Andreas shares how he started out in computers and later felt that robotics, through its combination of software and hardware that interacts with the world, was what he found most interesting.

Andreas is one of the founders of RoboDev, a company that aims to make automation more available using modular robotics. He explains how modular systems are especially well suited for automating low volume series and how they work with customers to simplify automation.

He also discusses how a system that can easily be assembled into many different robots creates an advantage both in education and in industrial automation, by providing efficiency, flexibility and speed.

We get a personal, behind the scenes account of how the company has evolved as well as insights into the reasoning behind strategic choices made in product development.

This interview was recorded in 2015.

Stefano got into robotics when he saw the robots in Star Wars, and started out building a robotic arm from scratch, including doing his own PCBs.

He also tells us about the robotic peregrine falcon that has been spun out and is now a successful company.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

We also hear about Public end-user Driven Technological Innovation (PDTI) projects in healthcare and urban robotics.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

Like many, Nicola started out tinkering when he was young, and then got interested in computer science as he wanted to understand it better.

Nicola gives us an overview of indoor navigation and its challenges. He shares a number of interesting projects, including professional cleaning and intralogistics in hospitals. We also find out what someone who wants to use indoor navigation and AGVs should think about.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

Søren talks about how he got into robotics by starting to tinker with any electronic he could get his hands on. He worked in a mechanical workshop and added automation to the machines in the shop. As robots became more and more available, he then included them in his work.

Søren also discusses examples of successful human robot collaboration and how software and hardware both are essential elements of robot development.

We also get to hear about how he went to the Danish Technological Institute because he saw an opportunity to work with lots of interesting robots.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

Hans describes how the different technologies that are used for MAM work. He then talks through the opportunities and challenges and what one needs to consider when designing for the Höganäs powder sintering MAM process.

He also shares some details about the metal powder they use.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

Like so many, Sven got interested in robotics early. He found robots exciting as they could make his programs come to life and work outside the computer. They could do so much more than just display graphics on the computer screen.

Sven talks about how ArtiMinds grew out of the work he did at university and how it focuses on making it easier, faster and more intuitive to program complex robot manipulation tasks.

We also hear how ArtiMinds software makes it easier to handle assembly of flexible material and inexact parts. For instance, it can help you develop applications involving cabling and wire assembly which is usually considered to be a very difficult task for robots.

This interview was recorded in 2016. As of 2018/05 ArtiMinds has grown to greater than 50 employees.

One of the underlying ideas of the area is designing robot controls similar to the ones used in nature by different types of swarms of animals, systems that work without having a leader. We get to hear how many robots can be used together to handle tasks that would not be possible using one or a small number of robots. We also get introduced to the opportunities of mixing artificial animals with real ones.

Spring describes some of the challenges within swarm robotics, which can be as diverse as mathematical modelling and regulatory issues. She also comments on the next frontier in swarm robotics and the different research areas that are needed to make progress.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

We hear about how programmers and roboticists can benefit from being part of and contributing to the open source community.

Dirk discusses the development of ROS and how it is being used both in academia and in commercial projects. He also shares his thoughts on the future development of ROS and how it can support advancements in robotics overall.

This interview was recorded in 2015.

Andrew tells the story about starting OC Robotics as a way to ground his robotics development efforts in a customer need. He felt that making something useful gave a great direction to his projects.

We also hear about some of the unique properties of snake arm robots:
– They can fit in any space that the tip of the robot can get through
– They can operate in very tight locations as they are flexible all along and therefore do not sweep large areas to move
– They are easy to seal up so that they don’t interact with the environment they operate in
– They are set up in two parts where the part exposed to the environment and to risk is the cheaper part

Andrew then shares some interesting insights from the many projects he has worked on, from fish processing and suit making to bomb disposal and servicing of nuclear power plants.

This interview was recorded in 2015.

Safety is critical in robotics and especially so in co-robotics where people work closely with robots. Walter tells us how his product, the Airskin, offers a way to add security to systems by adding a sensor to the robot.

We get to hear how the Airskin can be used to control robots by sensing the pressure on different parts of the robot. This is interesting in a co-robot context as it allows for intuitive control of robots. Walter also talks about how the Airskin works by detecting air pressure differences inside the pad and handles puncture detection with a micro pump.

Walter then shares the evolution of trying different production methods before settling on 3D-printing.

The Airskin pads are now mass-manufactured and available as kits for a number of popular robots. Blue Danube Robotics are also working on software that will make it possible for customers to design Airskin pads themselves.

This interview was recorded in 2016.

Anouk creates instinctual and behavioral wearables; essentially clothes that can sense, process and react. She creates dresses that move, including motors and special effects. They don´t follow the normal fashion cycle of becoming irrelevant after six months, since they can be updated, improved, and interacted with.

She is a big supporter of open source and is contributing an open source unicorn horn + cam design for children with ADHD amongst other things that she publishes on Instructables.com or Hackster.io.

The EZGripper is a tendon based gripper using Dyneema tendons and aluminum oxide eyelets to make it durable and able to handle rough environments.

The EZGripper is under-actuated, the fingers stay straight when picking up small objects and wrap around large objects. You can control position and torque allowing you to grip soft or hard objects and to do so gently or firmly.

Linda tells us about the benefits of getting in touch with a patent attorney early in the innovation process. She then walks us through the process of applying for a patent, key dates and important steps.

We also get to hear about defending your patent and international patents.

Frank talks about how and why he shifted to robotics and how looking for an investment opportunity in robotics lead him to start Robo-Stox (since renamed to ROBO Global), a robotics focused index company.

Both companies have given Frank a unique perspective on the robotics scene as a whole, over a significant period of time.

David started early in robotics, getting involved already in high school. At university he founded the EU project Hydra, that introduced him to modular robotics. In the Hydra project he participated in developing, among other things, the Atron self-reconfiguring modular robotic system. We also hear how the Fable system emerged from co-operating with Lego and how it’s used all the way from 4th grade to university research.

Justin talks about what termites can teach us about creating impressive structures using autonomous swarms of robots, as demonstrated in the Termes project. We also hear how Justin was drawn to robotics by the balance between theoretical and practical work.

We get an introduction to the relatively new, especially when applied to robotics, field of formal verification. Jana talks about the requirements and limits of formal verification and how she feels we are ready to start merging the computer science process with regulatory and business processes.

Christensen shares stories from his life in European robotics research, his views on the robot revolution, and experience developing robotics roadmaps.

The interview ends with Peter adding a new item to the CV, fashion model, when he shows us the ICRA 2018 T-shirt!

Dave shares how he had the opportunity to work with sewer inspection robots early on. He learned a lot from constantly bringing the robots out in the field. Seeing how the robots were used, as regular tools, and how they succeeded and failed helped him iterate the design and take the steps needed to create a well-functioning product.

Dave also talks about how he wanted to continue to build robots as he continued his education. He chose to go to Howie Choset’s laboratory at CMU because they build their own hardware.

We get the opportunity to see one of the modular robotics system Hebi is working on live, and a few examples of how it is being used.

At the end of the interview, Dave and the host Per, who is a major modular robotics fan, discuss the significance of modularity in robotics and how it can change how we develop and use robots and machines.

Daniel started out in the defence sector in Australia using robotics to measure radio transmissions. He worked on many different projects, but felt that he wanted to work with technology that was more widely applicable in society.

Daniel also talks about how he met his co-founder Adam Ellison and how they had the idea of a platform and a community that could widen the range of people that are able to develop robotics and automation solutions. This turned out to be a life-changing journey with many intense moments and amazing experiences.

Daniel then shares how living on floor 7½ in the mezzanine corridor was one of the interesting aspects of moving to San Fransisco to pursue his dream of starting Modbot.

Erin talks about her work marketing for several startups, including selling points, examples from different industries, and launching a robotics product. She also shares her game plan for starting a new robotics company and insight on the startup and venture capital landscape.

In this episode of Robots in Depth, Per Sjöborg speaks with Daniel Lofaro, Assistant Professor at George Mason University specialising in humanoid robots.

Daniel talks about making humans and robots collaborate through co-robotics, and the need for lower-cost systems and better AI. He also mentions that robotics needs a “killer app”, something that makes it compelling enough for the customer to take the step of welcoming a robot into the business or home. Finally, Daniel discusses creating an ecosystem of robots and apps, and how competitions can help do this.

In this episode of Robots in Depth, Per Sjöborg speaks with Craig Schlenoff, Group Leader of the Cognition and Collaboration Systems Group and the Acting Group Leader of the Sensing and Perception Systems Group in the Intelligent Systems Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They discuss ontologies and the significance of formalized knowledge for agile robotics systems that can quickly and even automatically adapt to new scenarios.

In this episode of Robots in Depth, Per Sjöborg speaks with Ian Bernstein, the founder of several robotics companies including Sphero. He shares his experience from completing 5 successful rounds of financing, raising 17 million dollars in the 5th one.

Ian also talks about building a world-wide distribution network and the complexity of combining software and hardware development. We then discuss what is happening in robotics and where future successes may come from, including the importance of Kickstarter and Indiegogo.

If you view this episode, you will also learn which day of the week people don’t play with their Sphero :-).

In this episode of Robots in Depth, Per Sjöborg speaks with Mel Torrie, founder and CEO of ASI, Autonomous Solutions Inc. Mel talks about how ASI develops a diversified portfolio of vehicle automation systems across multiple industries.

Robots in Depth is a new video series featuring interviews with researchers, entrepreneurs, VC investors, and policy makers in robotics, hosted by Per Sjöborg. In this interview, Andra Keay, director of Silicon Valley Robotics, talks about opportunities and challenges for robotics startups and how developments in the agricultural sector can aid consumer robots.

Andra explains how Silicon Valley Robotics formed and what they do, including organising networking events such as the annual Robot Block Party.

She also shares her views on the areas of robotics where we will see significant developments in the near future, including progress in agricultural robotics that could feed into improvements in other industries, such as home robots.

You can support Robots in Depth on Patreon. Check out all the Robots in Depth videos here.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Five women robotics experts from Silicon Valley share their stories
• Money continues to flow into robotics startups
• Coming of age: Clearpath’s Ryan Gariepy on growing a robotics startup
• Meet the winners of #RobotLaunch2015

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Robots in Depth is a new video series featuring interviews with researchers, entrepreneurs, VC investors, and policy makers in robotics, hosted by Per Sjöborg. In this interview, Michael Rubenstein describes how he has taken his robotics research from theory into practice by building cheap and small robots — 1024 of them to be exact.

Michael first talks about his PhD research in algorithms for modular self-reconfigurable robots at the University of Southern California, supervised by Wei-Min Shen.

He then shares some of the challenges involved in building 1,024 robots, and how what you learn from actually building robots is different from what you learn from simulating them. This project helped him fine-tune the algorithms from his earlier research.

By working on Kilobot, Michael also learned how to make inexpensive robots that fit the educational market well, and has created robots that can be programmed by school children at robotics summer camps.

The Kilobot work was done in the Self-Organizing Systems Research Group at Harvard University. Michael is now faculty at Northwestern University.

You can support Robots in Depth on Patreon. Check out all the Robots in Depth videos here.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Thousand-robot swarm self-assembles into arbitrary shapes
•  Bioinspired robotics #1: Swarm collectives, with Radhika Nagpal
• Droplets: A low-cost swarm robotics platform for teaching and experimentation
• Robots Podcast #98: Self-organizing systems

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Komissarova describes why the timing for starting Grishin Robotics was just right, and shares some of the initial feedback from different parts of the robotics community.

She also talks about differences between the companies that get funded and the ones that that don’t, what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in robotics, and the areas within consumer robotics where we are likely to see strong development in the next few years.

You can support Robots in Depth on Patreon. Check out all the Robots in Depth videos here.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

• Robots Podcast#116: Grishin Robotics
• Dmitry Grishin on evaluating robotic investment opportunities
• Grishin’s first investment: Double Robotics

See all the latest robotics news on Robohub, or sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Foote explains the benefits of open source and how it helps make research and development more efficient when both researchers and start-ups can focus on their added value, rather than starting from scratch. This is an advantage for the whole robotics community, enabling it to move forward much faster. 

Foote also describes how developers can contribute directly to further developing the ROS standard, for the benefit of the robotics community. 

You can support Robots in Depth on Patreon. Check out all the Robots in Depth videos here.

Melonee shares how she first got into building things at a young age and how that led to studying mechanical engineering and leaving her PhD project behind to become the second employee of Willow Garage. She shares some personal anecdotes from the first few years at Willow Garage, including both successes like the PR2 and some less successful moments.

Melonee also gives her perspective on the development phase robotics is in now and what the remaining challenges are. Related to that, she discusses what is feasible to deliver in the next five years vs. what her dream robot would be.

You can support Robots in Depth on Patreon. Check out all the Robots in Depth videos here.

Robots in Depth is recorded at different robotics events around the world. You can support Robots in Depth on Patreon.