Why Daniele Pucci Put His Flying Humanoid Project on Hold

“You cannot treat the AI separately from the body.”

Generative Bionics CEO Daniele Pucci explains why that changes how he builds humanoid robots.

GENE.01’s tactile skin senses contact and proximity. Pucci describes those capabilities as a source of intelligence, part of a machine designed to interact physically with the people around it.

For workplace assistance, he describes research connecting wearable measurements of human fatigue to a robot’s AI, so it can recognize when help is needed. Brian Heater asks why build a machine to assist a worker when other companies are trying to automate the labor entirely. Pucci explains why that choice matters to the company he is building.

The conversation also gets into the hardware behind the humanoid robotics boom. Pucci points to advances in motors as a key reason robots can now jump and dance, and explains why AI, mechanics, and sensing belong in the same design process.

His product strategy uses a shared platform like a car chassis. The AI, exterior covers, and end effectors change with the task: heat protection for a welding robot, different capabilities for a robot assisting in a hospital.

The final part returns to iRonCub, his jet-powered humanoid project. Pucci explains why disaster response motivated its development, what it took to make the robot fly, and why he put the project on hold to focus on industrial customers.

KEY MOMENTS
00:00 Humans, humanoids, and flying robots
01:42 Meet Daniele Pucci
03:16 From rocket science to humanoid robotics
05:40 Could nuclear fusion ever power a robot?
09:55 What iCub was built to study
15:25 Why copying the human body has limits
19:06 The motors behind jumping and dancing humanoids
21:23 The pressure to turn robotics research into products
24:05 How a robot’s appearance shapes trust
25:50 GENE.01 and tactile skin
27:42 Why iCub looks like a child
29:46 ergoCub, wearable sensors, and worker fatigue
34:52 When a humanoid robot should step in to help
35:19 Why assist a worker instead of replacing the labor?
37:21 The safety challenge of working directly with people
41:14 Touch and proximity sensing
42:41 Where hospitals fit between factories and homes
44:54 Putting jet engines on a humanoid robot
48:01 A shared platform for different robot jobs
49:20 Why the iRonCub project is on hold

Connect with Daniele Pucci:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniele-pucci-78428420/

Learn more about Generative Bionics:
https://gbionics.ai/

Explore GENE.01:
https://gbionics.ai/gene01/

Explore the iRonCub research project:
https://ami.iit.it/aerial-humanoid-robotics

We’d love to hear from you. Have thoughts or guest suggestions?
Reach us at podcast@automate.org.

You can find the transcript and more episodes of Automated at automated.fm.

Unlock full access to Automated and explore everything automation.
Subscribe today and leave a review on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and the Automated Newsletter.
https://www.youtube.com/@automatedpodcast
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/automated-with-brian-heater/id1837762221
https://open.spotify.com/show/60olq6brlBEIJWggx2fMR6
https://www.automate.org/automation/automated-newsletter

You can also find us on:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/automated-podcast-by-a3/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/automatedpod/