Pioneers of AI Meet the robots and drones working in warehouses
17 snips
Jan 21, 2026 Raffaello D’Andrea, a visionary engineer and the founder of Kiva Systems, dives into the fascinating world of robotics and drones. He shares the transformative impact of Kiva on warehouse efficiency and discusses the challenges of creating effective robots. Raffaello elaborates on Verity’s autonomous drones, which enhance inventory management and safety. He contrasts traditional vision systems with innovative AI models and highlights the potential of tailored robots for specific tasks. The conversation also touches on the future of humanoid robots and the importance of human connections in an AI-driven world.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
From RoboCup To Kiva
- Raffaello D’Andrea described founding Kiva after RoboCup success and an MIT sabbatical with collaborators Mick and Pete.
- They hired RoboCup students and built mobile robots to bring inventory to people instead of making people walk the warehouse.
Keep Humans Where Dexterity Matters
- Keep humans in the loop for tasks where dexterity and final decision still matter, like packing stations.
- Use robots to remove low-skilled, repetitive work while humans perform the pick-and-pack actions.
Why Purpose-Built Robots Dominate
- Tailor-made robots win in industry because physical tasks impose many constraints generalist robots can't handle cheaply.
- Cost includes upfront price and ongoing maintenance, so specialized designs often deliver better economics.