Episode 111 | The Coming Shift to Lightweight AI and Global Automation | Peter Haas

From satellite missions and drone startups to international development work in Haiti, Peter Haas has carved one of the most unconventional and globally minded paths in robotics. Today, he’s combining decades of experience across academia, entrepreneurship, government, and humanitarian work to answer a pivotal question:

How can robotics and AI help the half of the world living on less than $5.50 a day?

In this episode, Peter shares his journey - from working on NASA’s Gravity Probe B, to co-founding a drone company, to running robotics research at Brown University, to helping grow the Massachusetts robotics ecosystem. Now, as he embarks on a new chapter consulting from a sailboat in the Caribbean, Peter reveals what’s next for robotics, where the biggest opportunities lie, and why building for real-world problems matters more than ever.

Highlights:
- A career shaped by exploration: Peter’s early days ranged from being a park ranger and attempting a novel in Paris to working on Gravity Probe B, where robot-made gyroscopes sparked his fascination with precision hardware.  
- International development meets robotics: A decade in Haiti showed Peter the limitations of traditional manufacturing models — inspiring his mission to use robotics to uplift underserved populations globally.  
- The spark moment: Riding in an early Google self-driving car at TED convinced Peter to fully transition back into tech, eventually co-founding a drone company and entering the robotics ecosystem.  
- From research to ecosystem building: Peter shares insights from leading Brown University’s Humanities-Centric Robotics Initiative and helping scale Massachusetts’ 500-company robotics cluster.  

What’s exciting him now:
- Lightweight, non-transformer models (Liquid AI, etc.) enabling powerful AI on resource-constrained robots.
- Better teleoperation interfaces and the rise of “robot call centers” that decouple physical labor from geography.  
- Ethical & technical challenges: Why cybersecurity is a looming crisis in robotics, and how insecure firmware and exposed ROS systems create real-world risk.  

Lessons from the field:
- Failure: building a $50K LiDAR drone just before DJI commoditized photogrammetry — and how that mirrors today’s AI landscape.
- Success: why startups like SIMPL Automation win by partnering early and commercializing quickly.
- Advice for builders & graduates:
- Solve real problems for real customers — not abstract robotics challenges.
- The integrator gap is massive: new grads with hands-on skills can build careers serving manufacturers who desperately need automation.  

Connect with Greg: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregtoroosian/

Connect with Peter:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterhaas-robotics/