# Demystifying China’s robotics industry, Motional talks robotaxis, TRI previews kitchen robot

- Show: [The Robot Report Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast)
- Published: 2020-10-07
- Length: 1h 18m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc
- Listen: https://soundcloud.com/robot-report-podcast/demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitchen-robot

## Summary

Georg Stieler, managing director of Asia at Steeler Technology and Marketing Consultants, demystifies China's robotics industry, noting that while it is a massive market, it faces structural economic issues and a technology lag in semiconductors. Laura Major, CTO of Motional (the Hyundai-Aptiv joint venture), discusses the company's robotaxi operations in Las Vegas, safety benchmarks, and the expectation for commercial driverless availability in 2022. The hosts also review Toyota Research Institute's ceiling-mounted kitchen robot concept and Miso Robotics' commercial 'Flippy' robot for fast-food kitchens.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc#t=0) Introduction and China Robotics Overview
- [5:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc#t=346) Georg Stieler on China's Robotics Market and Trade Tensions
- [30:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc#t=1825) Robotics Investment News and Toyota Research Institute Kitchen Robot
- [42:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc#t=2556) Miso Robotics Commercial Flippy Robot
- [50:37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc#t=3037) Laura Major on Motional's Robotaxi Fleet and Safety

## Topics

- [Robotics & autonomy](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/robotics-and-autonomy)
- [Policy, trade & tariffs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/policy-trade-and-tariffs)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Motional (company)
- Toyota Research Institute (company)
- Miso Robotics (company)
- Flippy (product)
- ABB (company)
- Kuka (company)
- Pony AI (company)
- Geek Plus (company)
- HiSilicon (company)
- Lyft (company)
- Waymo (company)
- Hyundai (company)
- Aptiv (company)
- Uber (company)
- DJI (company)
- HIK Vision (company)
- Dahua (company)
- Tesla (company)
- BMW (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Drones, Robots & the Low-Altitude Economy: A New Industry Is Born](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ontrack/2026-05-12-drones-robots-the-low-altitude-economy-a-new-industry-is-born) (OnTrack)
- […And Now For Something Completely 2021](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2021-01-08-and-now-for-something-completely-2021) (EE Times Current)
- [ON Semi’s Acquisition | TSMC’s Finer Nodes | Tesla’s AI Chip | China’s Fabless Companies](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2019-04-26-on-semis-acquisition-tsmcs-finer-nodes-teslas-ai-chip-chinas-fabless-companies) (EE Times Current)
- [Silicon 100: Startups Worth Watching in 2023](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ee-times-current/2023-08-01-silicon-100-startups-worth-watching-in-2023) (EE Times Current)
- [191: The State of Robotics: Live From the 2024 Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, MA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-06-25-191-the-state-of-robotics-live-from-the-2024-robotics-summit-expo-in-boston-ma) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-robot-report-podcast/2020-10-07-demystifying-chinas-robotics-industry-motional-talks-robotaxis-tri-previews-kitc. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Robot Report Podcast.
