales & Business Development for high-tech SMEs in Switzerland and Shanghai. When not working, Fanny enjoys travelling and hiking in Switzerland and around the world.

Martin HU

Sales Manager, China

Languages:
EN, CN

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Martin studied at Shandong University of Technology and worked in Nigeria and Italy before joining the BlueBotics team in Shanghai . Martin speaks English and Chinese, and when not in the office he enjoys running.

Adam KASSAM

Sales Manager, Americas

Languages:
EN

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Adam joined the BlueBotics Sales team with more than a decade’s experience in technology, construction and heavy machinery used in the mining and oil and gas industries. Adam studied Marketing and Entrepreneurship at the University of Houston, and when not in the office, enjoys fishing, traveling and outdoor activities.

Raphaël VEROVE

Business Development Manager

Languages:
EN, CN, DE, FR

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Raphaël has lived and worked all over the world, spending time in Grenoble, Melbourne, Stuttgart, and Taipei. Outside of the office, Raphaël enjoys skiing, biking and hiking. Raphaël has a background in automated vehicle projects and switched to mobile robots for intralogistics automation in 2020.