We’re incredibly proud of the programming we put together for this year’s TC Sessions: Robotics + AI. It’s my personal favorite TechCrunch event and I think this year’s way easily our best.
We had top names in the industry like Marc Raibert, Claire Delaunay, Colin Angle, Anthony Levondowski and Melonee Wise join us onstage. But a robotics event is nothing without actual robots, and this year’s demo lineup was every bit as stacked as our speaker list.
It was an exciting collection, from the latest version of Spot Mini to a mobility robot designed to help children with cerebral palsy walk.
Of course, we understand that not everyone was able to pack into Zellerbach Hall last Thursday. And even those who were will likely want a second look at the many robots we had onstage at the UC Berkeley event.
So here are the many impressive robots we had onstage.
Boston Dynamics SpotMini
Back by popular demand, Boston Dynamics’ SpotMini took to the stage to show off some impressive tricks. The version on our stage last week was the same as the production units the company is expected to sell later this year. CEO Marc Raibert also showcased some of Spot’s applications, from patrolling construction sites to opening doors during hostage situations.
NVIDIA Kaya and Carter
NVIDIA VP of Engineering Claire Delaunay joined us onstage to discuss the chip maker’s work to create a universally accessible robotics platform. Delaunay showcased two robots — Kaya and Carter — which are built on top of the Isaac platform. The reference robots are designed to help unlock the full potential for the Isaac SDK, which was made public at the event.
Trexo Robotics
Co-founder Manmeet Maggu opened with a personal story that led to the creation of Trexo. The Toronto-based startup started as a side project, building personal mobility devices for children with movement disorders such as cerebral palsy.
Berkeley SkyDeck Squishy and Kiwi
Hailing from a few blocks from the event, the Berkeley SkyDeck accelerator took to the stage to showcase two of their most exciting robotics startups. Squishy creates rugged exploration robots designed to be dropped from aircrafts, so they can go where humans can’t. Kiwi, meanwhile, already has a bustling business delivering hot meals to Berkeley residents.
iRobot Terra
iRobot’s first major new line in some time is precisely what you’d want from the maker of the Roomba. But why did it take the successful robotics company 10 years to create a robotic lawnmower? CEO Colin Angle explains.
Breeze Automation
This San Francisco-based startup made its public debut on our stage last week, discussing the soft, fabric-based robots it’s creating for the U.S. Navy and NASA.
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