Product Development License Granted to Bombyx

**Bombyx: A Revolutionary Aerial Fiber Deployment Solution**

**Introduction**
When our team first conceived of Bombyx, our aerial fiber deployment solution, we envisioned a robot that could weave fiber-optic cables over powerlines, enabling quick connectivity even in rural or remote areas. After years of successful research, Bombyx is now taking the next steps in its development. In an exciting move, Meta will be licensing the technology to Japanese robotics company, Hibot. This partnership will enable Hibot to leverage their expertise in robotics development to further enhance and deploy Bombyx.

**Hibot’s Role in Advancing Bombyx**
Hibot, with their wealth of experience in robotics, is well-positioned to make Bombyx ready for deployment. The CEO of Hibot, Michele Guarnieri, expressed enthusiasm for this opportunity and sees it as a significant opportunity for the company’s expansion. By working closely with Meta, they aim to leverage this innovation and form valuable alliances to maximize its potential. In addition to the fiber deployment use case, Hibot plans to utilize Bombyx’s core innovations for infrastructure inspection purposes. This technology can also be applied to upgrade electrical grid infrastructure, supporting grid modernization and the wider adoption of renewable energy.

**What is Bombyx?**
Fiber optic cables serve as the backbone of the global internet, providing abundant and low-cost connectivity. However, the high costs and complexities associated with fiber installation have hindered widespread deployment. Bombyx was developed as a solution to address these challenges. It is an evolution of the helical wrapping technique, where a fiber optic cable is wrapped around an existing powerline conductor. While helical wrapping had limitations, such as the need to shut off power and the cumbersome wrapping process, Bombyx overcomes these issues through several key innovations.

**Key Innovations of Bombyx**
Bombyx combines a novel miniature fiber cable with a unique spool-free cable geometry, enabling long spans of fiber to be packed into a small volume. This design allows the fiber to be spun around a powerline conductor without the need for counterweights. Bombyx also introduces a groundbreaking robot capable of traversing energized conductors and automatically overcoming obstacles like pin and post insulators. It achieves this through a combination of machine vision, custom sensors, thruster fans, drive/lift/rotation subsystems, and advanced stabilization control. Similar to a tightrope walker, the robot can balance itself and pass over obstacles, streamlining the fiber installation process.

**The Next Frontier: Empowering Underserved Communities**
Despite progress in rural connectivity, underserved areas still lag behind urban areas in terms of internet access. Bombyx was always envisioned as a frontier technology that would help connect underserved communities worldwide. Achieving this goal requires collaboration from engineers developing the technology to linemen deploying the cables using Bombyx. By facilitating large-scale fiber deployments, Bombyx will ultimately benefit consumers by providing higher capacity and lowering costs. The partnership with Hibot signifies a new chapter in Bombyx’s journey, and we eagerly anticipate the innovative advancements they will bring to the technology.

In conclusion, Bombyx represents a game-changing solution in aerial fiber deployment. Through its unique design and functionalities, it addresses the cost and complexity barriers associated with fiber installation. By partnering with Hibot, Meta is confident that Bombyx will continue to evolve and revolutionize the field of fiber optic connectivity. Together, we can bridge the digital divide and empower communities with reliable and affordable internet access.