Episode 233 of The Robot Report Podcast features Andrew Singletary, CEO, and Amir Sharif, chief operating officer of 3Laws. They discuss the evolution of the company’s intelligent robot supervisor technology from academic research to practical applications, the challenges of startup leadership, and the importance of integrating safety into the design process.
The conversation highlights the innovative approaches 3Laws is taking to democratize autonomy and ensure safety in robotics, emphasizing the need for deterministic systems in an increasingly AI-driven world. Any roboticist developing a new system should consider whether the Pasadena, Calif.-based company can help address safety-critical operations.
Singletary also explores the differences between Supervisor Pro and Supervisor for ROS, and how these products cater to different market needs. He and Sharif explain the significance of customization, certification, and making safe robotics more accessible to smaller companies.
Andrew Singletary, CEO (l), and Amir Sharif, COO (r) of 3Laws. | Credit: 3Laws
The discussion also mentioned these prior podcast episodes:
Show timeline
- 8:07 – News of the week
- 24:45 – Andrew Singletary and Amir Sharif, co-founders of 3Laws
News of the week
Intrinsic is joining Google to advance physical AI in robotics
Just five years after spinning out from Alphabet Inc.’s “moonshot factory,” Intrinsic Innovation is joining Google. The physical AI startup said that being part of Google will allow it to amplify its work across frontier AI, from R&D through deployment and daily operations, enabling industrial use cases in manufacturing and logistics.
The companies did not disclose financial details of the transaction. As a distinct group within Google, the company will continue evolving the Intrinsic platform, using the capabilities of Google Gemini models and Google Cloud, as well as working closely with Google DeepMind.
Wendy Tan White, the current CEO of Intrinsic, will remain in her position. The rest of the unit’s reporting and leadership team remains the same, an Intrinsic spokesperson told The Robot Report.
DoW shoots down Border Patrol drone operating in military space
The Department of War (DoW) mistakenly shot down a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) drone in the Fort Hancock airspace about 50 miles southeast of El Paso, Texas. The engagement occurred within military airspace far from populated areas. The FAA confirmed there was no impact on commercial flights or civilian safety.
Some reports characterized the incident as a significant escalation of the coordination failures reported earlier this month. While the previous airspace shutdown was an administrative and public relations disaster, this latest event represents a direct “friendly fire” engagement between two federal agencies.
The roles have shifted. In this case, the DoW acted as the aggressor, using its counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) authorities to neutralize the CBP’s drone. This suggests a “double-sided” coordination gap where neither agency seems to know what the other is flying or firing.
Read more: https://t.co/hMFof8M3pk pic.twitter.com/RV6rumMFmt
— ABC News (@ABC) February 27, 2026
Wayve raises $1.2B with plans to bring robotaxis to London
Wayve Technologies closed a Series D round of $1.2 billion, bringing its post-money valuation to $8.6 billion. The London-based company said it plans to use the funding to accelerate commercialization of its “end-to-end AI platform” for autonomous driving.
Founded in 2017, Wayve said its AI Driver does not rely on map-based systems and runs entirely on onboard vehicle compute. The company said its unified AI platform spans SAE Level 2 “hands-off” operations through Level 4 “eyes-off” driving across vehicles, brands, and markets.
In the past year, Wayve claimed that it was “the first and only AV developer to drive zero-shot in more than 500 cities across Europe, North America, and Japan, meaning without city-specific fine-tuning before deployment.”
VDMA warns Germany is losing ground in global robotics race
Germany’s robotics and automation industry is preparing for another tough year. The VDMA Robotics + Automation Association, a German trade group, expects revenue to fall 5% in 2026 to about €14.1 billion ($16.6 billion U.S.). That follows a 7% decline in 2025, marking the second straight year of contraction for one of the world’s leading robotics clusters.
Industry leaders said the problems go beyond a normal economic slowdown. Weak demand from key customers has hurt orders. At the same time, geopolitical tensions and broader economic uncertainty have made companies more cautious about investing in new automation equipment.
According to the association, Germany’s robotics industry is also losing ground internationally. Competitors, particularly in Asia, are expanding faster and gaining market share. The VDMA has warned that high costs, regulatory burdens, and slow decision-making in Europe are making it harder for local companies to compete.
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