The Robot Report Podcast

How software-defined manufacturing fits into real factory operation

The Robot Report Podcast

Show Notes

Roby Lynn, founder and CEO of R2 Labs, shares how his team is bringing software-defined automation to industrial manufacturing.

He explains how the R2 Autonomy Controller connects PLCs, robots, vision systems, MES/ERP software, and other factory assets into one configurable platform.

The conversation explores the growing gap between legacy OT systems and modern IT tools, and how R2 Labs is helping manufacturers unify workflows, improve visibility, and add intelligence without replacing the systems they already trust.

Roby also reflects on lessons from building a company in a decades-old industry, including the importance of customer feedback, practical design, and solving real problems over chasing “cool” technology.

###

Register now for RoboBusiness 2026: https://www.robobusiness.com/

More from The Robot Report Podcast

Oct 16, 2026

Ben Waters, CEO of Wibotic, joins Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre to discuss how wireless charging is evolving for larger, more autonomous robotics fleets.

Oct 9, 2026

Janine Sinanan-Singh, Director of Gen AI Research at Appen, joins Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre to discuss the data, evaluation, and human oversight needed to advance robotics and agentic AI. They explore how video and egocentric data can support robot training, why latency and generalization remain difficult, and where human judgment still matters. Janine describes Appen’s evolution from speech and linguistics into supporting generative AI, multimodal systems, agents, and robotics with expert data. The conversation examines what humanoid robot demos do—and don’t—show, how synthetic data can help teams scale, and what it takes to evaluate systems beyond the lab.

Oct 2, 2026

The interview this week explores the European robotics market with OMRON’s Miguel Garces Moreno, covering growth in collaborative robots and AMRs, shifting demand toward sectors such as pharma, and the impact of labor shortages and supply-chain pressures.

Sep 25, 2026

Sai Vemprala, CTO of General Robotics, talks about why robotics still faces a major gap between research and real-world deployment—and how the company’s Grid platform aims to close it.

Sep 18, 2026

Teddy Haggerty is the founder and CEO of Robostore and Robo Inc., where he has helped push robotics into education, enterprise pilots, and early commercial deployments. His perspective is shaped by years of building in drones, crypto infrastructure, manufacturing, and import-export before turning his focus to robots.

See all episodes →