Diligent Robotics Hires Cruise Veterans to Launch Humanoid Robots

Diligent Robotics Hires Cruise Veterans to Launch Humanoid Robots

So, picture this: a company that’s already making waves in the healthcare sector decides to shake things up. That’s exactly what Diligent Robotics is doing by bringing in some heavy hitters from the autonomous vehicle world. They just snagged Rashed Haq and Todd Brugger, two former big shots from Cruise, the self-driving car company. Rashed’s now the chief technology officer, and Todd’s stepping in as the chief operations officer. Pretty cool, right?

Now, why does this matter? Well, Diligent Robotics is all about humanoid robots, and they’re not just playing around. They’ve got this robot named Moxi that’s already doing some serious work in over 30 hospitals across the U.S. Imagine a robot zipping around, delivering supplies, medications, and lab samples. In fact, Moxi has saved hospital staff nearly 600,000 hours! That’s a lot of time for nurses and doctors to focus on what really matters—patient care.

But wait, let’s talk about the new guys. Rashed Haq, the former head of AI and robotics at Cruise, built the tech that helped launch a fleet of driverless cars that racked up over 5 million miles. Now, he’s got his sights set on Moxi, looking to amp up its AI capabilities. He’s like the wizard behind the curtain, making sure Moxi can do even more cool stuff.

And then there’s Todd Brugger. He was the operations chief at Cruise, overseeing the growth of their robotaxi fleet from zero to over 500 vehicles. That’s a massive leap! Now, he’s gonna apply that experience to Diligent’s entire business lifecycle. From manufacturing to deployment, Todd’s got it covered. It’s like having a seasoned coach who knows how to take a team to the championship.

Diligent’s got some big dreams, aiming to deploy over 3,000 robots by 2030. That’s ambitious, but with this new leadership, they’re hoping to take the lessons learned from the autonomous vehicle world and apply them to humanoid robotics. It’s like they’re taking the best practices from one high-speed race and applying them to another.

Here’s the thing: the tech overlap between self-driving cars and humanoid robots is pretty fascinating. Both fields rely on similar technologies—think multi-modal perception and real-time planning. Diligent’s co-founder, Vivian Chu, even said that deploying AI-native humanoid robots in human environments is the “next frontier of autonomy.” It’s like moving from driving on a straight highway to navigating a busy city street—way more complex!

Moxi isn’t just a pretty face, either. Its design is super sophisticated. It’s got a robotic arm, a mobile base, and even social intelligence cues. This means it can open doors, call elevators, and dodge obstacles like a pro. Imagine walking into a hospital and seeing a robot smoothly navigating through a crowd, delivering what’s needed without a hitch. It’s a glimpse into a future where robots and humans work side by side.

In conclusion, Diligent Robotics hiring these Cruise veterans is a big deal. It’s not just about bringing in talent; it’s about strategically positioning themselves for growth in the humanoid robotics space. With a solid product already making a difference in healthcare and a leadership team that knows how to scale technology, Diligent is gearing up to be a major player in this exciting field. This move signals not just growth for Diligent, but also hints at a future where robots become an integral part of our daily lives, helping us tackle tasks we might not even think about today.