181: Leadership and Ethics in the Adoption of Robotics with Ryan Gariepy, CTO of Clearpath Robotics & OTTO Motors

Now, who doesn’t love a good chat about robots? In this episode, we speak with Ryan Gariepy, the CTO of Clearpath Robotics & OTTO Motors, about the future of robotics and how leadership can effectively integrate autonomous equipment and robots into existing operations.

We hear about Ryan’s career in robotics, from his early days to building his two companies, which were recently acquired by Rockwell Automation. Ryan explains how companies, big or small, can start working with robots in different ways to find the best possible applications for them.

Aside from the practical application of robots, we also dig into the ethical considerations that leaders should be aware of – most importantly, the safety of human workers on site. Plus, we also hear how R2-D2 was the inspiration behind Ryan’s love of robots.

In this episode, find out:

• Ryan gives us a brief overview of what Clearpath Robotics does
• We hear the story of how Ryan first developed his love for robots (plus his favorite movie robot)
• Ryan explains why he decided to build his two companies
• The top lesson Ryan learned from his time in the industry
• Ryan’s thoughts on industry adoption of robotics for both small and larger businesses
• How smaller companies can minimize the risks of adopting robotics
• How bigger companies can build robotics adoption into digital transformation plans
• The ethical considerations of deploying robots in existing teams
• How robots have affected the economy in manufacturing in Canada

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “If we're going to put our time and money and all sorts of other resources into building new technology, let's do it in areas like agriculture or the basics of healthcare or construction. Let's try not to put robots in the creative spaces.”
• “Robots are one of the few components which are both necessary and sufficient to drive value. Just on their own.”
• “I think it's important for people to learn from existing successful deployments and not try to reinvent the wheel because reinventing the wheel is costly, but when it comes to people's health or wellbeing generally, it opens up corner cases.”

Links & mentions:

• Robotics Summit & Expo, the world's leading robotics development event, taking place in Boston, MA on May 1-2, 2024
• Clearpath Robotics by Rockwell Automation, mobile robots for research & development, enabling researchers and corporations to accelerate their robotics research and development
• OTTO Motors by Rockwell Automation, the most experienced autonomous material handlers in the industry
• Canadian Robotics Council, robotics-fuelled economic development is within Canada's reach, uniting innovation stakeholders from across the country

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.