SXSW Startups: Apptronik Builds Robotics
The Forrest Four-Cast: February 13, 2018
The 2018 SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event has selected 50 startups in 10 categories to show off their skills on March 10 and 11. Meet all the finalists on Monday, March 12, at the SXSW Accelerator Demo Day, at the Hilton Austin, Salon C. Winners in each category will be honored at the Accelerator Award Ceremony at 7 pm Sunday, March 11, at the Hilton Austin. The SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event takes place within the Startup & Tech Sectors track of programming.
The robotics company Apptronik focuses on creating the next generation of robotic systems for humans to make our lives safer, more productive and easier. They specialize in the building blocks of advanced robotics, high-performance electric actuators and real-time embedded control systems optimized for human-robot interaction. See them pitch as a finalist in the Hyper-Connected Communities Technology category at 5 pm Saturday, March 10, in the Hilton Austin, Salon AB. Or meet them at the SXSW Accelerator Pitch Event Demo Day on Monday, March 12.
Questions below were answered by Apptronik Director of Innovation and Product Development Jeff Cardenas, who is part of the fast-growing hardware ecosystem in Austin.
What does Apptronik have planned for 2018?
We have two systems currently under development: a high-performance walking biped and an exoskeleton. We will be continuing development on these systems and will be delivering a biped to UT Austin and the Office of Naval Research. We will also release rotary version of our “series elastic actuator” (SEA) and the highest performance, commercially available SEA, the Aquarius. It is a liquid-cooled SEA with some exciting features that we believe will change the way many robots move and function today. 2018 will be the year we ramp up our sales efforts for all of our product lines, as we have relied primarily on inbound sales to date. We hope to prove that SEAs are the future. Additionally, we will begin our funding efforts to support our vision for the future of robotics. We will use this funding to expand our team. We want to find investors who believe in our vision and are willing to take the journey to the next generation of robotics.
What is your competitive advantage in the robotics space?
We possess a strong technical competitive advantage in our actuators and controls. Our systems are unique in that they perform well across all the performance variables. We have been a product-oriented company since day one. While we are engineers at heart and focus heavily on R&D, we understand the importance of listening to the customer and building products that solve needs. This is in our DNA and sets us apart from other robotics companies. We are committed to open source development and collaboration. This is a big departure from the existing culture of the robotics industry. Robotics companies are typically very secretive and guarded with their technology. We choose to collaborate across the spectrum and our goal is to have Apptronik products in every robotic system on the planet. We are focused on making this technology more accessible. Finally, our team is our greatest asset and competitive advantage. We have decades of combined years of R&D experience that has gone into development of our systems and components; and, a combined half a century of business experience leading the business. Additionally, we have partnerships with leading robotics institutions and companies such as UT Austin’s Human Centered Robotics Laboratory and Carnegie-Mellon University.
Person, company, thing or goal. What inspires your team to work harder?
Goal — A view of what can be. We see the positive future of where robotics can take humanity. We all share the goal of robots and humans working productively side by side.
What inspired your team to apply for SXSW Accelerator?
We’re ready to show the world what we are doing, and we want to do it on the biggest stage possible. SXSW assembles some of the best minds in tech and the arts, and we want to collaborate, learn, and share our work. There are many people who fear the coming Robotic Revolution, but we are optimists and believe it is important to share our positive vision for the future with the rest of the world.
Who are you hoping to network with at SXSW 2018?
We want to meet forward-thinking scientists, engineers, writers and futurists. We want to talk about what the future is going to look like and discuss how robotics will play a role. We have had a lot of inspiration from science fiction so we are looking forward to checking out the movies and other creative aspects of SXSW. We want to meet everyone from the biggest players in the tech sector to fellow peers in the Accelerator and learn from them about how to build a lasting company. We also want to talk to investors and potential team members who believe in our vision and want to go on this journey with us.
Has anyone on your team been to SXSW before?
Every founder has been to SXSW. Our CEO, Bill Welch, actually went to the very first SXSW! We are all from Austin, so SXSW is our home turf. Another of the founders, Dr. Luis Sentis, has done several sessions at SXSW. This year he will be on the panel “Mobility Beyond Wheelchairs: Robotic Exoskeletons.”
What are some outstanding memories of earlier events?
It was clear, even in the very early days, that SXSW was something special. Originally SXSW was all about music, and these are some of our favorite memories. One of our team members (Bill Welch) always talks about going to the original Antone’s and seeing countless great acts. This is where Austin’s label as the “Live Music Capital of the World” was born. Everyone on our team has a passion for music and the arts, and most of us play an instrument. Music is uniquely human and the deeper we go into this space, the more we appreciate that. Dr. Sentis’ favorite memory was last year when he gave an interview for X-Prize and Popular Science. It was the light bulb moment for just how big a platform SXSW has become.
Tell us about some of your previous experiences at tech conferences.
We have been to conferences all over the world. Anything and everything robotics. One interesting thing is how small the robotics community is at this moment. All of the leading roboticists fit into one room! We are watching it change in front of our eyes. The pace is thrilling and scary because we don’t want to be left behind. That is why we are focused on scaling up and moving quickly. We have also had the great fortune of hosting our own IEEE conference on Advanced Robotics and its Social Impacts in 2017 at UT Austin. We pulled together many of the leading thinkers in the space, and once again were amazed by just how small the community is at this moment.
How long has the Apptronik team been together?
The entire team has been together as a company for two years, however, the technical founders have been working together for over seven years. Dr. Nick Paine was originally a star graduate student in the Human Centered Robotics Lab at UT Austin, which Dr. Sentis heads. They developed the technology over many iterations and projects, culminating in building the actuation and controls for NASA’s Valkyrie robot for the DARPA Robotics Challenge. The lessons learned from this project were the catalyst to start Apptronik.
What technology does your team think is most overrated?
Vitamins and supplements industry. Natural substances to improve your memory and performance. There has been a lot of promise in the “neuro-hacking” space, however, we have yet to see anything that is really game changing.
How about underrated?
Robotics. It might be somewhat self-serving. But the industry is closer than most people realize to delivering robots that will be part of our everyday work and private life.
What podcasts are your team listening to now and why?
Relatively Prime — math podcast. It allows us to explain observations that you cannot explain with language. Math is the poetry of science and technology. Also, we really like How I Built This with Guy Raz. It is cool to see how some of the greatest companies and best brands were built from the ground up. Also, the Tim Ferris Show. It is really interesting to understand the minds of great people and how they get to where they are.
What do you enjoy most about the startup experience?
The excitement of diving into the unknown. It is scary at times, but so much fun! Every day is something and new. Our CEO is an ex-fighter-pilot, and self-proclaimed “action junkie,” which says a lot about our company ethos. We like to think of ourselves as explorers, setting off to chart new frontiers.” We also love the people. It is amazing to find other people who are willing to dive into the unknown and take these great risks with you. There is so much talent and passion and this drives all of us to work harder and become better every day. The best part is the knowledge that even in the face of great challenges, you can actually succeed! A small group of people can make a difference if they organize and believe. It is all about believing you can do it. This mindset becomes contagious.
What has the startup experience taught you about life?
The startup experience has taught us to deal with the unexpected. When you work for a large company, your objectives are clearly defined. This is not the case in a start-up. It is often the areas that you least expect that give you the greatest challenges. It also makes you understand why you want to wake up every day and take another breath. You have no idea what life has in order. Things can change in an instant. This is the excitement. A new contract, a new breakthrough, can change the outlook completely. You also realize the importance of a positive mindset. You have to be an optimist. Anything is possible if you believe. There are many reasons to be afraid, you have to make the choice to believe each and every day.
Look for interviews with other SXSW Accelerator finalists in this space between now and March. Startups already profiled as part of this series include 70MillionJobs, ARwall, Bluefield, Cambridge Cancer Genomics, Commutifi, DashTag, FanFood, Goalsetter, HealthTensor, Instreamatic, Leaf, Moms Can: Code, Pawame, PolyPort, Sceenic, Switchboard, UPGRADED, USHR and Vochlea.
Hugh Forrest serves as Chief Programming Officer at SXSW, the world’s most unique gathering of creative professionals. He also tries to write at least four paragraphs per day on Medium. These posts often cover tech-related trends; other times they focus on books, pop culture, sports and other current events.
