Episode
289: Beyond the Hype: How Autonomy Is Scaling Across Critical Industries (LIVE from Pittsburgh)
- Podcast
- Manufacturing Happy Hour
- Published
- May 26, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3361
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- http://manufacturinghappyhour.com
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Summary
20 years ago , automation was a pipe dream for industrial workers, 10 years ago it existed in research and development labs. Now it's fully operational in warehouses, production facilities and even mines. The companies driving robotics forwards are going one step further than developing smarter AI. They’re figuring out how to apply that advanced engineering to ‘gritty’ manufacturing – and there are few places that understand that world better than the Steel City. Pittsburgh has become an important ecosystem for developing autonomous technologies, the combination of engineering talent and thriving industrial background has turned it into somewhat of a testing ground for physical AI. Recorded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this was a special live show in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network. Chris is joined by three industry leaders to talk about adopting autonomy in critical industries. Brett Phillips is Chief Revenue Officer and General Council at Hellbender, specializing in on-edge AI hardware development. David Griffin is Chief Sales Officer at Seegrid, manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots. Mike Smocer is CEO of Mine Vision Systems , a mining technology company building real-time digital mapping systems for GPS denied environments. They dig into how autonomy is moving beyond one-off projects, and into fully integrated systems. Brett breaks down how the incorporation of sensors and models are shrinking development timelines for autonomous systems and why Pittsburgh’s willingness to ‘get their hands dirty’ is key. David explains how advances in perception and control systems have pushed AMRs beyond basic pallet moves into large, complex material moves through busy logistics environments. Mike shares how Mine Vision Systems support vital underground deci…