Hardware Podcasts

Why did Aurora buy Uber ATG?; Robotics thriving in Pittsburgh

The Robot Report Podcast · 9 Dec 2020 · 1h 08m

What this episode covers

Joel Reed, interim executive director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, discusses the growth of the Pittsburgh robotics cluster, its strong ties to Carnegie Mellon University, and the thriving autonomous vehicle ecosystem. The hosts then analyze Aurora Innovation's acquisition of Uber's Advanced Technology Group (ATG), debating the strategic rationale behind the deal given Uber's financial struggles and Aurora's pivot to autonomous trucking. Finally, they cover AutoX's launch of fully driverless robotaxis in Shenzhen and a study on privacy risks associated with robot vacuum LIDAR sensors.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up and large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Aurora Innovation, Uber, Pittsburgh Robotics Network, Carnegie Mellon University, Boston Dynamics, Agility Robotics, AutoX, Waymo, Argo AI, Cruise, Tesla, iRobot
Products
Advanced Technology Group, Spot, Digit

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • How I Built This · 40m

    When trucks drive themselves with Chris Urmson of Aurora

    Chris Urmson, founder of Aurora, discusses his journey from the DARPA Grand Challenges to leading Google's self-driving car project and finally launching Aurora to automate long-haul trucking. He explains Aurora's 'First Light' LIDAR technology, the distinction between Level 2 assistance and Level 4 autonomy, and the company's strategy of selling an autonomous driving system rather than building vehicles. Urmson outlines the safety case, regulatory engagement, and the phased rollout plan for driverless trucks on specific US freight corridors.

    Starting a product companyMicrocontrollers & dev platforms
    6 chapters

  • How I Built This · 50m

    HIBT Lab! Cruise: Kyle Vogt

    Kyle Vogt, co-founder of Cruise (acquired by General Motors) and former co-founder of Twitch, explains the evolution of Cruise from a garage prototype to a scaling enterprise operating driverless robotaxis in San Francisco. He details the technical pivot from a consumer highway autopilot kit to a fleet-based urban mobility model, leveraging GM's manufacturing scale and the Chevrolet Bolt platform. Vogt discusses the engineering challenges of urban autonomy, including sensor fusion (LIDAR, radar, cameras), safety validation through simulation, and the regulatory path to obtaining California DMV permits for driverless operations.

    Robotics & autonomyScaling production
    8 chapters

  • Built 2 Scale · 1h 08m

    The Blueprint for Scaling: Google’s A2A protocol, GPT-4.1, Memes and more

    Hosts Matt Perrott (BuildPass) and Scott Wilcox (W Build) discuss the rapid evolution of AI agents, highlighting Google's new A2A protocol and OpenAI's acquisition talks with Codium. They analyze the competitive landscape between Tesla and Waymo in autonomous driving, the rise of drone delivery by Zipline, and the potential for humanoid robots to replace domestic labor while raising privacy concerns. The conversation also covers the decline of traditional consulting firms due to AI capabilities and the role of technology in rebuilding communities, such as post-disaster housing in LA.

    AI & machine learningRobotics & autonomy
    8 chapters

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 49m

    249: Why Pittsburgh has been Successful Commercializing Robotics with Jennifer Apicella, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network

    Jennifer Apicella, Executive Director of the Pittsburgh Robotics Network, explains how Pittsburgh became a global robotics hub alongside Boston and San Francisco through 40 years of strategic investment by Carnegie Mellon University and community-led collaboration. She discusses the network's role in commercializing robotics by connecting 125+ companies with capital and customers, emphasizing that success comes from solving real industrial problems rather than just innovating on technology. Apicella advises other regions to cultivate their unique strengths instead of copying Silicon Valley, noting that the industry is now shifting from pilots to scalable adoption as costs decrease and market demand increases.

    Validation & product-market fitScaling production
    7 chapters

  • Built 2 Scale · 1h 02m

    OpenAI's SORA 2 Drops + WE CALLED THE BUBBLE TOP + Shopping Agents Win

    Hosts Matt Perrott and Scott Wilcox discuss signs of an AI market bubble, including Alex Wang's $14B exit from Scale AI and the return of SPACs, while analyzing OpenAI's Sora 2 video model and its integration with Stripe and Shopify for agentic commerce. They explore the rise of generalized robotics through Dyna Robotics, the cost advantages of Tesla's Robotaxi and Gigafactory China, and Jensen Huang's energy arbitrage strategy at Nvidia. The episode concludes with founder advice on hiring, building in public, and maintaining a personal operating system.

    AI & machine learningRobotics & autonomy
    8 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by The Robot Report Podcast. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.