Welcome to Episode 7 of The Robot Report Podcast, which brings conversations with robotics innovators straight to you. Join us every Wednesday for discussions with leading roboticists, innovative robotics companies, and other key members of the robotics community.

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This week Gene and I talk with Aaron Edsinger and Charlie Kemp, founders of Hello Robot. The company came out of stealth mode yesterday by introducing its Stretch mobile manipulator, which has been in development for three-plus years. Edsinger sold to robotics companies to Google in 2013, Meka Robotics and Redwood Robotics. He was then Director of Robotics at Google until 2017. Kemp is a professor at Georgia Tech and in 2007 founded the university’s Healthcare Robotics Lab.

We talk to Aaron and Charlie about the development of Stretch, its unique design, how they reduced its price, why they decided to self-fund Hello Robot and more. Charlie also shares a great story about how he tele-operated Stretch to care for his family’s cat while on vacation.

Gene also sat down with Miso Robotics co-founder and CEO Buck Jordan. Miso Robotics yesterday announced a pilot with White Castle, the oldest fast food chain in the world. White Castle is testing the Flippy Robot-on-a-Rail system in several locations to address efficiency, product safety, and labor shortages. Gene and Buck discuss the pilot with White Castle, Miso’s future plans to build its own food-grade robotic arms, a potential robotics as a service business model and much more.

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
0-5:04 – Podcast Intro
5:40-51:07 – Conversation with Hello Robot
54:49-1:20:41 – Conversation with Miso Robotics
1:20:42-1:21:43 – Podcast Outro

Podcast Links
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The Robot Report YouTube Channel
Hello Robot’s Stretch aims to democratize mobile manipulation
White Castle and Miso Robotics to test Flippy Robot on a Rail in fast food trials