Humans and Robots

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Industrial automation is often viewed as complex, expensive, and only feasible for large corporations. But Rishabh Agarwal, founder of startup Peer Robotics, is on a mission to change that perception.

I recently spoke with Rishabh on the Startup Istanbul Podcast about his journey to make robotics and automation more accessible for organizations of all sizes. Rishabh offered fascinating insights into the inspiration behind Peer Robotics, his unique hands-on training approach, and the future of human-robot collaboration.

In this post, I'll share key takeaways from my conversation

Key Takeaways:

* Peer Robotics focuses on industrial tasks like materials handling where automation can boost productivity without fully replacing human workers. Their mobile, versatile robots aim to complement people.

* Instead of requiring advanced programming, Peer Robotics' robots can learn new tasks simply by having a person demonstrate. This makes adoption faster and easier for small companies.

* Trends like higher product mixes are increasing the need for flexible automation that can adapt quickly, which favors Peer Robotics' real-time training model.

* Rishabh's manufacturing family background inspired him to start Peer Robotics to close the automation gap he observed between large and small producers.

* Building relationships with investors over time is crucial, it's not just about pitching for money. Rishabh had candid early conversations with manufacturers that validated the need.

* Peer Robotics manufactures their robots completely in India, where they can closely oversee quality and iterate rapidly.

* Rishabh believes resilience and constantly getting back up after failures is one of his strengths as a founder. He seeks to build confidence and patience as he grows.

* Work-life balance is a faulty concept to Rishabh - your work and life are intertwined, not opposing forces. He enjoys the startup journey as part of his life.

My conversation with Rishabh left me excited about the potential for humanized, accessible automation to transform production for businesses of all sizes. Peer Robotics is a compelling example of robotics innovators expanding opportunities rather than displacing jobs.

"I think in India, one thing that personally I felt is that no matter what I was doing, I was supported through and through from my family that allowed me to go out and take big risks." — Rishabh Agarwal

"We are making robots that can learn from humans in real time. Our whole philosophy has been that automation should be very simple so that people on the shop floor, people who are using them can program them and that's what we are trying to do." — Rishabh Agarwal