Hardware Podcasts

How Humanoid Robots Are Already Transforming Production Lines w/ Colin Webb and Paul Baker

The Manufacturing Executive · 17 Feb 2026 · 32m · Episode 297

What this episode covers

Colin Webb, founder and CEO of Avatar Robotics, and Paul Baker, CFO of Productiv 3PL, discuss deploying humanoid robots in live manufacturing and logistics environments. They explain that Avatar’s robots handle high-volume picking and packing tasks, achieving 500 to 1,000 units per hour, while Productiv uses them to augment existing human workflows without redesigning facilities. The guests highlight how remote operation and AI allow these robots to match human flexibility and cost, solving labor shortages in roles like freezer picking and kitting. They argue that humanoid form factors are essential for tasks requiring two-handed manipulation in confined spaces where fixed automation cannot fit.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Avatar Robotics, Productiv 3PL, Cruise, General Motors, Waymo, Tesla, Gorilla 76
Products
AMRs

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