# Paolo Pirjanian on the Moonshot of Developing a Companion Robot

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2020-06-10
- Length: 1h 11m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/paolo-pirjanian-moonshot-developing-companion-robot

## Summary

Paolo Pirjanian, Founder and CEO of Embodied, discusses the development of Moxie, a companion robot designed to support children's social-emotional development through curated content and advanced AI. He details the engineering challenges of creating a socially engaging interface with expressive eyes and arms, the strategic decision to exclude mobility to control costs, and the subscription-based business model that includes physical activity kits. Pirjanian contrasts Embodied's focused approach with failed competitors like Jibo and Anki, emphasizing the importance of clear purpose, sustainable unit economics, and rigorous user testing with neurodivergent children.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=6) Introduction: Paolo Pirjanian and Embodied
- [3:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=191) Pirjanian's Career: NASA, iRobot, and Evolution Robotics
- [7:50](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=470) Building the Team and the Content Strategy
- [11:52](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=712) Fundraising Challenges and Investor Feedback
- [17:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=1079) Designing the Social Interface: Eyes, Arms, and Conversation
- [25:14](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=1514) Moxie's Educational Content and Adaptive AI
- [34:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=2043) Hardware Constraints, Cost, and Business Model
- [44:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=2668) User Testing and Impact on Neurodivergent Children
- [50:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-06-10-paolo-pirjanian-on-the-moonshot-of-developing-a-companion-robot#t=3026) Physical Design Iterations and Fuse Project Collaboration

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [Embedded firmware](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/embedded-firmware)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Embodied (company)
- Moxie (product)
- iRobot (company)
- Evolution Robotics (company)
- NASA (other)
- Jibo (product)
- Anki (company)
- Fuse Project (company)
- Encyclopedia Britannica (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Ep. 18: What Happens When Machines Start Feeling More Human?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robo-success-podcast/2026-09-15-ep-18-what-happens-when-machines-start-feeling-more-human) (The Robo Success Podcast)
- [Episode 163: Robots helping people - Aaron Edsinger](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2026-09-25-episode-163-robots-helping-people-aaron-edsinger) (Robot Talk)
- [Ep 3 -The Hardware Story of Miko Robotics w/ Sneh | Building Conversational learning Robots for Kids](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-story/2025-01-15-ep-3-the-hardware-story-of-miko-robotics-w-sneh-building-conversational-learning) (The Hardware Story)
- [S5E26 Patrick Jreijiri | How To Build A Product Development Freelance Company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-06-28-s5e26-patrick-jreijiri-how-to-build-a-product-development-freelance-company) (Being an Engineer)
- [406: R2D2 Is a Trash Can](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2022-03-17-406-r2d2-is-a-trash-can) (Embedded.fm)

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