How software-defined manufacturing fits into real factory operation

The Robot Report Podcast · 21 Aug 2026 · 1h 07m

What this episode covers

Roby Lynn, founder and CEO of R2 Labs, explains how his company’s R2 Autonomy Controller bridges the gap between legacy OT systems (PLCs, robots) and modern IT tools (MES, ERP) in industrial manufacturing. He details the product's ability to orchestrate production assets, integrate AI-based vision inspection, and run models locally on GPU-accelerated hardware to avoid cloud dependencies. Lynn also shares lessons from building the company, emphasizing the importance of customer feedback, pragmatic design over 'cool' technology, and addressing the workforce talent crunch in legacy automation.

Mentioned

Companies
R2 Labs, Unitree Robotics, Fort Robotics, Logic, Slip Robotics, Rockwell, Bosch Rexroth
Products
R2 Autonomy Controller, Mitra

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