Robot development from Actuators to AI

The Robot Report Podcast · 6 Feb 2026 · 1h 18m

What this episode covers

Mario Mauerer, Global Robotics Business Manager at Maxon, discusses how humanoid robots are driving actuator innovation, focusing on torque density, simulation models, and safety architectures for commercialization by 2027-2028. David Koelle, Principal Software Engineer at Charles River Analytics, details the NASA ASTRA project, explaining their 'theory of mind' approach to swarm robotics for lunar exploration, which allows heterogeneous robots to coordinate tasks without constant communication. The episode also covers recent industry funding rounds for companies like Waymo and Limox Dynamics, and new US legislation aimed at securing the humanoid supply chain.

Mentioned

Companies
Maxon, Charles River Analytics, NASA, Waymo, Limox Dynamics, Tesla, Neuralink
Products
ASTRA, Optimus, JFugue

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