Soft Robotics Podcast

My problem with Figure’s F.02 decommissioning by Marwa ElDiwiny

My problem with Figure’s F.02 decommissioning by Marwa ElDiwiny

Digit 5: What Are They Not Showing Us?

Agility’s latest Digit demo shows a pretty significant change in the robot’s design. But it also raises a few questions. One of the biggest ones is speed. Speed was never mentioned in their specs.

And then there’s that unusually large backpack. Battery? Compute? Cooling? Something else?

Digit is also one of the heavier humanoids out there, so it’s worth asking what that means for safety.

Scott Walter and I sat down to go through the new design and the footage.

One thing we noticed: Digit doesn’t actually take a step in the footage we reviewed.

There’s also footage that appears to be CGI rather than an actual physical demonstration.

None of this necessarily means the technology doesn’t work. It just means there are still things we can’t really judge from the demo.

And Agility is, of course, welcome to respond or correct anything we got wrong.

I speak with James Kuffner, CTO of Symbotic, about warehouse robotics, humanoids, AI, and what it takes to move robots from impressive demos to real-world deployment.

A conversation about the future of robotics and the challenges of building systems that work at scale.

Why Did This Robot Take 7 Years? Matic Robots by Marwa ElDiwiny

The Case for Three Fingers ... Fluidic Tendons vs. Conventional Tendons vs. Direct Drive

Scott Walter and I sit down with Vikram Pavate, CEO of Tacta Systems, to dive into their unique approach to designing robotic hands.... including their work on multiple inventions in robotic hand design, their tactile sensing approach, and why they chose a three-finger design.

This episode was truly one of the most comprehensive conversations for anyone designing robotic hands.

Matic Robots, Tomorrow’s Reveal + The New Hand of Foundation

Scott Walter and I sat down to talk about the new Hand of Foundation, as well as what’s coming with Matic robots and tomorrow’s reveal.

Humanoid robotics is increasingly bounded by battery life, which directly impacts uptime, operating costs, and ultimately unit economics.

Heat is another challenge. Thermal management can add weight and complexity, making battery design even more important. I sat down with Joe Papp, co-founder of Anthro Energy, to talk about their approach to building batteries that can last longer, store more energy, and operate more safely.

More about Anthro Energy:

https://www.anthroenergy.com/

Jason Black is a venture investor focused on transformational technologies, with a particular interest in robotics, AI, and frontier markets. He spent nearly a decade at RRE Ventures, where he partnered with founders building companies across deep tech and emerging industries. Known early in his venture career as “the robot guy,” Jason has long been drawn to complex systems and technologies pushing the boundaries of what machines can do. He brings an investor perspective on the future of robotics, including what separates promising humanoid robotics companies from those that ultimately succeed.

Mia Hand: For Humans & Robots

Scott Walter sits down with Francesco Clemente from Prensilia to break down the design of Mia Hand and take a deep dive into its development.

https://www.mia-hand.com/en/