Keynotes

In this engaging keynote session, Agility Robotics co-founders Jonathan Hurst and Damion Shelton will discuss the development of their bipedal robot, Digit, and how it’s being built to perform real-world tasks such as unloading trailers and moving totes and packages. Agility Robotics will also demo Digit and show a special tease of the next version of Digit that is due out this fall.

Robotics and AI have entered a new golden age of capability and possibility. We have perception systems that were only dreamed of a decade ago, while the cost of building useful machines continues to fall. At the same time, the world’s machines are increasingly connected and able to work in concert. These changes and others form the bedrock for an evolution in robotics, where individual systems give way to fleets of machines that are incredibly capable, especially when it comes to working with people.

Today, many machines operate in locations completely devoid of people. Going forward, however, most work will be undertaken by individuals supported by automation or accomplished by increasingly intelligent systems working in true collaboration with people. These machines will operate next to us and share space with us, and by necessity they will affect our work experiences and wellbeing. Therefore, our intention must be to make that collaborative work experience a positive one. If we take a purely functional approach to solving tasks using robotics and automation, the work experience will be negative rather than positive.

In this farsighted keynote presentation, Anthony Jules, Co-founder & CEO of Robust.AI will elucidate the significant business opportunities available for those willing to take the hard road of intentionally designing and developing systems for the positive future we all want to live in – one that enables people to work in true collaboration with machines.

Research advancements and technological progress have combined to remove barriers to robotics innovation and commercialization, providing the robotics sector with many opportunities for startups that can deliver robotics solutions that are functional and deliver real value.

While funding for robotics start-ups continues to increase, it is equally true that fundraising for a robotics startup can be challenging, more so compared to other sectors and technologies. A keynote panel of leading robotics sector investment professionals will discuss venture capital (VC) and private sector investment in companies producing robots or enabling technologies.

The keynote will also highlight companies, technologies, and applications that have found commercial success or have the potential for doing so. Macro trends in the robotics sector, useful for uncovering novel technological innovations, as well as surfacing overlooked business opportunities, will be discussed. Topics include:

– The state of robotics sector investment
– Business, technological and social drivers for investment
– Gating factors and headwinds
– Why robotics startups succeed (or fail)
– Robotics unicorns
– Ongoing robotics opportunities

Businesses and their supply chain managers are chartered with increasing the efficiency of their operations while simultaneously reducing costs. To address these conflicting mandates, companies continue to increase that level of automation in warehouse environments for the movement of materials and goods. But how effective are these measures and what come next? In this informative keynote session, Sally Miller, Chief Information Officer for DHL Supply Chain in North America, will discuss the state supply chain automation and innovation, including:

– Why robots and robotics technologies are required for supply chain operations
– What automation products and technologies are working
– What automation solutions require optimization and further development
– What is the future of logistics automation and how will success be measured

Waymo is the world’s leading developer of autonomous driving technology, with public robotaxi services up and running in Phoenix and San Francisco. In this engaging keynote, Thackston will give attendees an inside look at the major technical challenges involved with developing autonomous vehicles. She will also provide updates on recent deployments and what the future holds for autonomous vehicles.