Dive into the world of American manufacturing with Saman Farid, founder and CEO of Formic. Discover how robots are transforming US factories by dramatically improving utilization - from 30% to nearly 100% - while helping solve the labor shortage crisis.

This episode reveals how Formic is making robotics accessible to small and medium-sized manufacturers through their innovative "robots-as-a-service" model. Learn why 90% of American factories still don't have a single robot, and how Formic's approach could change that.

Perfect for manufacturing professionals, robotics enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the future of American industry.

Links:
- Formic Website: https://formic.co/
- Saman Farid LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanfarid/
- Formic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/formic-technologies/
- Audrow Nash Podcast: https://www.audrownashpodcast.com/

Timestamps:
- (0:00) - Episode Intro
- (0:53) - Introduction to Saman Farid and Formic
- (1:39) - Formic's Mission and Impact
- (4:01) - Challenges in Robotics Deployment
- (9:46) - Case Studies and Real-World Applications
- (14:30) - Advanced Technologies and Automation
- (28:35) - How Formic Collects Site Data
- (35:08) - Configuring a Workcell with Data Gathered
- (40:30) - Programming the Robot with Generative AI
- (50:09) - AI in the Loop: Revolutionizing Robotics Simulation
- (52:54) - Exploring the Software Stack
- (54:30) - From Simulation to Reality
- (59:07) - LLMs for Data Ingestion
- (1:03:43) - Customer Support and Maintenance
- (1:12:26) - Scaling and Future Challenges
- (1:19:38) - Working with Small and Medium-sized Manufacturers
- (1:28:04) - What are Most Robotics Companies Doing Wrong?
- (1:31:04) - Thoughts on the US Manufacturing Sector