Welcome to Episode 24 of The Robot Report Podcast, which brings conversations with robotics innovators straight to you. Join us each week for discussions with leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community.

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This week, fellow editor Steve Crowe and I speak with Aaron Prather, senior advisor for technology, research, and planning at FedEx. He tells us about FedEx’s SenseAware ID and robot arms, technology opportunities for robotics startups at FedEx, and the RIA Interoperability Task Force and efforts to develop standards for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs).

In addition, we touch on FedEx’s preparations for distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, the importance of workforce development programs such as eKAMI, and the end of Walmart’s contract with Bossa Nova Robotics. Aaron, Steve, and I also discuss the possible sale of Boston Dynamics by SoftBank, as well Boston Dynamics’ and Honeywell‘s work on logistics products.

Steve and I chat about the latest big investments in autonomous vehicle companies, including Inceptio, Nuro, and Pony.ai. In other news, we look at a Yale study about human mistreatment of robots and how designers can prepare for it (see more in the show notes below).

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If you would like to be a guest on an upcoming episode of the podcast, or if you have recommendations for future guests or segment ideas, contact Steve or Eugene. For sponsorship opportunities of The Robot Report Podcast, contact Courtney Nagle for more information.

Podcast timestamps

• 0-2:55: Show intro
• 2:56-44:40: Conversation with FedEx’s Aaron Prather
• 44:41-45:16: RoboBusiness Direct preview
• 45:17-53:48: SoftBank reportedly shopping Boston Dynamics
• 53:49-59:19: Recent autonomous vehicle news
• 59:20-1:08:47: Why do humans abuse robots?
• 1:08:49-1:09:42: Show outro

Show notes

• 6 Autonomous mobile robot trends to watch
• Podcast: FedEx’s parcel-handling robots; Waymo and Fiat; MassRobotics on startups dealing with COVID-19
• Walmart ends five-year inventory robot contract with Bossa Nova Robotics
• Digitization and robotics design to be the focus of RoboBusiness Direct presentation
• Report: Hyundai in talks to acquire Boston Dynamics
• READY Robotics and eKAMI teach former coal miners to program multiple robots
• Pony.ai partners to mass-produce self-driving cars as Series C brings valuation to $5.3B
• China’s Inceptio Technology raises $120M for L3 autonomous trucks
• Autonomous delivery vehicle provider Nuro raises $500M in Series C funding
• Walmart adds Cruise to autonomous delivery pilots
• Yale: “Prompting Prosocial Human Interventions in Response to Robot Mistreatment”