Welcome to Episode 14 of The Robo Success Podcast, where robotics meets real-world engineering and innovation. In this episode, we explore what it takes to build the next generation of robotics engineers and why hands-on hardware experience remains critical in an increasingly AI-driven industry. Our guest, Joseph Casebeer, Founder and CEO of Takamori Robot, shares insights about his journey into robotics, the development of the Hero educational robotics kit, and why understanding embedded systems and hardware fundamentals will remain essential as AI transforms engineering. Guest: Joseph Casebeer Host: Jesica Chavez Co-host: Andy Diepen Learn more about Takamori Robot: https://www.takamorirobot.com/ 🔍 What you'll hear: • How Joseph's early experience with animatronics sparked his path into robotics. • Why Hero uses a Raspberry Pi Pico and microcontroller-based design to teach real robotics fundamentals. • The transition from graphical programming to writing raw code and understanding how hardware actually works. • Why personal projects and hands-on experience can be more valuable than grades alone when building an engineering career. • Why AI can accelerate coding, but engineers still need deep technical knowledge to debug, optimize, and solve hardware-specific problems. Building a robotics project is more than an exercise in learning to code. It is an opportunity to understand how software, electronics, actuators, and physical systems interact—and how those systems fail. As AI makes software development increasingly accessible, the engineers who understand what is happening underneath the code will remain critical to building reliable robots. More at: www.robo-success.com (http://www.robo-success.com) Follow us to stay ahead in robotics, AI, and automation. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 12 of The Robo Success Podcast, where robotics meets real-world impact. In this episode, we explore one of the biggest hidden challenges in robotics and hardware innovation: manufacturing and sourcing. While much of the industry focuses on breakthrough technologies and AI capabilities, many companies lose momentum long before they ever ship a product because of sourcing delays and production bottlenecks. Our guest, Mitesh Shetty, Founder of Raprod, shares his experience working across engineering, manufacturing, and product development and explains why the future of robotics depends on building better infrastructure between hardware teams and manufacturers. Host: Jesica Chavez Co-host: Andy Diepen 🔍 What you'll hear: • Why sourcing and manufacturing can become the biggest bottleneck for robotics startups • The unique challenges of producing low-volume, high-precision technologies like robotics and physical AI systems • Why engineering and sourcing strategies should happen in parallel rather than sequentially • How Raprod is creating a more transparent and efficient manufacturing marketplace for hardware teams • Why lowering the barriers to manufacturing could accelerate the future of robotics innovation As robotics companies race to commercialize new technologies, building the robot is only part of the challenge. This episode explores why manufacturing infrastructure, supplier networks, and faster sourcing processes may be some of the most important enablers of the next generation of robotics and physical AI companies. More at: ⁠www.robo-success.com⁠ Follow us to stay ahead in robotics, AI, and automation. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 11 of The Robo Success Podcast, where robotics meets real-world impact. In this episode, we explore the evolving state of the humanoid robotics industry and what it will take to move from impressive demonstrations to meaningful deployment at scale. Our hosts share key insights from the Humanoid Summit in Tokyo, discussing how the industry's focus is shifting beyond hardware breakthroughs toward safety, compliance, workforce adoption, and measurable business outcomes. Host: Jesica Chavez Co-host: Andy Diepen 🔍 What you'll hear: • Why the conversation around humanoid robots is moving from hype to implementation • The challenges companies face when transitioning from pilots to real-world deployments • How ROI, efficiency, and operational impact are becoming the new success metrics • Why customer success, education, and workforce adoption are critical for robotics companies • How the industry can build trust by positioning robots as tools that improve working conditions, not replace people As humanoid robotics advances, the challenge is no longer just building the technology, it's deploying it successfully. This episode explores the role of adoption, education, and real-world implementation in shaping the future of robotics. More at: www.robo-success.com Follow us to stay ahead in robotics, AI, and automation. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 10 of The Robo Success Podcast, where robotics meets real-world impact. In this episode, we explore the critical transition from building a working prototype to deploying a stable, scalable hardware product in production environments. Our guest, Chioma Aso, Founder and Principal Consultant at Polymavericks Engineering, shares insights about navigating the inherent friction of physical AI, mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities, and building organizational frameworks that support long-term product lifecycles. Guest: Chioma Aso Host: Jesica Chavez Co-host: Andy Diepen Learn more about Polymavericks Engineering: https://polymatvericks.com/ 🔍 What you'll hear: • Why a successful prototype is a false indicator of manufacturing repeatability. • The Polymavericks Framework: A five-pillar approach to systemic hardware auditing. • Sim-to-Real gaps: Accounting for environmental chaos, friction, and edge cases. • Strategic supply chain engineering: Addressing tolerance stack-ups and dual-sourcing. • Shifting from garage-scale R&D to enterprise-grade operational models. Building a hardware prototype proves that a concept is possible. Building a manufacturing and deployment strategy proves you have a business. For deep tech founders and robotics executives, scaling isn't a post-R&D phase—it is a core architectural design choice made on day one. More at: ⁠www.robo-success.com⁠ Follow us to stay ahead in robotics, AI, and automation. Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.