5 robotics innovators at CES

These 5 individuals have a hand in the future of "man and machine"

By Stephanie Walden

One of the most impressive and intriguing aspects of robotics is the sheer spectrum of functionalities of which today's robots are capable. 

Some, like the Sphero BB-8, are sheerly entertaining — quasi pets that don't require pee-pee pads.

Others have implications for everything from the future of medical research, space exploration, drone technology and search-and-rescue efforts.

And yet, whenever a new robot enters the arena of a showcase such as CES, it's easy to be so astounded by the sheer technology of these beloved bots that we forget about the human element behind these products.

We spoke with five individuals working for a wide range of robotics companies, from robots intended to aid in K-12 education to products defining the burgeoning industry of "robo-gaming." 

From thoughts on the future of AI to the latest Star Wars film, below, we dig into the men (and women) behind the machines.

 

Hansol Hong, CEO of Robolink

ROBOTIC KITS AND INSTRUCTION FOR KIDS RANGING FROM FOURTH GRADERS TO SENIORS IN HIGH SCHOOL

Hansol Hong grew up in Seoul, Korea, in a family that prized innovation and entrepreneurship. He started Robolink in an effort to connect today's young, eager minds with the robotics and programming tools shaping our future. In his spare time, he runs a robotics Meetup with more than 850 members in San Diego, which he currently calls home.

Education plus entertainment. We are always focused on providing learning experiences first.

HANSOL HONG

Hansol Hong grew up surrounded by innovation.

"My father was a serial entrepreneur," he explains. "He founded four different companies, so from a very young age I was affected by startups. My dream was to start a company, start something fun. Education was something I was always passionate about, and I wanted to get into the IT area and robotics. So the combination is how I started Robolink."

Robolink, which has been around for about four years and held a successful Kickstarter campaign last June, is an educational kit that teaches students about coding and robotics in a hands-on manner. It's been tested on about 7,000 students to date, mostly fourth graders through high school students.

"Being in robotics is a really interesting area, but the education portion makes it even more exciting," says Hong. "It's really a fun role, because it’s not only developing an exciting platform, but also since we’ve been using this kit, we see how students learn. It’s really exciting when we see the initial interaction with the robot."

Hong finds his inspiration in the progress he sees students make. "Every student has a different learning process and different speed," he says. "When you see them smile or make progress, you know they’re now one step closer to an engineering career. They’re seeing the world differently, and that’s really rewarding."

The company employs not only classroom education, but also online tools like YouTube videos as teaching methods.

Overall, Hong is extremely passionate about robotics and coding in the classroom. "Not all students need to go into robotics engineering, but I think it’s important for everyone to understand how a robot works," he says. "It lets you think differently. I believe robotics will be crucial, and I think it’s important for everyone to learn the basics."

He believes it's important for kids to learn these skills and technologies at an early age. "I’m originally from Korea," he explains. "The coding education there is going to be one of the core programs, just like math or English — everyone is learning coding education in Korea. I’m expecting something similar to happen in other countries as well." 

Currently, Robolink has a foothold in Korea, in the U.S. and in China, and the company has plans to expand globally.

At CES, the company announced a new kit that teaches students how to program through drones. "It makes it 10 times more fun when a program flies," he says with a grin.

When asked what robot Hong would specifically like to see in his own home, he admits to being a diehard Star Wars fan.

"I want R2D2," he says.

Rachel Thurman, account executive at Double Robotics

A REMOTELY CONTROLLED ROBOT THAT GIVES TELECOMMUTERS A VIRTUAL, PHYSICAL PRESENCE IN AN OFFICE, CLASSROOM OR CONFERENCE

Rachel Thurman recently joined the Double Robotics team from a background in sales at Oracle, and sees a long future with the company. She finds inspiration from her colleagues and believes firmly in the company's mission. She's currently based in the San Francisco Bay area.

I love being a part of something bigger than myself.

RACHEL THURMAN

Although Rachel Thurman is new to the Double Robotics team, her enthusiasm for the company is abundantly clear.

"I think the progress of the world today is astonishing," she says. "We have taken so many leaps into the future with technology, and it is centered around designing and innovating ways that machines can make life even better for man."

She explains that the mission of Double Robotics is not to "replace" man — and that the company's CEO David Cann firmly believes this should never be the primary purpose of robots such as the Double product, which is a solution for being "two places at once" in today's interconnected business and education sectors.

"People travel so often now, and there's a constant need to be connected to facilitate and drive organizations and projects forward," says Thurman. 

Thurman understands travel; as an account executive, she finds herself traveling frequently for work, and is attending this year's CES to represent Double Robotics on the ground.

Thurman has found working in the robotics industry to be illuminating. "With so many new technologies coming about as the result of transformative innovation, robotics truly is changing the world, and will only continue to grow," she says.

Despite not having prior experience in either the robotics or telepresence industries, Thurman knew she wanted in on what was happening behind the doors at Double Robotics. "For me, I love that I get to change people's lives every day, whether it's helping a homebound first-grade student who can finally 'attend' school with his friends, or a small business owner expanding into a new office and being able to manage remotely," she says. "I feel like I am doing good, and that is the biggest reward."

Thurman has a rose-colored view on not only her own company, but also on the robotics industry as a whole.

"Very simply, robotics is changing the world for the better," she says. "However, anything new and different is always going to be met with some concern and skepticism. Looking back at any revolutionary technological changes, it has never gone with the 'status quo'; it is about pushing boundaries, and consistently putting new ideas into action. Technology will forever be part of our world, but I think that it should be viewed as assisting man, and helping us as individuals live better lives."

 

Wendy Roberts, CEO of Five Elements Robotics

BUDGEE IS A FRIENDLY ROBOT THAT FOLLOWS YOU AROUND AND CARRIES ALMOST ANYTHING YOU LOAD IT UP WITH

Prior to heading up Five Elements Robotics, Wendy Roberts founded a successful software company, Future Skies, which specializes in communications and biometrics software for the U.S. Department of Defense. She ran the company for 15 years before recently leaving to dedicate her full attention to driving Five Elements Robotics to emerge as a leader in personal service robotics. She is currently based in New Jersey.

Robotics is such an exciting field. Every new day comes fresh with awe-inspiring announcements of amazing breakthroughs and wonderful, innovative robots being developed or ready to enter the market. The rate at which robotic technology is advancing is beyond exponential.

WENDY ROBERTS

The idea that robots are the future came to Wendy Roberts in the midst of a daydream.

"One day in 2011, as I was contemplating what sector in which to invest our R&D funds [at my previous company, Future Skies], as I stared out the window of my office looking out at the natural scenery of woodland and wildlife, it came to me," says Roberts.

At the time of Roberts' revelation, the DoD was in the midst of intense funding cuts, which was having an impact on Future Skies' areas of focus. The cutbacks, however, proved to be a silver lining later down the road.

"I know that sounds crazy, to be grateful for a loss of business. But as an enlightened teacher once said, 'Our greatest challenges and obstacles have the most ability to grow us in ways that we would not grow without experiencing them,'" says Roberts, who sees opportunity in the challenges she's faced as a founder. 

Combining a passion for robotics with an educational and professional background in the realms of computer science and software, Roberts' "road less traveled" became clear.

"In 2011, there were very few robotics companies — just a handful — and even fewer profitable or self-sustaining ones," she says. "Certainly, there were those of us who had to make the tough choice to forge a new path through the woods of technology."

The arena Roberts chose to dive into headfirst was 'personal service robotics.' Though many robots have human-like features and a "cute" aesthetic, Roberts wanted to develop one that also had a functional, useful purpose.

"If a robot can’t perform a useful function, it's hard for the average consumer to justify the investment. Over time, its novelty will wear off, and it won’t be used anymore," she explains. "So we focused on creating a robot that could not only interact with its owner, but also perform a function that enhances its owner's quality of life."

In today's rapidly growing robotics industry, Roberts recognizes that competition is fierce — and she firmly holds by the sentiment that robotics are defining the very future of our lives.

"Each day brings with it many new startup companies, anxious to catch a ride on the trend," she says. "The robotics field is like a wave in the ocean; it's at the point in development when it gathers the surrounding waters to form a tidal wave, which, once fully formed and active, will forever change the landscape around it."

Ken Miller, CEO and founder ofCutThroatRobotics

ZOZBOT IS REVOLUTIONIZING THE DAWN OF THE ERA OF ROBO-GAMING

Ken Miller has a degree in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley, and more than 40 years of systems design and product development experience. He considers himself a builder, inventor and designer, and his many innovative ideas have manifested in successful companies, as well patent-pending projects all over the U.S. CutThroatRobotics is based in Silicon Valley.

Welcome to the dawn of robo-gaming.

KEN MILLER

Ken Miller’s business card says, “We are changing everything.”

“It’s true,” he says insistently. “In the next 20 years, we’re on the brink of another major revolution. Everything is going to change; it’s going to be unbelievable.”

Miller is referring to one of his passion points, robotics — a field in which he’s been involved since before the modern connotation of “robotics” was a thing. He’s worked on automation technologies for companies he’s both started and worked for, for more than 40 years. He’s got a number of patents pending for his currently project, ZoZbot, which he’s demonstrating at CES this year.

Miller's background is in mechanical engineering, but he considers himself primarily a creator and designer. CutThroatRobotics, his current venture, came into being about three years ago.

"I was sitting at my dining room table, contemplating my salt and pepper shakers. I thought it would be really fun if I had a little robot I could use to try and push the salt and pepper shakers off the table, and if each person at the table had one of these little robots, then we could play a game," he says. He started thinking of the game similarly to a popular pool game called "cut throat."

Thus, CutThroatRobotics and ZoZbot was born.

The "dawn of robo-gaming," as Miller refers to it, is just one of the many applications for robotics showcased at this year's CES. 

The ZoZbot system consists of a modular robot that zips and zooms around a stadium (also modular and customizable), and you can play games reminiscent of everything from soccer to pinball to pool to miniature golf to laser tag, all while remotely controlling the robot via smartphone.

Since the robots are modular, they're completely customizable — or "basically made to order," Miller says. "You start to use your imagination and it goes on and on."

"It’s not that high-tech, all this stuff already exists, we’re just designing it in a new way so it’s really fun and crazy," he adds.

The company is also in the midst of releasing a companion video game for ZoZbot enthusiasts to practice their skills in both the virtual world and the physical one.

"I’m more of an inventor than anything, and then the entrepreneur comes after that," says Miller. "I have way more ideas than I’ve been able to fund. I have over 100 ideas sitting in files cabinets, waiting to be launched."

Crowdfunding has provided a viable platform for bringing some of these ideas to life, says Miller. "I can come up with something clever, and I can get people excited about it online." ZoZbot is currently on Indiegogo.

Miller is hopeful for a future run by and in cahoots with robots.

"You look at the series of revolutions that have happened throughout history, and this is going to be another big one," he says.

 

Paul Berberian, CEO of Sphero

A DROID ROBOT THAT ZIPS AND ZOOMS AROUND YOUR LIVING ROOM IN THE LIKENESS OF STAR WARS' LOVABLE BB-8

Paul Berberian is a self-proclaimed maker and entrepreneur at heart. Prior to heading up Sphero, he founded or ran six other companies. He loves building things from the ground up, and is currently based in the greater Denver area.

"Robots are an extension of their creators. So what inspires me about robots is what inspires me about people in general."

PAUL BERBERIAN

As a kid, Paul Berberian was a "tinkerer." From a young age, he loved building things and even writing software.

"My tool set was pretty crude, and I didn’t have a ton of direction but I was always fascinated with technology," he says, adding that today's terminology would dub him a "maker." 

This fascination with tech as a kid led to a flourishing career in robotics and entrepreneurship. 

"What inspires me about robots is what inspires me about people in general. Robots are an extension of their creators," Berberian explains. "Take, for example, an inventor who wants to help people who can’t walk — in the past, he or she may have designed a wheelchair or crutch. Today, it's an exoskeleton robot."

Berberian believes that the future of robotics lies not in the realm of "man versus machine," but man and machine working together in tandem. 

"We are already becoming one with our machines and devices — and those integrations are only going to become deeper," he says. "Machines are now with us for most of our days and lives. In the future, there will be more of them. Many will be temporary or for special purposes, and some for utility, but a lot for entertainment."

Berbarian considers Sphero a perfect marriage of business, fun and technology. "I’m fascinated with elegant mechanical devices and design," he says.

For others who want to get involved in robotics, Berberian suggests focusing on passion. "Find an area where you are passionate about the 'why' versus the technology itself," he says. "Ask yourself: Why this industry? Why will robotics make this industry better? Why do you care about this? Why are you the best to solve these problems or make these devices?"