Billions Are Flowing Into Robots That Don't Work Yet
Automated Podcast 49:01
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"The capital has outpaced the technology."
Plus One Robotics CEO Erik Nieves has been in warehouse automation for a decade. He says the humanoid robots dominating headlines right now cannot meet the KPIs that enterprise customers actually require, and the industry knows it.
Recorded live at the A3 Business Forum in Miami, Nieves breaks down why dexterity is the real unsolved problem in robotics, why the fence around industrial robots is not there to keep the robot in, why human-in-the-loop is a feature, not a flaw, and why robots are about to end the era of labor arbitrage for good.
This is the robotics conversation that cuts through the hype.
Key Moments:
(00:00) Why Enterprise Customers Don't Care What the Robot Looks Like
(00:38) From Astronomy to Robotics: Erik Nieves' Origin Story
(04:44) CES Humanoid Demos vs Real-World Deployment
(06:52) Has the Capital Outpaced the Technology
(09:32) Plus One Robotics at Year Ten
(11:15) What Has Changed and What Has Stayed the Same
(12:25) KPIs Matter More Than Form Factor
(13:28) Why Humanoids Cannot Meet Industrial Rates Yet
(15:59) Dexterity Is the Real Problem Nobody Is Solving
(19:33) Legs vs Wheels: The Debate That Won't Die
(21:43) Why Robots Are Still Behind a Fence
(23:06) The Fence Is Not There to Keep the Robot In
(24:59) The Cambrian Explosion in Robotics
(26:57) How Plus One Robotics Was Founded
(29:42) Why Human in the Loop Was the Right Bet
(34:27) Robots Will End the Era of Labor Arbitrage
(36:01) Nearshoring vs Reshoring
(37:53) Why San Antonio Is a Hidden Advantage
(39:08) Talent, Universities, and the AI Pipeline
(41:04) Why Hardware Companies Cannot Go Fully Remote
(42:17) Mentorship Only Works in Person
(46:34) The One KPI That Runs the Entire Company
Sponsored by SANYO DENKI America: SANMOTION delivers precise, reliable, stable, centralized control across complex advanced robotics systems.
Learn more at https://www.sanyodenki.com/america/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=automated_w_brian_heater&utm_id=plusone_robotics
Connect with Erik Nieves: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriknieves/
Learn more about Plus One Robotics: https://www.plusonerobotics.com/
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at podcast@automate.org
Find the transcript and more episodes at automate.org/podcast
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
Plus One Robotics CEO Erik Nieves has been in warehouse automation for a decade. He says the humanoid robots dominating headlines right now cannot meet the KPIs that enterprise customers actually require, and the industry knows it.
Recorded live at the A3 Business Forum in Miami, Nieves breaks down why dexterity is the real unsolved problem in robotics, why the fence around industrial robots is not there to keep the robot in, why human-in-the-loop is a feature, not a flaw, and why robots are about to end the era of labor arbitrage for good.
This is the robotics conversation that cuts through the hype.
Key Moments:
(00:00) Why Enterprise Customers Don't Care What the Robot Looks Like
(00:38) From Astronomy to Robotics: Erik Nieves' Origin Story
(04:44) CES Humanoid Demos vs Real-World Deployment
(06:52) Has the Capital Outpaced the Technology
(09:32) Plus One Robotics at Year Ten
(11:15) What Has Changed and What Has Stayed the Same
(12:25) KPIs Matter More Than Form Factor
(13:28) Why Humanoids Cannot Meet Industrial Rates Yet
(15:59) Dexterity Is the Real Problem Nobody Is Solving
(19:33) Legs vs Wheels: The Debate That Won't Die
(21:43) Why Robots Are Still Behind a Fence
(23:06) The Fence Is Not There to Keep the Robot In
(24:59) The Cambrian Explosion in Robotics
(26:57) How Plus One Robotics Was Founded
(29:42) Why Human in the Loop Was the Right Bet
(34:27) Robots Will End the Era of Labor Arbitrage
(36:01) Nearshoring vs Reshoring
(37:53) Why San Antonio Is a Hidden Advantage
(39:08) Talent, Universities, and the AI Pipeline
(41:04) Why Hardware Companies Cannot Go Fully Remote
(42:17) Mentorship Only Works in Person
(46:34) The One KPI That Runs the Entire Company
Sponsored by SANYO DENKI America: SANMOTION delivers precise, reliable, stable, centralized control across complex advanced robotics systems.
Learn more at https://www.sanyodenki.com/america/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=automated_w_brian_heater&utm_id=plusone_robotics
Connect with Erik Nieves: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eriknieves/
Learn more about Plus One Robotics: https://www.plusonerobotics.com/
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at podcast@automate.org
Find the transcript and more episodes at automate.org/podcast
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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