Baseball & robotics startups during COVID-19; ROS on Windows 10
AJ Mayer, CEO of the Boston-based Pickle Robot Company, explains how his startup uses reinforcement learning and deep neural networks to automate loading and unloading trucks with their 'Dill' robot, targeting brownfield logistics facilities rather than fully automated warehouses. He details the 'supervisor ratio' business model, where human operators handle the 2% of edge cases the robot cannot manage, and discusses the challenges of selling to enterprise customers during the pandemic. The episode also features Dave Niewinski from Clearpath Robotics, who discusses the strategic benefits of supporting ROS on Windows 10 for their Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs), highlighting easier IT integration, cloud connectivity via Azure, and lower barriers to entry for corporate clients.