Audrow Nash Podcast

Housing is expensive, and a big part of that cost is labor. What if robots could build the frames for our homes, making construction faster, safer, and more affordable?

I talk with Barrett Ames, Co-founder of BotBuilt, about how his company is revolutionizing home construction by automating the framing process. Barrett shares how they've solved the challenges of working with imperfect lumber, translating floor plans into precise 3D models, and reducing on-site framing time from weeks to just hours.

You'll like this interview if you're interested in robotics startups finding that sweet spot between technical challenge and market opportunity, the future of construction, or how automation might help address America's housing crisis.

JOBS AT BOTBUILT
https://jobs.audrownashpodcast.com/jobs?q=BotBuilt

TRANSCRIPT
- https://audrownashpodcast.com/posts/21-botbuilt/transcript

EPISODE LINKS
- Barrett Ames' website: https://www.cbames.com/
- BotBuilt's website: https://www.botbuilt.com/
- Barrett on X/Twitter: https://x.com/cbames
- Barrett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cbames
- BotBuilt on X/Twitter: https://x.com/botbuilt_
- BotBuilt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/botbuilt/

PODCAST LINKS
- Podcast Website: https://audrownashpodcast.com/
- Podcast Jobs board: https://jobs.audrownashpodcast.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@audrow
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audrow-nash-podcast/id1716486786
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74jWpWiLwsasY2QHtDcl8I?si=6c92796bf9554162

TIMECODES
(0:00) Start
(2:20) Overview
(7:01) Challenges
(18:43) Sketch to Structure
(27:26) Generative Solutions
(30:53) Structuring Build
(36:08) When Things Go Wrong
(42:43) Traditional vs. Automated
(57:28) Time & Cost
(1:08:32) Long-Term Vision
(1:15:02) Construction Opportunities
(1:24:39) Lessons Learned
(1:33:33) Final Thoughts

Ever wondered how robots actually "see" the world? Or why Tesla can achieve so much with just vision?

I talk with Bradley Dillon, CEO of Luxonis, about how their AI-enabled cameras are becoming the eyes and brains of robots everywhere. Bradley shares how they've sold over 150,000 vision platforms and why processing at the edge (right on the camera) is revolutionizing robotics.

You'll like this interview if you're interested in computer vision, edge computing, or how vision technology is making automation possible in industries from agriculture to security screening.

TRANSCRIPT
- https://audrownashpodcast.com/posts/20-luxonis/transcript

EPISODE LINKS
- Luxonis Website: https://www.luxonis.com
- Luxonis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/luxonis/
- Luxonis X: https://x.com/luxonis
- Bradley's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-dillon/
- Bradley's X: https://x.com/bradley_luxonis

PODCAST LINKS
- Podcast Website: https://audrownashpodcast.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@audrow
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audrow-nash-podcast/id1716486786
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74jWpWiLwsasY2QHtDcl8I?si=6c92796bf9554162

TIMECODES
(0:00) Start
(1:52) Bradley Dillon & Luxonis Overview
(8:34) Luxonis’s Equipments
(13:02) Integrating Multiple Sensors
(20:40) Applications of Luxonis Vision
(25:02) Luxonis & Computing Power
(30:08) Linking Multiple Devices
(31:41) Luxonis AI Models
(36:31) Data Generation & Labeling
(46:25) Future Predictions
(50:00) AI for Scene Understanding
(59:33) Targeting Industries for Innovation
(1:04:54) Smart Security Screening
(1:11:46) Growth Story
(1:18:58) Chip Supply Challenges
(1:26:37) Future Sensor Additions
(1:32:45) Luxonis Resources
(1:34:53) Outro

Ever wonder what happens when robotics experts gather in a secret location to share their cutting-edge work? In this special episode, I bring you live interviews from a stealth robotics event between Austin and San Antonio.

I talk with
- Kyle Morgenstein, PhD student at UT Austin working on making legged robots safe in human environments;
- David Venegas, Head of Operations at Durin, who's automating critical tasks in mining exploration; and
- Barrett Ames, co-founder of BotBuilt, whose robots are revolutionizing home construction.

You'll like this interview if you're interested in the future of robotics across different industries, from research to startups, and how automation is solving real-world problems in safety, mining, and construction.

TRANSCRIPT
- https://audrownashpodcast.com/posts/19-texas-secret/transcript

EPISODE LINKS
- March 8th event invite: https://lu.ma/vqi7e7xe?tk=CpLKNx
- Kyle Morgenstein's website: https://www.kylemorgenstein.com/
- Human Centered Robotics Lab: https://sites.utexas.edu/hcrl/
- Durin's website: https://www.durin.com/
- BotBuilt's website: https://www.botbuilt.com/

PODCAST LINKS
- Podcast Website: https://audrownashpodcast.com/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@audrow
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/audrow-nash-podcast/id1716486786
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/74jWpWiLwsasY2QHtDcl8I?si=6c92796bf9554162

TIMECODES
(0:00) Start
(1:21) Kyle: Legged Robot Safety
(3:55) Improving Robot Safety for Humans
(7:25) Humanoid Robots: Progress & Future
(10:39) Boston Dynamics vs. Unitree
(12:29) Reward Models for Safer Robots
(15:12) Foundation Models: Impact on Data & Timelines
(17:18) Teleoperation Efficiency
(19:25) Training Robots Using YouTube Data
(20:48) David: Mining Basics
(29:10) Automating Mining Tasks
(34:49) Access Challenges in Excavation
(36:58) Use of Simulation
(38:03) Barrett: Construction Robots
(41:42) Custom Home Focus
(43:07) Botbuilt’s Approach
(44:16) Botbuilt’s Data Sourcing
(49:48) Working With Robots
(50:09) Perception Stack
(52:21) Handling Lumber Challenges
(53:39) Margins vs. Pre-Fab Homes
(53:58) Transport Costs
(56:03) Botbuilt’s Lifecycle
(58:18) Outro

Can robots smell? How could a sense of smell transform robotics and unlock entirely new applications? In this episode, I talk with Kordel France, Founder of Scentience.

We talk about:

- How a sense of smell works and how it can be replicated in robots

- The challenges and breakthroughs in developing smell-based sensing technology

- The potential for smell to enable new startups and applications in robotics

You'll like this interview if you're interested in the future of robotics, sensing technologies, or how new innovations can create opportunities for startups.

TRANSCRIPT

- https://audrownashpodcast.com/posts/18-scentience/transcript

EPISODE LINKS

- Scentience Website: https://scentience.ai/

- Kordel France's X: https://x.com/kordelfrance

- Kordel France's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kordel-france-10349811b/

- Kordel France's Website: https://kordelfrance.ai/

TIMECODES

(0:00) Start

(1:22) Kordel France & Scentience Overview

(2:47) Smell’s Role in Robotics

(5:24) Smell Sensor Problem Solving

(8:52) Smell Identification Mechanisms

(15:09) Use Cases

(16:51) Near-Future Innovations

(25:10) Application Development

(29:48) Scent Technology Standardization

(33:03) Scent Recognition Dataset

(34:16) Industry vs. Academia

(37:00) Startup Landscape in Smell Robotics

(38:39) Smell Sensing API

(42:51) Sensor Integration

(50:00) Weather Data’s Impact on Smell Sensors

(56:43) Scaling With User Data

(1:02:11) Origins of Smell Technology Interest

(1:11:31) Adoption Strategies

(1:24:46) Future Predictions

(1:26:50) Key Takeaways

(1:29:05) Outro

I talk with Jenny Read who is the Programme Director at ARIA (Advanced Research and Invention Agency).

We talk about:
- ARIA's ambitious £50M investment in robotics hardware research
- The need for fundamental breakthroughs in robot hardware and actuation
- How neuroscience insights can inspire better robot design
- Building a research community focused on hardware innovation
- The unique funding approach that encourages high-risk, high-reward projects

You'll like this interview if you're interested in robotics hardware development, research funding initiatives, or the future of robot actuation and control systems.

TRANSCRIPT
- https://audrownashpodcast.com/posts/17-aria/transcript

EPISODE LINKS
- ARIA Website: https://www.aria.org.uk
- ARIA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/advanced-research-and-invention-agency/
- ARIA Twitter/X: https://x.com/ARIA_Research
- Jenny Read's Website: https://www.jennyreadresearch.com/
- Jenny Read's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-read-813a5ba/
- Jenny Read's Twitter/X: https://x.com/jcaread

TIMECODES
(0:00) Start
(0:15) Jenny Read & ARIA Overview
(3:49) Jenny's ARIA Role
(6:26) Robotics Focus
(8:22) Hardware Focus Areas
(9:40) Gear Ratio Discussion
(11:56) Touch Sensing & Robot Fragility
(13:41) Body Design & Neural Control
(19:15) Career Background & Funding
(22:33) Program Focus & Logistics
(27:56) The Dexterity Challenge
(33:31) ARIA Strategy
(42:59) Development Bottlenecks
(45:38) Measuring Success
(48:33) Key Takeaways
(51:52) Outro