#57 - Hiten Sonpal: A LEGO crane, a belt and disrupting the 600 billion dollar robotics industry

2026-02-16

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Every machine that lifts, digs, or hauls relies on hydraulics — a technology that hasn't changed in over 50 years. But what if you could replace that leaky, energy-wasting oil with a belt-and-pulley system that's three times faster, three times more efficient, and three times more durable, with zero emissions?That's what Hiten Sonpal and his team at RISE Robotics are doing. In Episode 57, Hiten joins Peter Marcus Bach to explore his full robotics journey, from a childhood fascination with LEGO Technic in India t...

That's what Hiten Sonpal and his team at RISE Robotics are doing. In Episode 57, Hiten joins Peter Marcus Bach to explore his full robotics journey, from a childhood fascination with LEGO Technic in India to building bomb-disposal robots for Iraq and Afghanistan at iRobot, designing the Roomba lawnmower, and now leading RISE Robotics as CEO, where their patented Beltdraulic™ technology is disrupting the $600 billion hydraulics industry.

Hiten takes us inside the world of robotics: what counts as a robot, why humanoid robots are far from ready, and how AI is augmenting rather than replacing skilled workers. He explains why hydraulic systems waste 70% of their energy as heat, why electrifying heavy machinery has been prohibitively expensive, and how Beltdraulic solves both problems by replacing fluid with precision-engineered belts and sealed bearings.

The results speak for themselves. RISE's Guinness World Record-holding robotic arm lifts over 7,000 lbs fluid-free. Their military crane dropped from 1,800 lbs to 300. And their commercial liftgate saves delivery fleets $300–$1,200 per truck per day.

Hiten also shares the personal story of spending five years building a robot lawnmower at iRobot, only to have it cancelled by COVID, and how that adversity became the catalyst for his entrepreneurial career leading three companies as CEO.

🔗 Show notes: https://petermbach.com/index.php/podcast/057-hiten-sonpal/ 🔗 RISE Robotics: https://www.riserobotics.com

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
1:59 Guest Intro and the Drumming Passion
5:04 Early inspiration for robotics - Lego
9:15 Moving beyond Lego
11:29 The Chess Playing Robot
18:55 From Chess to iRobot - seeing real-world value
23:27 The rise and diversity of the robotics industry
30:21 Generative AI's impact on robotics
32:36 The electric sheep and an unfortunate timing
37:56 Being smarter about design for sustainability - RISE Robotics
45:15 Examples of RISE's applications
51:44 RISE Robotic's Future Plans
58:17 Hiten's reflections from advisory and leadership positions
1:01:43 Q&A Start
1:02:04 What does innovation mean to you?
1:03:28 Key Moment, Book, Person
1:05:18 Favourite childhood memory
1:07:03 Biggest challenge to date
1:13:18 Advice for young professionals
1:14:18 What would you most like to be remembered for?
1:15:32 Where can people find you?
1:15:58 Final Message
1:16:43 Outro

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