Configuring the future of robotics

The Robot Report Podcast · 22 May 2024 · 1h 08m

What this episode covers

Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss recent robotics news, including Waymo's role in a robbery and MIT's 'super limbs' for astronauts, before featuring interviews with Ling, CEO of OTSAW Robotics, and Etienne Lacroix, CEO of Vention. Ling explains how OTSAW pivoted to UVC disinfection robots during the pandemic and launched the highly configurable Camello Plus, utilizing an online configurator to gather market data and drive modular production. Etienne Lacroix details Vention's platform strategy to democratize industrial automation by combining hardware and software, reducing integration risks for small and mid-sized enterprises through productized 'Lego-like' components and cloud-based machine learning.

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 30m

    Democratizing Industrial Automation w/ Etienne Lacroix

    Etienne Lacroix, Founder and CEO of Vention, explains how his company is democratizing industrial automation for small and medium-sized manufacturers by productizing robotics applications and enabling shop-floor practitioners to build their own machines. He details the shift from expensive, custom system integration to modular, plug-and-play components and virtualization, which allows users to create digital twins and de-risk capital expenditure before buying hardware. Lacroix also discusses the recent decline in US robot arm sales, attributing it to interest rates, and outlines how AI-driven tools like generative design and autonomous robotics are lowering the barrier to entry for automation.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 45m

    New Business Models and User Experiences in Robotics: Highlights from Automate LIVE in Detroit, MI

    Misa Ilkhechi, founder of Formic, explains how 'robots as a service' shifts automation from CapEx to OpEx, allowing manufacturers to pay for output rather than owning hardware, a model particularly suited for small-to-medium enterprises. Joe Campbell of Universal Robots highlights the industry shift toward collaborative robots and the enduring necessity of process knowledge, while Etienne Lacroix, CEO of Vention, describes his platform as 'industrial Lego' that democratizes machine design through a browser-based user experience. Finally, Kel Guerin, CIO of Ready Robotics, details their software approach to simplifying robot programming via flowcharts, aiming to empower non-technical factory workers to deploy automation without specialized coding skills.

  • Over the Air · 28m

    Modularity in Robotics: A Vision for the Future

    Afshin Doust, CEO of Advanced Intelligent Systems (AIS), explains how the company uses a proprietary library of hardware and software modules to reduce development time and cost, aiming to empower a broader robotics ecosystem. He details the pivot from an agricultural tech focus to developing a COVID-19 disinfectant robot in just 11 weeks, which validated their modular approach and led to a non-GPS localization system for greenhouse use. Doust also discusses AIS's 'Robotics-as-a-Service' business model, which eliminates large capital expenditures for customers by charging for work performed, and shares insights on building a resilient, win-win corporate culture.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 25m

    Using Robots in High-Mix, Low-Volume Environments w/ Josh Gruenstein

    Josh Gruenstein, co-founder and CEO of Tutor Intelligence, explains how his MIT spinout uses AI and machine learning to automate high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments, such as co-packers and 3PLs, which were previously considered too variable for robotics. He details how their robots eliminate the need for specialized programming by interpreting build sheets and specifications directly, allowing facilities with no automation engineers to adopt automation. Gruenstein also describes Tutor Intelligence's 'Robot as a Service' model, which converts capital expenditures to operating expenses, reduces risk, and aligns vendor incentives with customer productivity through continuous software updates.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 24m

    An Outcome-Based Solution for Deploying Robots w/ Saman Farid

    Saman Farid, CEO and founder of Formic, explains how his company lowers the barrier to industrial automation by shifting the investment model from CapEx to OpEx through an outcome-based 'Robotics as a Service' approach. He details the specific pain points of traditional system integrators, such as low utilization rates and hidden change orders, and outlines the key criteria manufacturers should use to evaluate automation partners. Farid identifies end-of-line packaging, machine tending in metal fabrication, welding, and injection molding as the highest-ROI starting points for adopting robotic technology.

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