# 79. Teaching Robots To Find Buried Objects

- Show: [The Next Byte Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast)
- Published: 2022-07-19
- Length: 30m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects
- Listen: https://the-next-byte-wevolver.simplecast.com/episodes/79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects-zq0wmLid

## Summary

Hosts Daniel and Forbode discuss MIT research on FuseBot, a system using RFID and visual mapping to help robots find buried objects, and University of Michigan research on using fake data to accelerate robot training. They detail how FuseBot achieves 95% retrieval success and 4x efficiency when items are tagged, while the University of Michigan team demonstrates 40x faster training and 45% higher success rates for cobots by injecting human-like generalizations into training data. The hosts explore applications in warehouse logistics, search and rescue, and construction, highlighting the shift from brute-force physical trial-and-error to intelligent, data-augmented learning.

## Chapters

- [0:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=50) Introduction: The Challenge of Finding Buried Objects
- [3:27](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=207) RFID and Visual Mapping: The FuseBot Solution
- [9:20](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=560) FuseBot Performance: Efficiency vs. X-Ray
- [14:43](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=883) Applications: Search and Rescue and Warehousing
- [16:41](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=1001) University of Michigan: Teaching Robots with Fake Data
- [23:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=1399) Results: 40x Faster and 45% More Effective
- [26:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-07-19-79-teaching-robots-to-find-buried-objects#t=1608) Future Applications: Construction and Cobots

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- FuseBot (product)
- MIT (company)
- University of Michigan (company)
- RFID (chip)
- X-ray (product)
- Boston Dynamics Spot (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [377: Robot at the Park](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2021-06-17-377-robot-at-the-park) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ken Goldberg on robotic grasping; Carbon Robotics’ new weeding robot](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2021-04-16-ken-goldberg-on-robotic-grasping-carbon-robotics-new-weeding-robot) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [Episode 130: Robots learning from humans - Chad Jenkins](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2025-10-24-episode-130-robots-learning-from-humans-chad-jenkins) (Robot Talk)
- [Baseball & robotics startups during COVID-19; ROS on Windows 10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-07-08-baseball-robotics-startups-during-covid-19-ros-on-windows-10) (The Robot Report Podcast)
- [From Teleoperation to Autonomy: Inside Boston Dynamics' Atlas Training](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2025-09-12-from-teleoperation-to-autonomy-inside-boston-dynamics-atlas-training) (The Robot Report Podcast)

## Citing this page

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