The Robot Report Podcast

Daniel Theobald, Founder and Chairman of Vecna Robotics, talks about funding early-stage robotics startups. He shares his experience in the industry and discusses the Robotics Startup Workshop at RoboBusiness 2023. Daniel also discusses his ag-robotics test ground on his personal farm, the challenges of ag robotics, and the Acorn robot platform as a solution for agriculture. The chapter highlights the importance of funding and aligning government contracts with development timelines, and the challenges in obstacle detection and wireless communication in outdoor robotics.

CEO and co-founder of Four Growers, Brandon Contino, discusses the technical and business challenges of building robots for greenhouse food harvesting. The podcast also mentions TRI using Generative AI to teach robots dexterous manipulation behaviors.

Melonee Wise, CTO at Agility Robotics, discusses the potential of humanoids and mobile manipulation robots. They dive into the advantages of bipedal mobile manipulators and the use of combo grippers in warehouses. The interview highlights Agility Robotics' advancements in humanoid technology and their role in transitioning automation systems.

Andrew Smith, CEO and co-founder of Outrider, discusses their efforts in commercializing yard automation using autonomous vehicles. They highlight the benefits of automation in improving efficiency, safety, and sustainability in the supply chain. The podcast also covers topics like the decline in robot sales, the impact of the pandemic on logistics and e-commerce, and Outrider's partnerships and go-to-market strategy.

Apptronik CEO Jeff Cardenas discusses the development of legged robotics and the launch of the company's first commercial humanoid robot, Apollo. They also explore the market potential and demand for humanoid robots in the logistics industry, highlighting the challenges and opportunities. The discussion emphasizes the performance, affordability, and unique design of the Apollo humanoid robot.

Enzo Wälchli, Chief Commercial Officer at ANYbotics, discusses the explosion-proof ANYmal quadruped robot and its applications in extreme environments. They also talk about the company's expansion and collaboration, and the challenges of autonomous vehicle testing and the self-driving car industry.

This week, cohost Mike Oitzman catches up with a longtime friend and fellow podcaster Kevin Lawton, host of The New Warehouse Podcast. We talk about the state of automation in the warehouse and how the market is evolving. Be sure to check out The New Warehouse Podcast for everything related to warehouse operations and technology.

On the show this week we review the robotics industry news, including a story about the Ocado acquisition of 6 River Systems and the fire sale price that Ocado paid for the assets of 6 River Systems from Shopify earlier this year. The featured interview is a conversation with Aerobotix VP of Sales, Chris Kolb. Aerobotix builds and integrates robotic inspection, sanding, and painting systems for US military aircraft maintenance. The systems installed by Aerobotix even painted the US Air Force aircraft filmed for the original Top Gun Maverick movie.

Marc Raibert, founder of Boston Dynamics, talks about innovation at Boston Dynamics, moving to the AI Institute, legged robotics, applications of humanoid robotics, robot testing standards, repositioning of a robotics company, maneuvering and sensing in robotics, and the future impact of robots on labor.

On the show this week, we talk to Marc Segura, President of the ABB Robotics Division. Marc is an industry veteran with 25+ years at ABB. On the show, he gives us his perspective on the current state of the robotics market, the roadmap for ABB products and the future of mobile robots. Marc introduces us to the new lineup of ABB industrial robots with changeable link sizes, enabling 22 variants of four base models.