Learn about the state of humanoid robots at RoboBusiness

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Humanoids have historically been relegated to robotics research labs to help push the boundaries of legged locomotion and control systems. However, the tides are changing. Now, humanoids are ready to take their first steps as more and more companies are creating humanoids to perform various real-world tasks. 

At RoboBusiness, which will be held in Santa Clara, CA on October 18-19, three experts in the humanoid robotics industry will take part in a keynote panel on the state of humanoid robotics development. Attendees will gain firsthand insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and discover which industries are poised to be early adopters of these remarkable creations.

The first panelist is Geordie Rose, the co-founder and CEO of Sanctuary, a company currently developing a humanoid robot called Phoenix. The company has demonstrated five generations of its Phoenix robot, and the soon-to-be-released sixth generation will be its first with legs and bipedal motion. Prior to Sanctuary, Geordie founded D­-Wave, the world’s first quantum computing company, and was the CEO of Kindred, the world’s first robotics company to use reinforcement learning in a production environment.

The panel will also include Jeff Cardenas, the co-founder and CEO of Apptronik, which has developed and delivered several generations of humanoid exoskeletons for the US Department of Defense. This work led it to develop Astra, its first-generation humanoid robot. Cardenas previously worked in the Global Commercialization Group at the IC2 Institute at UT Austin, working with innovators from around the globe to take innovations out of the research lab and into the market. 

The final panelist will be Jonathan Hurst, the co-founder and Chief Robot Officer at Agility Robotics. Agility Robotics’ Digit is currently the only commercially-available humanoid designed for production work and being manufactured in large volumes. In addition to his roles at Agility, Hurst is a Professor and co-founder of the Oregon State University Robotics Institute. Hurst’s university research focuses on understanding the fundamental science and engineering best practices for robotic legged locomotion and physical interaction.

RoboBusiness will be co-located with the Field Robotics Engineering Forum, an event focused on how to successfully develop robots that operate in wide-ranging, outdoor, dynamic environments. Also co-located with RoboBusiness is DeviceTalks West, the premier industry event for medical technology professionals, currently in its ninth year. Both events attract engineering and business professionals from a broad range of healthcare and medical technology backgrounds.