289: Beyond the Hype: How Autonomy Is Scaling Across Critical Industries (LIVE from Pittsburgh)

Manufacturing Happy Hour · 26 May 2026 · 56m

What this episode covers

Brett Phillips of Hellbender, David Griffin of Seegrid, and Mike Smocer of Mine Vision Systems discuss scaling autonomy in manufacturing, logistics, and mining. They explain how advances in perception, control systems, and on-edge AI hardware are shrinking development timelines and enabling complex material moves. The panel highlights Pittsburgh's unique ecosystem, combining high-level engineering with 'gritty' blue-collar pragmatism, as a key driver for physical AI innovation. They also emphasize the importance of community organizations like the Pittsburgh Robotics Network in fostering talent and business growth.

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