# An Interview with Chris Osterwood

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2019-01-14
- Length: 1h 16m
- Episode: 425
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/425-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood/

## Summary

Chris Osterwood, founder of Capable Robot Components, discusses his journey from Carnegie Mellon University to serving as CTO at Carnegie Robotics, where he worked on autonomous sewer inspection robots and agricultural systems. He explains the specific engineering challenges of ground robotics, such as managing weight, power, and harsh environments like sewers and cornfields. Osterwood details his new venture, which aims to provide reliable, embeddable infrastructure components like gigabit Ethernet switches and diagnostic USB hubs to solve the 'make vs. buy' dilemma for robot builders.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=0) Introduction and Definitions of Robotics
- [4:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=272) Osterwood's Background at CMU and Red Zone Robotics
- [11:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=660) Engineering Challenges in Sewer Inspection Robots
- [27:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=1646) Autonomous Agricultural Robot for Nitrogen Fertilization
- [34:45](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=2085) CTO Role at Carnegie Robotics and Commercialization
- [40:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=2402) Founding Capable Robot Components and Product Strategy
- [41:05](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=2465) Designing Embedded Ethernet Switches and USB Hubs
- [51:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-01-14-an-interview-with-chris-osterwood#t=3112) Future of Robotics and Career Advice

## Topics

- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)
- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)
- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Microcontrollers & dev platforms](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/microcontrollers-and-platforms)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Capable Robot Components (company)
- Carnegie Mellon University (other)
- Red Zone Robotics (company)
- Carnegie Robotics (company)
- Trinamic (company)
- Arduino (product)
- Intel RealSense (product)
- CrowdSupply (other)
- SenseTemp (product)
- Adafruit (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Niels Jul Jacobsen, CEO, Capra Robotics; Spider-Man Robot Fail](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2022-06-17-niels-jul-jacobsen-ceo-capra-robotics-spider-man-robot-fail) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [247: Lessons from a Serial Entrepreneur: Mark DeSantis on Startups, Robotics, and Commercializing Tech](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-07-22-247-lessons-from-a-serial-entrepreneur-mark-desantis-on-startups-robotics-and-co) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [Jon Hirschtick from Onshape/PTC; Favorite robotics startups of 2021](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-10-07-jon-hirschtick-from-onshape-ptc-favorite-robotics-startups-of-2021) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Ep. 20 | Dr. Aaron Edsinger, CEO & Co-founder of Hello Robot and Former Head of Robotics at Google on Humanity in Robots](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/moores-lobby/2021-03-18-ep-20-dr-aaron-edsinger-ceo-co-founder-of-hello-robot-and-former-head-of-robotic) (Moore's Lobby)
- [Tertill CEO Helen Greiner; Can Aurora catch Waymo?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-02-12-tertill-ceo-helen-greiner-can-aurora-catch-waymo) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

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