Anybotics says it built a robot certified for explosive atmospheres
"Most importantly, we have a robot now that goes into explosive atmospheres where there's, you know, in oil and gas and chemicals, methane in the air. You're not allowed to, you know, create a spark. So, we built a special robot that's guaranteed not to create a spark."
About this episode
Jason Calacanis hosts a conference-recorded set of interviews in Paris with leaders in industrial and humanoid robotics. Anybotics CEO Dr Peter Funkhouser describes the company’s four-legged inspection robots as sensor-heavy platforms aimed at preventing costly downtime in critical infrastructure, and says the firm has built a unit designed for explosive atmospheres where sparking must be avoided. He also says Anybotics sources 0% of its robot from China and argues the company is not pursuing military work, while acknowledging wider European responsibility for defence technologies.
1X founder and CEO Bernt Børnich discusses the company’s Neo humanoid, saying initial shipments to a limited number of customers will begin in 2026 and that early units may still involve teleoperation or guidance. He says 1X intends to open Neo as a platform, including third-party “skills” and the ability to run external AI models, arguing that no single general robotics model yet solves all tasks. Børnich also makes an aggressive timeline prediction, saying a robotics “hard take-off” could occur within a decade and that his “current bet” is three years.
Boston Dynamics interim CEO Amanda McMaster says the company has moved beyond research towards deployment, citing more than 500 customers across 46 countries for its Spot quadruped and outlining pricing from about $100,000 to $300,000 depending on configuration and services. She argues the US should not allow Chinese humanoid robots, alleging data leakage via some quadrupeds. Agility Robotics co-founder Prof Jonathan Hurst says safety certification for human-robot co-working is a major hurdle and describes Digit V5 as a step towards operating without physical barriers in warehouses.
Key takeaways
- Anybotics CEO says the firm built an inspection robot designed for explosive atmospheres where sparks are unacceptable.
- 1X CEO says Neo will start shipping to a limited number of customers in 2026, with early-adopter expectations.
- 1X says it plans to make Neo a platform, including third-party “skills” and the ability to run outside AI models.
- 1X CEO predicts a robotics “hard take-off” within a decade, and says his “current bet” is three years.
- Boston Dynamics interim CEO says Spot has over 500 customers in 46 countries and argues the US should not allow Chinese humanoid robots, citing alleged data leaks.