Why Democratizing Access to Robotics Matters
Automated Podcast 48:26
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Brian Gerkey believes deeply in the importance of open-sourcing robotics technology. His career, with time spent at Willow Garage, Open Robotics, and now as CTO at Intrinsic, has been guided by this philosophy.
In this episode of Automated, Gerkey explains why “simple” tasks like picking and placing remain some of the toughest problems to solve, especially in high-variability environments. We explore Intrinsic’s software-first approach to making automation economically viable, the idea of artificial functional intelligence (AFI), and how technology only succeeds when workers trust and understand how to use it. Bryan reflects on the tight-knit spirit of the industry, and why community, relationships, and impact, not just perfect tech, drive it forward and keep him dedicated to robotics after all of these years.
Key Moments:
00:00 Why great automation still fails in the shop floor
01:26 Is robotics finally having its moment?
03:26 What the “AI winter” really taught robotics
08:25 Where robotics is overpromising today
11:29 Why “simple” pick-and-place is still so hard
14:36 Why robots aren’t flexible like the cloud (yet)
16:17 Robotics is a software problem now
18:56 Why small machine shops may adopt automation fastest
21:45 What is artificial functional intelligence (AFI)?
30:49 Willow Garage wasn’t research or commercial, it was about impact
38:57 Why companies actually contribute to open source
44:41 The tight-knit robotics community keeps people here
Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gerkey/
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at podcast@automate.org.
You can find the transcript and more episodes of Automated at https://www.automate.org/automation/automated-podcast-brian-heater.
Unlock full access to Automated and explore everything automation. Subscribe today on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
You can also find us on:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/automated-podcast-by-a3/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/automatedpod/
Subscribe to the Automated Newsletter: https://www.automate.org/automation/newsletter-automation-roundup
In this episode of Automated, Gerkey explains why “simple” tasks like picking and placing remain some of the toughest problems to solve, especially in high-variability environments. We explore Intrinsic’s software-first approach to making automation economically viable, the idea of artificial functional intelligence (AFI), and how technology only succeeds when workers trust and understand how to use it. Bryan reflects on the tight-knit spirit of the industry, and why community, relationships, and impact, not just perfect tech, drive it forward and keep him dedicated to robotics after all of these years.
Key Moments:
00:00 Why great automation still fails in the shop floor
01:26 Is robotics finally having its moment?
03:26 What the “AI winter” really taught robotics
08:25 Where robotics is overpromising today
11:29 Why “simple” pick-and-place is still so hard
14:36 Why robots aren’t flexible like the cloud (yet)
16:17 Robotics is a software problem now
18:56 Why small machine shops may adopt automation fastest
21:45 What is artificial functional intelligence (AFI)?
30:49 Willow Garage wasn’t research or commercial, it was about impact
38:57 Why companies actually contribute to open source
44:41 The tight-knit robotics community keeps people here
Connect with Brian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-gerkey/
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at podcast@automate.org.
You can find the transcript and more episodes of Automated at https://www.automate.org/automation/automated-podcast-brian-heater.
Unlock full access to Automated and explore everything automation. Subscribe today on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
You can also find us on:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/automated-podcast-by-a3/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/automatedpod/
Subscribe to the Automated Newsletter: https://www.automate.org/automation/newsletter-automation-roundup
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