Agenda
July 21st
Welcome to TechCrunch Robotics Online!
The Changing Face of Work
Robotics are set to profoundly impact the future of how America works. Automation is an inevitability, but is the U.S. truly prepared for the coming impact? Labor Secretary Marty Walsh will discuss what employers and regulators need to do to brace for these radical changes.
Funding the Future
As funding has dried up for many startups, robotics have weathered the storm quite well. The pandemic has fueled investments in the category as more companies look toward automated solutions, and the trend shows no sign of slowing any time soon.
Lab Work
If you’re looking for the bleeding edge of robotics and AI research, you’ve come to the right place. MIT CSAIL head Daniela Rus and CMU’s new head of robotics, Matthew Johnson-Roberson, will join us to discuss how schools are helping redefine robotics.
Agility Digit Demo
Agility Robotics cofounders Damion Shelton and Jonathan Hurst will showcase their bipedal fulfillment robot, Digit.
Networking Break
The Fulfilling World of Warehouse Robotics
Logistics and fulfillment may well be the hottest category in robotics at the moment. Locus Robotics, Zebra Technologies (Fetch) and Berkshire Grey are helping define the space. Their automation is working to improve delivery times, manage inventory, assist their human counterparts and stay competitive.
Automating Amazon
Amazon’s huge bet on robotics dates back to its 2012 acquisition of Kiva Systems. Over the past decade, it’s a gamble that has paid off immeasurably as the retailer has become the 800 pound gorilla in any conversation about warehouse automation. VP Joseph Quinlivan will discuss what the company is doing to maintain its edge.
Pre-seed to Unicorn: Lessons from HAX Robotics Founders
SOSV’s HAX, the hands on early stage investor in hard tech, has been making big bets on robotics for ten years, and today the startup development program is the the most active pre-seed investor in robotics in the world. Join HAX partner Garrett Winther and four HAX founders – ranging from its prolific unicorn Opentrons to its more recent seed and series A stage investments – for robotics founder insights across all stages and geographies.
Networking Break
TechCrunch Robotics Pitch-off
The industry’s brightest entrepreneurs will take the stage in front of a live audience and a panel of industry experts, pitching revolutionary technologies.
Education FIRST
From the Segway to iBot to AutoSyringe, Dean Kamen has made a name as one of the biggest inventors of the past 50 years. In 1989, he decided to give back with the launch of FIRST, an organization that promotes STEM education. He’ll discuss his creations and the work he’s doing to inspire the next generation of inventors.
From Cage to Stage: Commercializing AI and Robotics
What does it take to bring a robot or AI process from the lab to market? Learn from experience with The Engine general partner Milo Werner, academic-commercial crossover specialist Joyce Sidopoulos of MassRobotics, and Pieter Abbeel, who splits his time between UC Berkeley and the well-funded AI outfit he founded Covariant.
Shaping Robots, Environments, and People for Harmony
As robots and AI begin to pervade everyday life, we must take lessons from industry and academic research on how to coexist safely and productively. Rod Brooks and Clara Vu both bring years of expertise to the question, and can speak to what’s needed in hardware, software, and beyond to bring the lives of robots and humans closer together.
Putting Robots to Work
We’ve seen the demos and the viral videos, but moving from research to real world is its own complex journey. The CEOs of Boston Dynamics and Sarcos will discuss the process of bringing their robots to market, from pilot testing to scaling manufacturing.