The Robot Report Podcast · 29 Jun 2026 · 47m
Bren Pierce, founder and CEO of Kinisi, discusses his company's acquisition by Bear Robotics, explaining that the deal combines Kinisi’s humanoid robotics expertise and datasets with Bear’s mature fleet-management, cloud, and manufacturing infrastructure. Pierce details the challenge of collecting affordable training data, which led to the development of a low-cost, robot-agnostic glove and gripper system for data collection. The near-term focus is on making the KR1 robot reliable in real deployments and proving ROI in warehouses, hotels, and restaurants, leveraging Bear’s existing sales channels and supply chain. The episode frames the acquisition as a strategic step toward a broader mobile-manipulation platform, moving the industry from novelty to serious commercial momentum.
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Host Chris Luecke recaps the 2024 Robotics Summit in Boston, featuring interviews with Jonathan Hurst of Agility Robotics, Joyce Sidopoulos of MassRobotics, and Scott Sizemore of Electrocraft. The episode explores the commercialization of humanoid robots, the shift from disjointed component sourcing to integrated motion systems, and the role of accelerators in scaling early-stage robotics startups.
Host Chris Luecke interviews Laura Hoffman, Patty Ketseris of Locust Robotics, Matt Charles of Robex, Melanie Weiss of Zebra Technologies, and Alex Ciccaney of A3 at the 2022 Vision Show in Boston. The group discusses the convergence of machine vision and mobile robotics, the shift toward cloud-based automation, and how manufacturing can learn from the repeatability of warehousing. They also cover Robex's acquisition by private equity, Zebra's acquisition of Fetch Robotics, and the growing adoption of AI and vision in non-traditional verticals like medical devices.
Ryan Gariepy, CTO of Clearpath Robotics and OTTO Motors (both acquired by Rockwell Automation), discusses the evolution of his companies from garage startups to enterprise solutions. He explains how observing the stark contrast between legacy industrial automation and Kiva Systems' technology revealed the future of robotics, leading to the creation of Clearpath for R&D platforms and OTTO for material handling. Gariepy emphasizes that successful robotics adoption requires balancing hype with signal, focusing on specific high-value applications, and prioritizing human safety and ethical deployment in both manufacturing and broader societal contexts.
Michael Senske, Chairman and CEO of Pearson Packaging Systems, explains how the company pivoted from a custom equipment shop to focusing on core competencies like case erectors and robotic palletizers. He details the strategic shift toward 'Robotics-as-a-Service,' allowing customers to pay for outcomes rather than capital expenditure, which requires engaging finance and upper management rather than just plant operators. Senske highlights the importance of product management in understanding customer needs, citing the failure of a common footprint tray forming line as a lesson in market fit. He also discusses future product developments emphasizing flexibility, AI-driven vision, and partnerships with companies like +one robotics and Rockwell Automation.
Florian Pestoni, Co-Founder and CEO of InOrbit, explains how his company provides 'chronic care' for robotic fleets by acting as a cloud-based data layer that maximizes robot utilization and efficiency. He details the concept of #RobOps, adapting software DevOps principles to robotics to reduce mean time to detection and resolution for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) operating in chaotic environments like retail stores. Pestoni shares his transition from a digital health startup to robotics, noting that his co-founder’s background at Willow Garage revealed a lack of infrastructure for real-world robot operations, leading to the creation of InOrbit's platform.
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