Joe Michaels: Teleoperation, Controlling Complex Robots By Feel | Turn the Lens Ep52

Joe Michaels, SVP of Sales and Marketing at 1HMX, explains why haptic feedback and teleoperation are critical for training humanoid robots. While synthetic data and video help robots learn basics, the fine-tuning that makes them truly functional comes from human operators using advanced haptic gloves with 135 points of tactile feedback. In this conversation from Humanoids Summit 2025, Joe walks through how HaptX's microfluidic technology creates realistic touch sensations, why video training alone can't handle dexterous manipulation, and how the newly announced Nexus NX1 full-body system enables operators to control humanoid robots with their entire body. KEY TOPICS: Why 20-degree-of-freedom robot hands require human teleoperation  How 135 tactile actuators provide bidirectional feedback loops  The microfluidic technology behind realistic touch sensation  Training robots to handle corner cases and edge situations  Why industry standards matter more than proprietary solutions  Full-body teleoperation with Nexus NX1 (shipping Q2 2026)  The economics of robot-as-a-service versus ownership models  Safety challenges in deploying powerful machines near humans STANDOUT QUOTES: "There's a dream of just showing enough video to robots so they can do everything. But that's really not how humans or robots learn complicated things." "When you take away someone's sense of touch, their capabilities drop off tremendously. Bringing that back into the robot equation creates a closed loop that makes a very natural and powerful control system." "Today's humanoids are getting dexterous—20 degree of freedom robot hands with five digits. You're not going to control that with video. You need to teach that how to behave." "When mobility comes into the picture, you don't want to just control it with an Xbox controller. Your full body should be involved. That's what Nexus NX1 is about." ABOUT JOE MICHAELS: Joe Michaels is Senior Global Vice President of Sales and Marketing at 1HMX (formerly HaptX). With 20+ years building strategic partnerships at Microsoft and as co-founder of Nexchange Corporation, Joe brings deep expertise in emerging technology commercialization. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School and undergraduate degree from Georgetown University. PRODUCTS DISCUSSED: HaptX Gloves G1: 135 tactile actuators, 40 lbs force feedback, sub-millimeter motion tracking  Nexus NX1: First whole-body teleoperation system combining HaptX Gloves, Virtuix Omni One treadmill, Freeaim robotic shoes, and 72-DOF motion capture  This interview was conducted in collaboration with Humanoids Summit 2025, organized by ALM Ventures at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. LINKS: 1HMX: https://www.1hmx.com HaptX Gloves: https://haptx.com/gloves-g1/ Nexus NX1: https://www.1hmx.com/nexus Humanoids Summit: https://humanoidssummit.com Turn the Lens: https://turnthelenspodcast.com Turn the Lens explores how technology impacts work, organizations, and human potential through in-depth conversations with innovators shaping the future of work. #HumanoidRobotics #Teleoperation #HapticFeedback #RobotTraining #EmbodiedAI #HaptX #FutureOfWork