Welcome to Episode 21 of The Robot Report Podcast, where each week Robot Report editors Steve Crowe and Eugene Demaitre review the latest robotics, automation and intelligent systems news and announcements, and interview leading roboticists, leaders of innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community.
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In this session, Steve Crowe and Eugene Demaitre were joined by Dave Evans, Founder and CEO of Fictiv, a San Francisco-based company specializing in digital manufacturing. Dave discusses the importance of designing robots for manufacturability and how to overcome manufacturing and supply chain problems. Dave breaks down specific case studies about how Fictiv helped Hebi Robotics and Gecko Robotics.
They also chat with Marc Alba, Senior Vice President, NTT and President of NTT Disruption. The company recently acquired the IP for the Jibo social robot, which has been on a roller coaster of a ride since it launched in 2014. Marc updates us the status of Jibo, the new direction in which the robot is headed, the role Microsoft is playing in the revival, and how consumers who own a Jibo will continue to be supported.
We preview a recent RoboBusiness Direct discussion, which originally aired Oct. 22 at 2:00 PM Eastern. Dwight Meglan, Founder and CTO of HeartLander Surgical, will discuss various factors and strategies that are key to building a successful surgical robotics company. Meglan will be pulling from his experience working at five commercial surgical robotics startups.
Crowe and Demaitre also discuss the latest headlines, including Cruise removing safety drivers from its robotaxis in San Francisco, Tesla rolling out the beta version of its “full self-driving software”, and we recap Boston Dynamics’ Actuate event.
Podcast Timestamps
- 0-:37: Ad Read
- :38-4:52: Show Intro
- 4:53-36:10: Conversation with Dave Evans, Founder & CEO, Fictiv
- 36:11-36:50: RoboBusiness Direct Preview
- 36:51 -55:01 News Recap: Cruise removing safety drivers, Tesla “self-driving”, recapping Boston Dynamics’ Actuate event
- 55:02-57:05 Fictiv’s Manufacturing Tip of the Week
- 57:06-1:34:31: Conversation with NTT Disruption’s Marc Alba about Jibo
- 1:34:32-1:35:14: Show Outro
This episode of The Robot Report Podcast is brought to you by Fictiv. Fictiv’s Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem is transforming how the next rockets, self driving cars, and life-saving robots are designed, developed, and delivered to customers around the world. This transformation is made possible through the company’s technology-backed platform, its partnerships with the highest-quality small and large manufacturers around the globe, and its people with deep expertise in hardware and software development.
In the last 6+ years, Fictiv has manufactured over 10 million parts for early stage companies and large enterprises alike, helping them innovate with agility and get to market faster. To learn more, visit Fictiv’s website.
Want to Be a Guest?
If you would like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of The Robot Report Podcast, or have recommendations for guests, please contact Steve Crowe or Eugene Demaitre. For sponsorship opportunities for The Robot Report Podcast, contact Courtney Nagle.