The Tortured Robots Department

Riffing on the title of Taylor Swift's latest, hour-long album, I am hoping to share a bit more about how hard it is to operate robots in the real world. This is meant in part as an antidote to the incredible amounts of hype we are seeing about AI and robotics, as well as a way to build more empathy for the people who work side-by-side with robots today.

First a disclaimer: I'm not a Swiftie by any stretch of the imagination. TBH, I am a bit afraid the Swiftie Army may come after me. Please don't. This is not meant as disrespect but rather recognition of the massive cultural impact of her work.

You left your [robot part] at my [warehouse]
Straight from the tortured [robots] department        

Yes, for all their newly acquired AI powers, robots are still mechanical and like any machine they break down. Wheels are worn. Parts come off. Things crash into them ... including other robots. Modern robots are very complex machines, with sensitive sensors that get dirty, scratched or miscalibrated.

That's why robots require ongoing, proactive management. They're now a set-it-and-forget-it, AI-will-take-care-of-itself piece of technology. When something goes wrong (or, ideally, before it does), it's important to get notifications and have processes in place for resolution.

In addition, robots need maintenance to stay in top shape. For instance, WAKU Robotics (part of the InOrbit Connect ecosystem) has developed Waku Care to help companies manage the complexity of looking after a mixed fleet of robots, each with their own schedules and procedures.

I think some things I never say
Like, "Who uses [AMRs] anyway?"        

Unlike typewriters, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are everywhere now. You can find them in hospitals delivering medication or in hotels bringing to your room the toothbrush you forgot. They're in farms, in the form of autonomous tractors or in restaurants taking dirty dishes back to the kitchen. A robot may clean the floor at a large retail store while another one helps restock items. And, of course, mobile robots are in warehouses, manufacturing plants, construction sites, refineries ... the list just keeps growing.

Just as important is that the people who work with the robots -- the waiters, hotel staff, or warehouse operations directors -- are typically not trained roboticists. They shouldn't need a Ph.D. from a top university to operate or work with robots. To make this possible, it's important to empower them with software that provides the right information regardless of their level of technical expertise.

At InOrbit.AI we have introduced InOrbit RobOps Copilot, an AI-powered optimization product that allows people to interact in their own natural language with large fleets of robots. For instance, you may ask "how many successful missions did we run this week?" or build more complex prompts, and the RobOps Copilot will get you the answers you need. It's like ChatGPT but for robots.

But you're in self-sabotage mode
Throwing spikes down on the road        

Unfortunately, many robotics companies often get in their own way. Whether it's wasting precious time and cash to reinvent the wheel, using the wrong models for integrating robotics and operations, or underinvesting in the software needed to manage a large fleet of robots, a number of startups and established companies fail to embrace the latest learnings around RobOps .

As a co-founder of the Robot Operations Group , I enjoy organizing our recurring meetings, whether online or in-person at RobOpsCon, where expert practitioners learn from each other how to go from 5 to 5,000 robots.

But I've seen this episode and still loved the show
Who else decodes you?        

I can say that I thoroughly enjoy being part of and helping foster more connections with the robotics community and with the broader population. For instance, at the InOrbit Robot Space we showcase robots and equipment from a growing number of ecosystem partners.

We also regularly organize or host community events, whether it's partnering with non-profits like Women in Robotics , SuperTech FT and Code Tenderloin ; donating space for the HomeBrew Robotics Club to meet; welcoming large groups of founders, business executives and government officials; or opening the doors to the general public and offering robotics-related toys for children (and children-at-heart) of all ages.

At InOrbit, we've made it our mission to decode robots.