Ep. 20 | Dr. Aaron Edsinger, CEO & Co-founder of Hello Robot and Former Head of Robotics at Google on Humanity in Robots

Moore's Lobby · 18 Mar 2021 · 33m · Episode 5

What this episode covers

Dr. Aaron Edsinger, CEO and co-founder of Hello Robot and former Head of Robotics at Google, discusses the philosophy behind building practical, non-humanoid robots like the Stretch mobile manipulator. He contrasts the iterative, customer-feedback-driven approach of startups with the closed-door development of large corporations like Google, emphasizing the importance of simplicity and pragmatism in robotics. Edsinger also reflects on his journey from MIT’s Humanoid Robotics Group to founding Mecca Robotics, highlighting the value of strong co-founder partnerships and open-source software in scaling hardware businesses.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Robot Talk · 26m

    Episode 163: Robots helping people - Aaron Edsinger

    Aaron Edsinger, CEO and Co-Founder of Hello Robot, discusses the design and deployment of their Stretch robot, a mobile manipulator designed to assist people with mobility impairments. He explains how the robot's utilitarian, non-humanoid form factor prioritizes safety, cost-effectiveness, and home integration over anthropomorphic aesthetics. Edsinger details the company's strategy of using a 'human-in-the-loop' approach with severely mobility-impaired users to validate the technology while physical AI capabilities mature. The conversation covers the robot's hardware architecture, safety layers, and the company's current fundraising efforts to expand into the consumer home assistance market.

  • Robot Talk · 24m

    Episode 109: Building robots at home - Dan Nicholson

    Dan Nicholson, founder of MakerForge.tech, discusses his journey from a software engineer to building a large-scale open-source bipedal companion robot. He explains how he transitioned from a simple cube design to a complex, 3D-printable robot using hobby servos, Raspberry Pi, and cloud-based CAD tools to make robotics accessible to non-experts. Nicholson highlights the challenges of balancing cost and functionality in hobby robotics, the importance of rapid prototyping with 3D printing, and the value of open-source collaboration in accelerating development and community engagement.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 48m

    181: Leadership and Ethics in the Adoption of Robotics with Ryan Gariepy, CTO of Clearpath Robotics & OTTO Motors

    Ryan Gariepy, CTO of Clearpath Robotics and OTTO Motors (both acquired by Rockwell Automation), discusses the evolution of his companies from garage startups to enterprise solutions. He explains how observing the stark contrast between legacy industrial automation and Kiva Systems' technology revealed the future of robotics, leading to the creation of Clearpath for R&D platforms and OTTO for material handling. Gariepy emphasizes that successful robotics adoption requires balancing hype with signal, focusing on specific high-value applications, and prioritizing human safety and ethical deployment in both manufacturing and broader societal contexts.

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 21m

    Podcast: Hello Robot exits stealth; White Castle turns to automation

    Hello Robot co-founders Aaron Edzinger and Charlie Kemp discuss the launch of Stretch, a lightweight, affordable mobile manipulator priced at $17,950, designed to democratize research and eventually enter homes. They detail the robot's mechanical design, which minimizes actuator costs, and its open-source software stack. Meanwhile, Miso Robotics CEO Buck Jordan explains the deployment of Flippy, a robotic kitchen assistant, in a pilot with White Castle to address labor shortages and improve food quality through automation.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 52m

    264: Inside Automated: Asking the Right Questions about Robotics and AI with Brian Heater, Managing Editor at A3 and Host of the Automated Podcast

    Brian Heater, Managing Editor at A3 and host of the 'Automated' podcast, discusses the nuances of covering robotics and AI, emphasizing the importance of long-form interviews to uncover genuine insights from industry pioneers like Mark Roper and Rodney Brooks. He highlights the critical gap between research-scale robotics and commercial viability, noting that while Amazon has achieved massive scale, most humanoid startups are still far from reliable, safe production. Heater expresses optimism for the future of automation driven by human-centric applications, such as exoskeletons for workers, prosthetics inspired by personal history, and devices for Parkinson's patients, rather than just general-purpose humanoid robots.

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Moore's Lobby. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.