Automate It: A Robotics Podcast
Episodes
Ep 63 – Robots, Cells, and the FDA with Fred Parietti of Multiply Labs
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In ep 62 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia sit down with Fred Parietti of Multiply Labs to talk about the wild intersection of robotics and biology – ...
Ep 62 – The Billion-Dollar Blind Spot in Enterprise Robotics
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Ep 62 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia imagine a fleet of LLM-powered “Robot Ranger 3000” dog bots to track and protect endangered deer, complet...
Ep 61 - The Three Laws of Robotics
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In ep 61 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia dive headfirst into robot subversion hoodies, self-cleaning backyards, and the philosophical sinkholes of the...
Ep 60 - Does Nobody Care About Driver-Out Anymore?
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia dive into Aurora’s recent announcement about running driver-out trucks on public highways—an unden...
Ep 59 - David LaRose from Carnegie Robotics on the Reality of Robotics
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Automate It, we're excited to have a special guest!Carnegie Robotics co-founder David LaRose joins the podcast to share his perspective o...
Ep 58 - Why is Hardware So Expensive?
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the 58th episode of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan Seltz-Axmacher and Ilia Baranov discuss why hardware for robots is so dang ex...
Ep 57 - Vertical vs Horizontal Integration in Tech
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Ep 57 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia get into Polymath Robotics' latest progress—scaling the team, launching new customer projects, and push...
Ep 56 - The Pitfalls of Traditional Collision Avoidance Systems
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia break down the surprisingly flawed state of collision avoidance systems in mining—where billion-doll...
Ep 55 - Adrian from Foxglove on the State of Robotics Today
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Ep 55 of Automate It, we invite Adrian Macneil, CEO of Foxglove, to play the robot game -- which takes a turn into pest control, debating whether h...
Ep 54 - What Makes a Robot "Safe Enough"?
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In Ep 54 of Automate It, Polymath's co-founders tackle the tough topic of safety -- and what it means for a big heavy robot to be "safe enoug...
Ep 53 - Takeaways from CES 2025
21 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On Ep 53 of Automate It, the guys discuss their takeaways from CES 2025 - including Jensen Huang's big announcement on autonomous vehicles, how the Ch...
Ep 52 - The Demise of Cruise (& What it Means for Your Autonomy Program)
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Ep 52 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia discuss the demise of Cruise Automation and why it's representative of the hidden dangers in autonomy program...
Ep 51 - Hype vs Reasonable Robots
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Automate It, the guys invent a robot that spearfishes for shipping containers at the bottom of the ocean. Then, they're talking one of th...
Ep 50 - Beneath the Surface: Robots Under Water
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 50 of Automate It (!!) the guys play the robot invention game and come up with a robot for assessing your cleanliness levels. Then, we're d...
Ep 49 - Big Robots at MINEXPO and Tesla's Robot "Demo"
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 49 of Automate It, Stefan & Ilia reflect on whether MINEXPO is secretly the best robotics conference. Then, they break down Tesla's hum...
Ep 48 - What's Hard About AMRs
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Ep 48 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia discuss why we don't work with AMRs. But first, they play the robot invention game and come up with quad ...
Ep 47 - Robots for the Military
10 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 47 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia play the robot game and invent autonomous shopping carts that can return themselves. They also learn tha...
Ep 46 - How Do You Regulate Robots?
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 24 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia play the robot invention game and come up with a swarm of zeppelins that y...
Ep 45 - Why Doesn't Starlink Solve All the Problems?
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Ep 45 of Automate It, Stefan & Ilia try to play the robot game but mostly get sidetracked talking about movie magic. Then, they're debunkin...
Ep 44 - Ahoy, Matey! There Be Robots on this Ship
14 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On ep 44 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia play the robot invention game and come up with a cheap nuclear reactor by dunki...
Ep 43 - The Tradeoffs of Vertical Robotics Companies
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 43 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia break down the hidden tradeoffs and challenges of building a vertical robo...
Ep 42 - That Radar is So Hot Right Now
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 42 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia are talking all about radar. What's it good for? What's it not? An...
Ep 41 - The Dirt on Dirt
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 41, Stefan & Ilia play the robot invention game in response to Nat Friedman's tweet about a robot that quietly picks up leaves. The...
Ep 40 - Ed Niedermeyer Talks Tesla
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wow, it's the 40th episode of Automate It! This week we're joined by extra special guest, Ed Niedermeyer. Ed is the author of Ludicrous: The ...
Ep 39 - The Reluctant AI Episode
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Introducing the reluctant AI episode! First, the guys play the robot invention game and come up with a machine vision robot for urban farms. Then, it&...
Ep 38 - Why People Took our April Fools Joke Seriously
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Automate It, Stefan and Ilia invent a sushi boat robot, giving Stefan an opportunity to rant about about sushi feasts. Then, they're ...
Ep 37 - Why Robots are "Default Blocked"
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wow, we actually published 2 weeks in a row! This week on Automate It, Stefan & Ilia work on 3d printing at the beach. Then, they unpack Stefan&#...
Ep 36 - Questions VCs Ask Us
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guess who's back back back again: This week on Automate It, Stefan & Ilia invent a quadcopter for micromanaging your employees. Then, they'...
Ep 35 - Is Tech "Over" Autonomy?
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're back! After a 6 week hiatus (unintentional, we promise) "Automate It" is back with a bang. On Ep 35, Stefan and Ilia play the robo...
Ep 34 - The State of VC in Robotics
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Automate It, the co-founders of Polymath Robotics play the robot invention game and mostly end up making fun of kitchen robots. Then, the...
Ep 33 - No GPS? No Problem
14 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 33 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia try to play the robot game, but mostly just end up talking about trains. Then, they're talking appro...
Ep 32 - Is It Possible to Have Sensor Overkill?
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Ep 32 of Automate It, the robot game creates a humanoid robot for film sets. Then, the main topic of the day -- in robotics, is it possible to hav...
Ep 31 - Let's Play with the Astro Robot
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the 31st episode of Automate It - we bought a robot! Stefan and Ilia play with the Astro robot at Polymath HQ, and discuss how it represents both t...
Ep 30 - Is Robotics Data the New Oil?
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the 30th episode of Automate It, the robot invention game generates a Terminator robot to deal with Australia's rabbit problem. Then, it's ...
Ep 29 - Is Autonomy a Product?
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's been a few weeks -- Stefan had a baby! But we're back online. In Episode 29 of Automate It, the robot invention game generates a robotic ...
Ep 28 - Why Are Small Robots So Hard?
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 28 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan & Ilia discuss why smaller robots are actually HARDER to build than bigger robo...
Ep 27 - No Code Lasts Forever
14 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 27 of Automate It, Stefan & Ilia's robot invention game creates a humanoid robot that applies your sunscreen. Then, the main topi...
Ep 26 - Academic vs Commercial Approaches in Robotics
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 26 of Automate It, the robot invention game results in a Caddyshack-inspired gopher hunting drone. Then, in the main discussion (12:50 sta...
Ep 25 - Waymo Trucking Shuts Down
04 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a whirlwind July in which we moved AND had a baby, Automate It is finally back with a bang! Did you miss us? On Episode 25, Stefan Seltz-Axmach...
Ep 24 - Deep Diving on the OceanGate Submarine
30 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 24 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia are doing a "deep dive" (sorry) on the OceanGate submersible. In...
Ep 23 - Is Robotics Really THAT Much Harder than SaaS?
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 23 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia's robotics-business-invention game creates a bartending solution that delivers your drink via roboti...
Ep 22 - Is a VR Headset a Robot?
09 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 22 of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan Seltz-Axmacher and Ilia Baranov discuss whether VR counts as a robot (and if it doe...
Ep 21 - Onroad Autonomy Woes (&Does it Matter?)
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 21 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia come up with a belligerent drone surveillance plan for public parks. Then, they're talking o-nroad a...
Ep 20 - Nerf Guns Explain Why Robots are Hard
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
🎉 It's the 20th episode of Automate It! This week, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan Seltz-Axmacher and Ilia Baranov use their nerf gun arms...
Ep 19 - Request for Robots
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Automate It, Stefan and Ilia invent a venison butchering robot(??). Then, they break down another meaty(ha) topic -- our open request for...
Ep 18 - The Top Contributions Open Source Robotics Needs Now (Steve Macenski, Chief Navigator for ROS2)
21 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 18 - it's our first guest! Steve Macenski, Chief Navigator for ROS2 joins Ilia for a deep dive on the open source robotics community. T...
Ep 17 - How Do the Current Economic Conditions Impact Robotics?
08 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On ep 17 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia's robot game invents "Night at the Museum" but for real. Then, they dig into how bank runs and hard-to-get fu...
Ep 16 - Roombas & VCs - The Battle for Clean Floors and Funding
01 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 16 of Automate It, our April Fools episode, we play our improv game seriously, and then make a parody of our serious discussions about robo...
Ep 15 - Construction Robots at CONEXPO
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 15 of Automate It, the robot improv game imagines a walking robot for construction. Then, Stefan and Ilia reflect on their experience at CO...
Ep 14 - The Downsides of Consultants Building your Robots
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 14 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia's imaginary-robot game invents a robot that steals your towel if you're hogging chairs at the pool. Then...
Ep 13 - The Shutdown of Everyday Robots (& Why Big Companies aren't Safer for Robotics)
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 13 of Automate It, Stefan & Ilia's imaginary-robot game invents a robot for putting the dishes away. Then, they discuss why Google shut...
Ep 12 - Robotics Demos Gone Wrong
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 12 of Automate It, the robot invention game winds up combining VR with transportation for some ... interesting results. Then, Stefan ...
Ep 11 - How to Choose the Right Sensors
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 11 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia's robot-invention game ends with them boring to the center of the Earth ... or something. Then, they bre...
Ep 10 - Is Teach-and-Repeat Really Autonomy?
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 10 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia invent a robotic arm that sorts office mail. Then, this week's hot topic is whether teach-and-repeat sys...
Ep 9 - Why MVPs in Robotics are Different than SaaS
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In episode 9 of Automate It, Stefan & Ilia break down why "minimum viable product" in robotics is totally different than in SaaS. Plus, their star...
Ep 8 - CES & the State of Autonomy
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Ep 8 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia invent a hypothetical tunnel for conference transportation (any resemblance to current companies, living or de...
Ep 7 - Did Google Just Buy ROS?
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On Episode 7 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia generate robot ideas for humanoid robots in stadiums. Then ,they discuss the Intrinsic's acquisition of O...
Ep 6 - How to Measure Robots
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Op Episode 6 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia play their favorite game and invent a robot that helps you with teambuilding events. Then, they deep dive...
Ep 5 - Is the Autonomy Industry Dead?
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 5 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia use their favorite game as an excuse to dig into the problem of indoor localization. Then, they debate ho...
Ep 4 - How to Kill an Autonomy Project
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On episode 4 of Automate It, Stefan and Ilia invent a robot that helps ... uh ... lift you over obstacles. Then, they discuss a hypothetical "autonomo...
Ep 3 - Teleoperation and art
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In Episode 3 of Automate It, Ilia and Stefan draw another random use case and discuss how they'd automate it, this time teleoperation and senior care....
Ep 2 - The Time Ilia Danced with a Robot
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the 2nd episode of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia come up with a genius business model for walking robots doing home de...
Ep 1 - Welcome to Automate It
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On their inaugural episode of Automate It, Polymath Robotics co-founders Stefan and Ilia hash out a super-weird robot application and unpack what Stef...