The Robot Report Podcast

On the show today, we interview Dr Aaron Ames, Professor of Mechanical and Civil Engineering and Control and Dynamical Systems at CalTech. Dr Ames is also a cofounder and Chief Scientist of 3Laws - a company, providing safety-critical controls architecture for robotics companies. We talk about the last decade of development for bipedal locomotion and the recent evolution of humanoid robots since Dr Ames has been researching and investigating this interesting research area since his postdoc days. You'll also learn about the core technology that's driving robotic safety algorithms and why 3Laws came together to deliver a solution for any robotic system. You can learn more about 3Law on the web at:3lawsrobotics.io

Learn about Zipline's future with insights from the CTO and chief droid engineer. Discover the design of the innovative ZIP delivery 'Droid' and the advancements in drone technology for precision delivery. Explore the challenges and achievements of navigating regulatory standards and safety metrics in the delivery services industry.

In this episode, co-hosts Steve Crowe, Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre discuss the recent news about the termination of the proposed acquisition of iRobot by Amazon. As a result of the terminated deal, iRobot CEO and cofounder Colin Angle is stepping down from his role as CEO, and the company has laid off 31% of its employees. The companies signed the proposed acquisition agreement on Aug. 4, 2022, and the Seattle-based e-commerce giant would have acquired the Bedford, Mass.-based robotic vacuum vendor for up to $1.7 billion in cash. That amount was lowered to $1.42 billion after iRobot acquired new debt, and it laid off 10% of its staff, or about 140 employees. We discuss potential reasons why the deal failed, and what might be next for iRobot. You can read the complete news story about this on The Robot Report at www.therobotreport.com If you like the show, please like and subscribe and share this with another colleague who might be interested.

On the show this week, cohosts Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre catch up with Marc Kermisch, CDO at CNHI. Marc takes us through the latest update on autonomy and the digitization of agriculture data to help farmers and growers improve yields and efficiency on the farm. We also recap the latest robotics news and walk through an update from robotics and automation companies who attended the 2024 CES show.

On the show this week, Steve Crowe, Gene Demaitre, and Mike Oitzman sit down and review their favorite robotics news stories from 2023. This episode also features appearances by Ken Goldberg, Ash Sharma, Aaron Prather, Kevin Lawton, and Jeff Linnell - all sharing their thoughts on the top news stories of the year. At the top of the list of news stories are the impact that GenAI and humanoid robots have made this year along with a snapshot of the state of the robotics industry.

In this episode, we learn about the innovative solution from Glidance, the 2023 RoboBusiness Pitchfire pitch contest winner. Cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman sit down with Glidance cofounder and CEO Amos Miller to learn all about the genesis of the company and their physical guidance robotic solution from Glidance. The device guides sight-impaired individual by perceiving the world around them and leading them on a safe path to their destination. This device is easy to use and quick to learn and Amos is promising to restore the independence of sight-impaired individuals. Amos lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa in his 20s. While guide dogs are a tremendous solution and companion for blind individuals, unfortunately, the need far outstrips the number of available guide dogs in any given year. The Glidance solution has the opportunity to help blind individuals regain independence and agency, especially those who lose their sight late in life. The Glide unit goes into beta testing in the middle of 2024 and promises to be as affordable as a new cell phone. To learn more about Glidance, check out their website: glidance.io

Today's episode is a deep dive into warehouse automation. We discuss the role humanoids are hoping to play in logistics, including how GXO is testing the Digit humanoid from Agility Robotics. We also discuss the state of mobile robots with John Santagate, the Vice President of Robotics at Körber Supply Chain. We also talk about artificial intelligence and the growth of picking robots with Peter Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Covariant.

On this episode of the podcast, we check in with Adam Sachs, cofounder and CEO of Vicarious surgical robots. Adam comes back to the show with an update on the long journey to market for surgical robots. Adam last joined us in Episode 56, back in September 2021 when Vicarious first launched the Vicarious Surgical robot into pilot implementations. The Vicarious Surgical robot utilizes a single port requiring a 1.5 cm incision — smaller than the size of a dime — for the insertion of the camera and two robotic instruments, transporting surgeons to a new world of visibility and maneuverability. To learn more about Vicarious Surgical goto: www.vicarioussurgical.com Also on this episode, cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss the recent news from General Motors, owner of Cruise about the future of Cruise robotaxi service, and the other major news about the EU response to the Amazon iRobot proposed merger. If you like the show, please subscribe and tell a friend about it, this helps us grow our audience. Thanks.

In this podcast episode, we learn about the new Tangram Vision HiFi 3D sensor with Adam Rodnitzky and Brandon Minor from Tangram Vision. The company recently launched a Kickstarter for their new hardware product and the specs on this new sensor are promising to disrupt the depth sensor market for price and performance. Listen to the interview to learn more about this new product and search “HiFi 3D Sensor” on Kickstarter to see the complete product specs and get in the queue for your own camera. Also on this episode, we sit down with David Pepper, cofounder and CEO of Next Generation Robotics, to learn how they innovate by offering “optimization as a service” for expanded capabilities in fleet management and inventory movement within warehouses. The company has been developing its algorithms and setting up a cloud-based service for robotics vendors and warehouse management software (WMS) providers to tap into optimization algorithms for their specific workflows. The service is now available for use. Finally, cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss the news of the week, focusing on Kyle Vogt's departure from Cruise and what this means for the autonomous robotaxi market. If you like the show, please subscribe and tell a friend about it, this helps us grow our audience. Thanks.

This podcast episode features interviews with GAM Enterprises and CaPow. GAM manufactures motion drives and custom motion control solutions while CaPow is a startup innovating with wireless power delivery for robots. They discuss motion control challenges, wireless power technology, benefits of customization, and eliminating energy bearings. GAM Enterprises specializes in dynamic charging for robots, improving operational efficiency. CaPow offers a solution to eliminate traditional batteries onboard mobile robots. They also highlight the advantages of their wireless power solution for industrial applications.