Shows / Automated with Brian Heater
Automated with Brian Heater
Get a direct line to the biggest names and brightest minds in robotics, Physical AI, and automation. Automated with Brian Heater brings you long-form conversations and unfiltered insights into how we got here, where we’re going, and what’s behind the technologies that are shaping how we live and work.
Episodes
Automated with Brian HeaterDaniele Pucci on Why Humanoid Robots Need a Sense of Touch
A humanoid robot’s skin can be part of its intelligence. Daniele Pucci is building around that idea at Generative Bionics. The company’s co-founder and CEO…
Automated with Brian HeaterBoris Sofman on Bedrock Robotics, Waymo, and Autonomous Construction
Boris Sofman helped bring Cozmo into people’s homes and Waymo’s vehicles onto public roads. At Bedrock Robotics, he is applying those lessons to construction…
Automated with Brian HeaterRodney Brooks on Physical AI, Robot Safety and Real-World Deployment
A useful robot has to earn its place in someone’s workflow. For Rodney Brooks, that means safe interactions, measurable results, and customers who want more…
Automated with Brian HeaterDr. Jan Zizka on Brightpick and the Future of Warehouse Automation
What would it take for one person to manage an entire warehouse? Brightpick CEO Dr. Jan Zizka sees that future taking shape through AI-powered picking…
Automated with Brian HeaterJagdeep Singh: Teaching Robots From Internet Video at Rhoda AI
What if the biggest bottleneck in robotics is the way robots are taught? Jagdeep Singh believes the industry needs a much larger and more diverse source of…
Automated with Brian HeaterAndie Zhang on Why Industrial Robots Still Beat Humanoids
Humanoid robots are receiving more attention than almost any other form of physical AI. But Andie Zhang says factory buyers still care more about speed…
Automated with Brian HeaterKaren Panetta on Digital Twins, Inclusive AI and Engineering for Impact
AI should not be judged only by how advanced it is. It should also be judged by who it helps and who its designers remembered to include. In this episode of…
Automated with Brian HeaterDr. Ahmad Bahai on the Semiconductor Race Behind AI and Robotics
AI and robotics may look like software revolutions. But every breakthrough depends on the semiconductors underneath them. In this episode of Automated, Brian…
Automated with Brian HeaterTony Zhao on Why Home Robots Could Unlock General Intelligence
A robot does not need another robot to learn how to work in a home. That idea is at the center of Sunday Robotics. The company is building Memo, a…
Automated with Brian HeaterCarolina Parada on Gemini Robotics, Robot Data and Physical AGI
Ten years ago, Google DeepMind’s robotics team wanted to build a single model that could go from pixels to motor control. People thought the idea was crazy…
Automated with Brian HeaterClara Vu on Why General-Purpose Robots Are So Hard to Ship
Humanoid robots are attracting enormous investment and dominating the conversation around physical AI. But Clara Vu believes the form factor is a trap. The…
Automated with Brian HeaterDhruv Batra on What AI Still Cannot Do in the Physical World
AI can speak fluently, reason through problems, and describe the world. Getting it to do something in the world is a much harder problem. In this episode of…
Automated with Brian HeaterAmanda Prorok on Robot Teams, Physical AI, and Trust
The future of robotics may not belong to one machine that can do everything. It may belong to teams of specialized robots that learn how to work together. In…
- Automated with Brian Heater
This is Automated
Get a direct line to the biggest names and brightest minds in robotics, Physical AI, and automation. Automated with Brian Heater brings you long-form…
Automated with Brian HeaterJan Liphardt on Building the AI Brain for Humanoid Robots
Humanoid robots can walk, gesture, and look astonishingly capable in a polished demo. Then Jan Liphardt bought one for his house, along with three quadruped…
Automated with Brian HeaterRajat Bhageria on Why Chef Robotics Walked Away From Restaurants
Chef Robotics had millions of dollars in contracted revenue from fast-casual restaurant chains. Rajat Bhageria still chose to walk away. The demand was real…
Automated with Brian HeaterKate Darling on Why Humans Bond With Robots
Humans know robots are machines. That does not stop us from naming them, caring about them, or feeling uncomfortable when someone hurts one. In this episode of…
Automated with Brian HeaterNic Radford on Humanoid Robots Beyond the Backflip
Humanoid robots can walk, fold laundry, and even do backflips. Nic Radford wants to know whether anyone will pay them to work. In this episode of Automated…
Automated with Brian HeaterKathryn Zealand and Jessica Bath on Wearable Robotics, Parkinson’s, and the Future of Mobility
The ability to move is about far more than getting from one place to another. It can shape independence, confidence, social connection, and quality of life. In…
Automated with Brian HeaterAndrei Danescu on Why the Market Does Not Want More Robots
The market does not want more robots. It wants real-time answers about what is actually happening inside the warehouse. In this episode of Automated, Brian…
Automated with Brian HeaterAli Agha on Robot Hallucinations, Physics, and Real-World AI
Physical AI is moving into the real world. But once a robot leaves the lab, Ali Agha says edge cases become the environment. In this episode of Automated…
Automated with Brian HeaterSamantha Johnson on the Robot Giving DeafBlind People a New Way to Connect
Robotics is often judged by how quickly, powerfully, or autonomously a machine can move. Samantha Johnson built a robot to solve a much more human problem…
Automated with Brian HeaterDr. Ayanna Howard on Human-Centered Robotics, AI Guardrails, and Physical AI
Robotics and AI are moving fast. But Dr. Ayanna Howard says the real test is not just whether machines become more capable. It is whether those systems are…
Automated with Brian HeaterYoel Fink on Education, Invention, and Asking Better Questions
The best ideas are not always hidden in the future. Sometimes they are sitting right in front of us, waiting for someone to ask a better question. In this…
Automated with Brian HeaterRuss Tedrake on Robotics, Physical AI, and the Future of Work
Physical AI is moving fast. But Russ Tedrake says the biggest shift may not just be better robots. It may be the way robotics itself is changing. In this…
Automated with Brian HeaterRick Faulk on Locus Robotics, Warehouse Automation, and Physical AI
Warehouse automation is not about building the flashiest robot. It is about solving the right problem at scale. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater…
Automated with Brian HeaterAya Durbin on Turning Atlas Into a Real Industrial Robot
Humanoid robots are everywhere in the headlines. But Aya Durbin says the real test is not whether a robot can impress people in a demo. It is whether that…
Automated with Brian HeaterAndrew Barry on Why Dexterity Is the Next Breakthrough in Physical AI
Physical AI is moving quickly. But Andrew Barry says one of the biggest unlocks in robotics is not just getting robots to move through the world. It is getting…
Automated with Brian HeaterDaniel Rausch on How Alexa Was Rebuilt for the AI Era
Alexa is entering a very different era. For years, voice assistants were built around rules, scripted responses, and carefully designed commands. But with the…
Automated with Brian HeaterDaniela Rus on Humanoid Robots, Physical AI, and the Future of Robotics
Physical AI is moving fast. But Daniela Rus says the future of robotics will not be defined by viral humanoid robot demos alone. The real challenge is building…
Automated with Brian HeaterMatthew Johnson-Roberson on Why Physical AI Still Has a Missing Piece
Physical AI is moving fast. But Matthew Johnson-Roberson says robotics is still missing something fundamental. The field has data, models, and momentum, but it…
Automated with Brian HeaterSergey Levine on Why Real-World Data Will Define Physical AI
Physical AI looks closer than ever. But the hardest part in robotics is not getting a machine to do one impressive task on camera. It is building systems that…
Automated with Brian HeaterColin Angle on Why Home Robots Failed Before and Why AI Changes Everything
Home robots have been promised for decades. Most of them did not fail because the ambition was too small. They failed because the technology was not yet good…
Automated with Brian HeaterMartial Hebert on Why Self-Driving Cars Took So Long and What Everyone Got Wrong About AI
Self-driving cars were supposed to be everywhere by now. They are not. And the reason is not what most people think. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater…
Automated with Brian HeaterBren Pierce on Why Humanoid Robots Are Overhyped and What Actually Works in Robotics
Humanoid robots are everywhere right now. From viral demos to bold promises about home automation, it often feels like the future has already arrived. But…
Automated with Brian HeaterAli Kashani on Last Mile Delivery, Robotics at Scale, and the Future of Autonomous Delivery
Last-mile delivery is one of the most expensive and inefficient parts of the global supply chain. While goods can travel across oceans for just a few dollars…
Automated with Brian HeaterZachary Jackowski on Generalization in Robotics and the Reality of Deploying Robots in the Real World
Robotics is advancing quickly, but building systems that can operate reliably in the real world remains one of the most complex challenges in technology. In…
Automated with Brian HeaterRanjay Krishna on Why Robots Still Fail in the Real World and the Data Problem Holding Them Back
Robotics is advancing quickly, but real-world deployment is still far more difficult than most people expect. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks…
Automated with Brian HeaterErik Nieves on Why Humanoid Robots Are Failing the Most Important Test
Billions are flowing into humanoid robots. But on the factory floor, nobody cares what the robot looks like. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks…
Automated with Brian HeateriRobot CEO Gary Cohen on Turnarounds, Feature Wars, and the Future of Roomba
Robot vacuums have been on the market for over 20 years and are still in fewer than 20 percent of US homes. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks…
Automated with Brian HeaterMehul Nariyawala on Why Home Robots Must Be Vision-First and “Delegate, Not Collaborate”
Home robotics has been promised for decades, but most products still struggle to meet everyday expectations. In this episode of Automated, Brian Heater speaks…
Automated with Brian HeaterRob Cochran on Shipping a Developer-First Humanoid at Fauna Robotics
“We wanted to ship before we talked.” That’s how Rob Cochran, co-founder of Fauna Robotics, explains the company’s decision to stay in stealth until its…
Automated with Brian HeaterPéter Fankhauser on Building a Fleet of Autonomous Robots at ANYbotics
“Nobody wants a robot.” That’s how Péter Fankhauser, CEO of ANYbotics, reframes industrial automation. Customers are not buying quadrupeds for spectacle. They…
Automated with Brian HeaterBuilding Safe, Scalable Robots at GM With Mikell Taylor
Talk about humanoid robots is everywhere, but how useful are they in industrial settings? In this live episode of Automated, Brian Heater talks with Mikell…
Automated with Brian HeaterHow Democratizing Access to Robotics will Benefit All: Intrinsic’s Brian Gerkey on Open-Source Software
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…
Automated with Brian HeaterWhen AI Leaves the Demo Stage: Kence Anderson on What Lasts
The most interesting work around AI doesn’t occur at the height of the hype cycle. Kence Anderson has watched promising ideas overperform in demos…
Automated with Brian HeaterColin Angle on iRobot, Regulation, and the Future of Physical AI
After three decades in consumer robotics, Colin Angle is still asking the hardest questions about trust, value, and what robots are actually for. Colin Angle…
Automated with Brian HeaterEric Danziger on the Reality Gap in Robotics and AI
The current interest in robotics follows a pattern we’ve seen before. Eric Danziger has spent years working through those cycles and offers perspective on how…
Automated with Brian HeaterWaymo’s Vincent Vanhoucke on Embodied AI and Robotics
Robotics has a habit of compressing timelines in theory and stretching them out in practice. Few people are better positioned to talk about that gap than…
Automated with Brian HeaterRohit Sharma on Venture Capital, Robotics, and Long-Term Thinking
True Ventures was an early investor in key robotics startups like Diligent and Bear Flag, thanks, in part, to Rohit Sharma’s thoughtful eye. The venture…
Automated with Brian HeaterFrom Diffusion Policy to Dexterity: Robotics in Review with Erin McColl of Toyota Research Institute
‘‘Twas the night before Automated and all through TRI, not a robot was stirring, just Erin McColl and I. We watched several YouTube videos with great glee, for…
Automated with Brian HeaterDesigning the Machines of Disney’s Avatar with Ben Procter
Ahead of Disney’s Avatar: Fire and Ash’s release, we’ve got one hot conversation with Ben Procter. The film’s production designer, who previously worked on the…
Automated with Brian HeaterHow Robots Fail, Learn, and Improve: A Conversation with Holly Yanco
For more than 30 years, University of Massachusetts Lowell professor Holly Yanco has been a leading mind in human-robot interaction. It seems the rest of the…
Automated with Brian HeaterThe Robot Ending Loneliness in Aged Care: Grace Brown on Building Abi
For Grace Brown, a humanoid robot future is a hopeful future. Andromeda’s Abi is designed to build connections in an increasingly isolated world, focused on…
Automated with Brian HeaterDusty Robotics CEO Tessa Lau on Reinventing Construction Through Automation
In 2018, Dusty Robotics quite literally got in on the ground floor of automating the $2 trillion U.S. construction industry. Founder and CEO Tessa Lau…
Automated with Brian HeaterDianne Eldridge on AI, Automation, and the Future of Work
AI Go-to-Market Lead for Energy & Utilities at Google AI, Dianne Eldridge, knows how to communicate with executives. The automation vet is also an expert at…
Automated with Brian HeaterKen Goldberg: Solving Robotics’ Hardest Problems: Dexterity, Data, and Design
Ken Goldberg is a great resource to have on speed dial when those complex robotics questions emerge. As a longtime U.C. Berkeley professor and cofounder of…
Automated with Brian HeaterHelen Greiner on Building iRobot and the Future of Home Automation
A crush on a fictional astromech droid at age 11 set Helen Grenier down a path toward cofounding iRobot, the most influential consumer robotics firm of the…
Automated with Brian HeaterPSYONIC’s Aadeel Akhtar on the Future of Bionics, Robotics, and Accessibility
What began as a University of Illinois engineering project has grown into a startup aimed at improving lives. Psyonic CEO Aadeel Akhtar discusses the company’s…
Automated with Brian HeaterBuilding Robots That Work for People: Amazon’s Playbook for Scaled Automation
Amazon Robotics' Chief Technologist discusses his journey from undergraduate aeronautics to helping the world's largest retailer deploy one million robots. He…