Building Security Robots: a Hardware-as-a-Service Case Study

Over the Air · 14 Apr 2022 · 36m

What this episode covers

Travis Deyle, co-founder and CEO of Cobalt Robotics, explains how the company delivers security and facilities management services via a 5-foot-tall mobile robot, avoiding the need for building modifications by solving the 'impossible' problem of door and elevator articulation. Deyle details the company's founding criteria, which prioritized paying customers before build and a decade-long vision, leading to their first paid deployment within a year. He discusses the strategic shift to Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS) to align with customer OpEx budgets and the critical role of industrial designer Eve Behar in creating a non-threatening, ADA-compliant form factor.

Mentioned

Companies
Cobalt Robotics, Boston Dynamics, Google X, Apple, Diligent Robotics, Sky Currents, Electric Sheep, Zippity, Safe Trust, Stell, Very, Hewlett Packard
Products
Shaky
Also
Eve Behar

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.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 45m

    New Business Models and User Experiences in Robotics: Highlights from Automate LIVE in Detroit, MI

    Misa Ilkhechi, founder of Formic, explains how 'robots as a service' shifts automation from CapEx to OpEx, allowing manufacturers to pay for output rather than owning hardware, a model particularly suited for small-to-medium enterprises. Joe Campbell of Universal Robots highlights the industry shift toward collaborative robots and the enduring necessity of process knowledge, while Etienne Lacroix, CEO of Vention, describes his platform as 'industrial Lego' that democratizes machine design through a browser-based user experience. Finally, Kel Guerin, CIO of Ready Robotics, details their software approach to simplifying robot programming via flowcharts, aiming to empower non-technical factory workers to deploy automation without specialized coding skills.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 25m

    Perspectives on Automation, AI, & the Future w/ Andy Lonsberry

    Andy Lonsberry, Founder and CEO of Path Robotics, explains how the company identified a market pain point in high-mix, low-volume welding and developed a fully autonomous robotic system using machine learning and computer vision. He details the journey from a 24-month consulting exploration to securing $15 million in Series A funding by bringing an autonomous robot to Silicon Valley. Lonsberry also discusses the 'Robots as a Service' (RAS) business model, which eliminates upfront capital expenditure for manufacturers by tying payment to system performance, and highlights the abundance of engineering talent in the Midwest.

  • 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.

  • The Robot Report Podcast · 57m

    From Combat to Space: Mike LeBlanc on Humanoid Robotics

    Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation and former founder of Cobalt Robotics, discusses his transition from security robots to building the Phantom Mark One humanoid for military and space applications. He explains how Foundation’s physics-action AI models reduce reliance on teleoperation compared to competitors like Tesla, enabling faster deployment of a targeted fleet. LeBlanc details the company’s aggressive goal to deploy 10,000 robots within a year, leveraging his previous experience to navigate manufacturing and hiring challenges in the humanoid sector.

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.