Episodes

  • How Robot Arms Are Learning to Sew Fabric

    How Robot Arms Are Learning to Sew Fabric
    Jun 30 2026
    In this episode, we explore why sewing is one of the hardest tasks for robotics and how a startup called Sewbot is finally cracking it. Lucas breaks down the physics challenge: fabric deforms, shifts, and frays in ways that metal or plastic doesn't. Luna asks why the garment industry hasn't automated sooner despite massive labor shortages. We discuss SoftWear Automation's approach using high-speed cameras and water-jet cutting, the economics of a $50,000 robot that replaces three workers, and why brands like Adidas invested before pulling back. The episode is anchored on the June 30, 2026 milestone: Sewbot's first factory in Bangladesh retrofitting existing sewing lines. We also touch on the broader implications for reshoring apparel manufacturing. A must-listen for anyone tracking industrial automation beyond rigid parts. #Sewbot #SoftWearAutomation #RoboticSewing #GarmentAutomation #IndustrialRobots #TextileTech #Manufacturing #Reshoring #ApparelIndustry #Automation #BusinessAndTechnology #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #LucasAndLuna #Robotics #SewingRobot #FabricHandling Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • How Robot Arms Are Learning to Sharpen Kitchen Knives

    How Robot Arms Are Learning to Sharpen Kitchen Knives
    Jun 29 2026
    In episode 81 of The Robotics Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly delicate task of robotic knife sharpening. They dive into how a startup called Knifewear Robotics taught a six-axis robot arm to replicate the subtle pressure and angle changes a master bladesmith uses on a whetstone. Lucas explains the physics of burr removal, why most industrial robots are too stiff for sharpening, and how force-torque sensors and adaptive control algorithms let the arm 'feel' the edge. They also discuss the broader implications for precision grinding in aerospace and medical tools. This episode uses the humble kitchen knife to unpack a $500 million niche in automated finishing. #RoboticKnifeSharpening #RobotArms #PrecisionGrinding #ForceTorqueSensors #AdaptiveControl #KnifewearRobotics #IndustrialRobots #Automation #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #RoboticsPodcast #ManufacturingTech #Bladesmith #WhetstoneSharpening #RobotLearning #SmallBatchAutomation #AerospaceGrinding Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
  • How Robot Arms Are Learning to Fold Origami

    How Robot Arms Are Learning to Fold Origami
    Jun 29 2026
    In episode 80 of The Robotics Business with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna explore how industrial robot arms are being trained to fold origami—a task that demands high precision, gentle force control, and adaptive manipulation. The hosts dive into a specific 2026 research collaboration between a Japanese automation firm and a university lab, where a six-axis robot learned to fold a paper crane in under 90 seconds. They discuss the technical challenges: paper's nonlinear behavior, the need for real-time force feedback, and why traditional rigid programming fails. Lucas connects this to broader trends in manufacturing, from smartphone assembly to surgical robots, where delicate handling is becoming critical. Luna asks whether this is a gimmick or a genuine step toward more dextrous automation. The episode closes with a reflection on what origami can teach us about the limits—and promise—of current robot hardware. #RobotArms #Origami #PrecisionManufacturing #ForceControl #SoftRobotics #IndustrialAutomation #Japan #Manufacturing #DextrousManipulation #HardwareStartups #RoboticsLab #PaperFolding #RobotLearning #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #BusinessAndTechnology #Automation #Robotics Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins
  • How Robot Hands Are Learning to Fold T-Shirts

    How Robot Hands Are Learning to Fold T-Shirts
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 79 of The Robotics Business. Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly difficult problem of robotic garment folding. They break down why a task that a five-year-old can master has stumped robotics engineers for decades, focusing on the specific physics of woven fabric — non-rigid, non-linear, infinitely variable. The hosts walk through a 2025 paper from the University of Tokyo's JSK Lab that achieved a 94 percent success rate on t-shirts using a new force-sensing gripper and a learned deformation model. They discuss the commercial implications for laundry startups, the difference between structured and unstructured deformable objects, and why this breakthrough matters for the broader automation industry. By the end, listeners will understand exactly why folding a t-shirt is harder than assembling a car engine — and why that's finally changing. #RobotHands #GarmentFolding #DeformableObjects #Robotics #Automation #UniversityOfTokyo #JSKLab #ForceSensing #LaundryRobots #Manufacturing #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #RoboticsStartup #DeepLearning #GripperTech #IndustrialRobots #HardwareStartups Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • How Robot Hands Are Learning to Handle Raw Eggs

    How Robot Hands Are Learning to Handle Raw Eggs
    Jun 28 2026
    Episode 78 of The Robotics Business with Fexingo. Lucas and Luna explore the surprisingly difficult task of teaching a robot hand to pick up a raw egg without crushing it or dropping it. They focus on one startup, Soft Robotics Inc., which uses soft grippers with optical sensors and machine learning to achieve a 99.5% success rate on eggs. The conversation covers the physics of fragile gripping, the shift from pneumatic to electric soft actuators, and why this capability matters beyond eggs — for handling fruit, baked goods, and medical samples. Listeners learn the specific trade-off between grip force and cycle speed, and how Soft Robotics reduced breakage from 1 in 20 to 1 in 200. A concrete look at the next frontier in dexterous manipulation. #SoftRobotics #RobotHands #DexterousManipulation #RoboticsStartup #MachineLearning #Automation #FoodRobotics #GripperTechnology #FragileHandling #HardwareStartup #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #IndustrialRobots #SoftGripper #EggChallenge #SensorFusion #CycleTime Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • How Robot Arms Are Learning to Install Drywall

    How Robot Arms Are Learning to Install Drywall
    Jun 27 2026
    Episode 77 of The Robotics Business: Lucas and Luna examine the challenge of teaching robot arms to install drywall, a task that demands precision, strength, and adaptability. They break down the technical hurdles—from handling brittle 4x8 sheets to aligning them with studs—and profile a startup that's deploying its first units on commercial construction sites. The conversation covers sensor fusion, vacuum grippers, and the economics of replacing skilled labor in the $300 billion global construction market. Lucas shares data on worker shortages and the cost per square foot differential between human crews and robotic systems. Luna asks whether the technology is ready for messy real-world job sites. The hosts also discuss the broader implications for construction automation and what it means for building costs. #ConstructionRobotics #DrywallInstallation #RobotArms #ConstructionAutomation #BuildingTech #CommercialConstruction #SensorFusion #VacuumGrippers #LaborShortage #ConstructionLabor #RoboticsStartup #IndustrialRobots #BusinessAndTechnology #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast #ConstructionTech #Automation #SkilledLabor Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    11 mins
  • How Robot Arms Are Learning to Test Circuit Boards

    How Robot Arms Are Learning to Test Circuit Boards
    Jun 27 2026
    In this episode of The Robotics Business, Lucas and Luna dive into how robot arms are being trained to perform automated functional testing of printed circuit boards — a task traditionally done by human technicians with multimeters. They look at a specific case: a contract electronics manufacturer in Shenzhen that deployed a six-axis arm from a Chinese robotics startup to run 400 continuity checks per board in under 90 seconds, slashing test costs by 60 percent. The hosts discuss the sensing challenges — teaching a robot to seat a probe precisely onto a gold-plated pad without damaging it — and why this application is a high-margin niche for robotics integrators. They also explore the economics: a single human tester costs roughly $25,000 a year in that region; a robotic test cell runs about $35,000 upfront but pays back in 18 months. Lucas and Luna debate whether in-circuit testing will ever be fully automated or if humans will always handle the edge cases. A focused look at a quiet but fast-moving corner of industrial automation. #RobotArms #CircuitBoardTesting #PCBTesting #AutomatedTesting #IndustrialRobotics #ElectronicsManufacturing #SixAxisArm #ContractManufacturing #Shenzhen #FunctionalTesting #ContinuityCheck #TestAutomation #HardwareStartup #RoboticsIntegration #ManufacturingTech #Business #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    8 mins
  • Why Robot Arms Are Learning to Pick Strawberries

    Why Robot Arms Are Learning to Pick Strawberries
    Jun 26 2026
    Strawberries are one of the most delicate and labor-intensive crops to harvest, with growers spending up to a third of their costs on picking labor. This episode digs into how a startup called Harvest Automation is tackling the problem with a new generation of robot arms that combine computer vision, soft grippers, and machine learning to handle ripe berries without bruising them. We walk through the technical challenge: the plant's irregular structure, the need to pick only red fruit, and the gentle force required. And we look at the economics: the robot can pick about 2,000 berries per hour, compared to 15,000 for a human, but it works 20 hours a day and doesn't need benefits. The episode also touches on how the COVID-era labor shortages accelerated robotics adoption in agriculture, and what this means for the future of farm work. #StrawberryHarvesting #AgriculturalRobotics #HarvestAutomation #SoftRobotics #ComputerVision #MachineLearning #LaborShortage #PrecisionAgriculture #RobotArm #EndEffector #CropHarvesting #PickAndPlace #BusinessAndTechnology #Automation #RoboticsStartup #FarmTech #FexingoBusiness #BusinessPodcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    12 mins