Hardware Podcasts

Sustainability in the Robotics-as-a-Service Industry

Over the Air · 26 Oct 2021 · 36m

What this episode covers

Stefan Nusser, Chief Product Officer at Fetch Robotics, discusses the company's recent acquisition by Zebra Technologies and how the Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model drives sustainability in B2B robotics. He explains that Fetch’s autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are designed for modularity and reuse, contrasting this with the disposable nature of many consumer electronics. Nusser highlights the importance of finding product-market fit through early pilot customers and the future potential of orchestrating workflows between human workers and collaborative robots.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Fetch Robotics, Zebra Technologies, Willow Garage, SICK, RCA, Samsung
Products
SICK TDC, Sonos, MacBook

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 43m

    Independent Investment Banking in Robotics, Automation, and AI with Cascadia Capital’s Firdaus Pohowalla

    Firdaus Pohowalla, Managing Director at Cascadia Capital, explains the role of independent investment banking in the robotics, automation, and AI (RAAI) sector. He details the rise of Robotics as a Service (RaaS) as a preferred business model for warehouse automation and logistics, while highlighting challenges like capital intensity and hardware integration. Pohowalla also demystifies startup funding rounds, emphasizing that the Series B is critical for proving scalability and that 'backlog' (purchase orders) is a more important metric than 'pipeline' for investors.

    Fundraising & investorsRobotics & autonomy
    7 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 02m

    Inside Locus Robotics’ acquisition of Waypoint Robotics

    Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics, and Jason Walker, CEO of Waypoint Robotics, discuss the acquisition of Waypoint by Locus to expand Locus's payload capacity into heavy-duty AMRs like the Maverick 3K and Vector. The founders explain that the deal was driven by customer demand for moving bulkier e-commerce goods and the strategic need to enter the manufacturing floor market. They also detail the challenges of integrating a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model with a CapEx-based company and the broader 'land grab' in the AMR industry.

    Growth, exits & acquisitionsPricing, margins & unit economics
    8 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 1h 41m

    Inside the state of warehouse automation

    John Santagate, Vice President of Robotics at Körber Supply Chain, discusses the integration of mobile robots in warehouses, highlighting the shift toward serving SMBs and the emerging viability of autonomous forklifts and humanoids like Agility Robotics' Digit. Peter Chen, Co-Founder and CEO of Covariant, explains their robotics foundation model approach, detailing how they leverage data from customers like Autogroup to improve AI performance and offer a simplified 'Covariant One' as-a-service pricing model. The episode covers the strategic decisions behind partnering with vendors like Locust Robotics and KUKA, and the economic arguments for Robotics as a Service (RAS) over traditional Capex models in warehouse automation.

    Robotics & autonomyScaling production
    6 chapters

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 37m

    Is Softbank Robotics Europe for Sale?; Melonee Wise on Fetch's New AMRs

    Mike Oitsman reports on SoftBank Robotics Europe's potential sale to United Robotics Group and AutoStore's historic IPO, then interviews Melonee Wise, former Fetch Robotics CEO and now VP at Zebra Technologies, about Fetch's new AMR solutions. Wise details the Fetch FlexShelf, FlexShelf Guide, and RollerTop Guide, explaining how Zebra's acquisition has enabled deeper integration of hardware and software for warehouse logistics. The discussion covers specific engineering features like payload capacity, navigation algorithms, and the strategic shift toward Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS).

    Robotics & autonomyScaling production
    5 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 24m

    An Outcome-Based Solution for Deploying Robots w/ Saman Farid

    Saman Farid, CEO and founder of Formic, explains how his company lowers the barrier to industrial automation by shifting the investment model from CapEx to OpEx through an outcome-based 'Robotics as a Service' approach. He details the specific pain points of traditional system integrators, such as low utilization rates and hidden change orders, and outlines the key criteria manufacturers should use to evaluate automation partners. Farid identifies end-of-line packaging, machine tending in metal fabrication, welding, and injection molding as the highest-ROI starting points for adopting robotic technology.

    Pricing, margins & unit economicsRobotics & autonomy
    7 chapters

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