PHOTOS: Robotics Invest 2025 panelists discuss physical AI, humanoids, and investment strategies

From Data to Intelligence - How Physical AI will Drive the Next Decade of Robotics - AJ Meyer, Pickle Robot founder & CEO; Sabrina Mansur, MassTech AI Hub director; and Shayegan Omidshafiei, Field AI chief scientific officer; moderated by Joanna Lichter, Emerson Collective associate director of venture capital. 
The panel discussed how AI for robotics applications differs from other types of AI, whether AI can serve as a differentiator when paired with off-the-shelf hardware, and best practices for training AI models on proprietary data collected from customers. 

Photo by Donald Halsing | Peerless Media

Physical AI and Data

From Data to Intelligence - How Physical AI will Drive the Next Decade of Robotics - AJ Meyer, Pickle Robot founder & CEO; Sabrina Mansur, MassTech AI Hub director; and Shayegan Omidshafiei, Field AI chief scientific officer; moderated by Joanna Lichter, Emerson Collective associate director of venture capital.

The panel discussed how AI for robotics applications differs from other types of AI, whether AI can serve as a differentiator when paired with off-the-shelf hardware, and best practices for training AI models on proprietary data collected from customers.

Photo by Donald Halsing | Peerless Media

Editors' Picks

The future of CFD is connected, automated, and AI-enabled
The future of CFD is connected, automated, and AI-enabled

From geometry preparation to AI-assisted analysis, integrated CFD workflows…

Festo gets a grip on AI-based picking
Festo gets a grip on AI-based picking

Software-based GripperAI manages mixed picking through basic geometry

How Beckhoff Automation’s EtherCAT and controllers power Dexterity’s Mech ‘superhumanoid’ robot
How Beckhoff Automation’s EtherCAT and controllers power Dexterity’s Mech ‘superhumanoid’ robot

Safety, communication and motion control components enable smooth operation

Automate 2026: Forklifts, physical AI, vision systems and more from day three in Chicago
Automate 2026: Forklifts, physical AI, vision systems and more from day three in Chicago

North America’s largest robotics and automation event winds down