Robots have the potential to perform many useful tasks, but they'll never replace parents. Or will they? Thorley Industries, a Pittsburgh developer of baby products, recently launched its high-tech moving baby seat, the mamaRoo, nationwide. Thorley will market the device, which initiaties real motions moms use to soothe their babies, under its 4Moms brand name.

The mamaRoo, though, is just the latest in a long string of momentum Thorley has built. In early 2010 the company announced a strategic investment by consumer products firm Newell Rubbermaid. Prior to that, it won the 2008 Juvenile Products Marketing Association's Innovation Award for the mamaRoo--the fourth time Thorley won the honor since its founding in 2005.

The engineering team at 4Moms is made up of graduates from the Carnegie Mellon University robotics program.  The group designed a robotics platform for motion control software that creates controlled lateral motion (both up-down and side-to-side). The mamaRoo's movements are patterned on those of mothers who wore sensors that tracked and stored their movements. The product is carried by  major retailers like BabiesRUs and Target and carries a $199.99 pricetag.

The company's name is taken from the last names of its founders, Henry Thorne and Robert Daley, who have a combined 34 years of entrepreneurial experience. With the new investment and product launch, Thorley was expanding its staff by 50 percent to 16 by the spring, including three new hires in robotic engineering. The company's long-term vision includes developing more products for young children and extending their expertise to other home goods.