Unpacking Amazon’s unique Covariant AI deal

In this episode, cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman cover the leading robotics news stories from the week. From the news this week, check out the XPENG Iron humanoid robotics in this YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3wKyFE9HjM In the featured interview this week, Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre interview Marko Bjelonic, CEO and co-founder of Swiss-Mile, discussing the innovative quadruped robot that combines wheels and legs for enhanced mobility. They explore the evolution of the robot from academic research to a commercial product, the engineering challenges faced, and the unique functionalities that set it apart. The discussion also covers potential applications in security and logistics, the importance of autonomy in robotics, and the future direction of Swiss Mile as a technology-focused company. Link: https://www.swiss-mile.com/ – SPONSOR – The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics - RGo Robotics' Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, RGo’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler. To learn more about RGO’s solutions goto: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/ Submissions for presentations and registration are now open for the 2025 Robotics Summit: https://www.roboticssummit.com/

In this episode, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss the latest video from Boston Dynamics showing Atlas electric humanoid in an autonomous material movement demo. The video shows the Atlas moving automotive parts from one storage bin to another bin. The hosts discuss the unique aspects of this video and how Atlas appears to move differently from the other competitive humanoid robots in recent demonstration videos. Submissions are now open for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. This awards programs celebrate robotics innovation in calendar year 2024, and open to any company worldwide who’s producing robotics or automation solutions. To learn more about the program and submit a nomination form, goto: https://www.therobotreport.com/2025-rbr50-robotics-innovation-awards-open-for-nominations/ In our feature interview this week, Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre sit down with Gili Ovadia, VP of Business Development at BionicHive to learn more about their unique warehouse automation solution. The BionicHive Squid mobile robot can drive along the floor of the warehouse, and climb into the warehouse racking to put or get boxes/totes from storage locations on higher shelves. We learn how the system works and discuss where BionicHive is deploying these automate storage solutions. You can learn more about BionicHive at: https://bionichive.com/ – SPONSOR – The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics - RGo Robotics' Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, RGo’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler. To learn more about RGO’s solutions goto: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/

In this week's show, Dr. Russ Tedrake from Toyota Research Institute, and Scott Kuindersma from Boston Dynamics discuss their collaboration on humanoid robotics and the integration of AI through large behavior models. They explore the challenges and opportunities in developing general-purpose robots, the importance of human involvement in learning processes, and the role of data in enhancing robot capabilities. The discussion also touches on practical applications, deployment strategies, and the significance of rigorous research in advancing robotics technology. Cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman also review Mike's takeaways from the FIRA 2024 ag-robotics event earlier this week. The show this week is sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation - It’s time to switch to Zebra Robotics Automation. The company’s cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you that unbeatable competitive edge. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra Robotics Automation. To learn more about Zebra's solutions goto: www.zebra.com/fulfillment

On the show this week, co-hosts Steve Crowe, Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre review the significant highlights from RoboBusiness 2024 which took place this week in Santa Clara CA. The editors discuss the news from the week and highlights of the keynote sessions. The show this week is sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation - It’s time to switch to Zebra Robotics Automation. The company’s cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you that unbeatable competitive edge. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra Robotics Automation. To learn more about Zebra's solutions goto: www.zebra.com/fulfillment

In this conversation, Dr. Henrik Christensen discusses the intersection of robotics and federal policy, emphasizing the need for more attention and funding for the robotics sector. He highlights the challenges of reshoring manufacturing, the implications of political campaigns on robotics, and the importance of tariffs and immigration reforms. The discussion also covers the impact of recent legislation like the Build Back Better Act and the CHIPS Act on the robotics industry, as well as the future of semiconductor manufacturing and international partnerships in robotics. Takeaways - Robotics needs more federal attention similar to AI. - Reshoring manufacturing is crucial for economic growth. - The Midwest's manufacturing sector is vital for the US economy. - Federal funding for robotics has decreased while AI funding has increased. - Small and medium-sized companies are essential for manufacturing exports. - Tariffs may negatively impact the robotics industry. - The US must rebuild its semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. - International partnerships in robotics are necessary for innovation. - Investment in defense and energy production is likely to increase. - Immigration reform is needed to address labor shortages. The show this week is sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation - It’s time to switch to Zebra Robotics Automation. The company’s cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you that unbeatable competitive edge. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra Robotics Automation. To learn more about Zebra's solutions goto: www.zebra.com/fulfillment

On the show this week, we feature a recent conversation with 1X Founder and CEO, Berndt Børnich, and learn all about the company's plan to begin testing of the NEO Beta humanoid in homes. In this conversation, Bernt discusses the launch of 1X's humanoid robot, NEO, and the mission to address labor shortages through robotics. He emphasizes the importance of designing robots for home environments to gather diverse data for AI training, ensuring safety and compliance, and navigating regulatory challenges. The discussion also touches on public perception of robots and the future of humanoid robotics in society. To learn more: https://www.1x.tech/ The show this week is sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation - It’s time to switch to Zebra Robotics Automation. The company’s cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you that unbeatable competitive edge. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra Robotics Automation. To learn more about Zebra's solutions goto: https://www.zebra.com/fulfillment

It's drone week on the podcast, and we feature two interviews from the world of aerial robotics. Today, we talk with Hylio Drones CEO and Co-founder Arthur Erickson. He and his fellow University of Texas, Austin co-founders are focused on the ag-spraying industry and are the largest U.S.-based ag-spraying drone company. The company manufactures its drones entirely in the U.S., and has a healthy pipeline of clients. Learn more: https://www.hyl.io/ The second featured interview is with Heven Drones CEO and co-founder Bentzion Levinson. Heven (pronounced "heaven") Drones are innovating in the drone market by using hydrogen fuel cells instead of lithium-ion batteries to achieve fight times of up to eight hours. Heven is deploying its drone platform into use cases such as infrastructure inspection, security, long-distance package delivery, and military applications. Learn more: https://hevendrones.com/

This week we connected with Bren Pierce, CEO and founder of a young startup that recently decloaked to bring a new wheeled humanoid robot platform to market. Pierce was a co-founder and chief robotics officer at Bear Robotics, and his latest venture is looking at the applications of a wheeled humanoid solution. Pierce is considering deploying this new robot into warehousing and service robotics applications. Imagine a robot that can serve food and bus the tables in a restaurant. Pierce fully understands how to build robotics for this market, and believes that a wheeled robot with two arms is the right solution. Learn more at:https://www.kinisi.tech/ In this episode cohosts Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre also review the top robotics news stories of the week. Please like and subscribe to ensure that you don't miss an episode.

In this episode, we learn all about Yarbo robotics from cofounder Kenneth Kohlmann. Yarbo made its mark with the launch of its first robotic snow blower in 2018, and has now extended the product line with additional attachments including a mower deck and leaf blower. The company has plans to extend the utility of the robotic base with more attachments in the future. Learn more at: https://www.yarbo.com/us

Cohosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss the latest robotics news from the last week, including a review of the July funding report, which topped $1.3B. 1X also unveiled the NEO Beta humanoid model and prepares for pilot deployments into test home environments. The recent news of the Covariant AI acquisition or acqui-hire by Amazon is an interesting strategic move by the retailing giant. Both companies declined to comment on the details of the acquisition, so we asked ex-Amazon robotics leader and current CEO and founder of Collaborative Robotics, Brad Porter, to join us on the show to share his insights into the state of AI development and why this is an exciting move by Amazon. To learn more about Collaborative Robotics, goto: https://www.co.bot/