In Episode 193 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Mike Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre interview Angus Pacala, co-founder and CEO of Ouster Lidar. In this conversation, Pacala discusses the advancements in lidar technology, particularly the introduction of Ouster’s new 3D zone monitoring feature.
Angus Pacala, co-founder and CEO of Ouster Lidar
He explains the benefits of 3D lidar over traditional 2D lidar systems, emphasizing safety and flexibility in industrial applications. The discussion also covers the evolution of Ouster’s hardware, the importance of software-defined capabilities, and growth potential in various markets, including humanoid robotics.
Pacala highlights the challenges of cost reduction and the need for innovation to stay competitive in the rapidly evolving landscape of lidar technology. His 10-year-old company claims to be the largest Western supplier of lidar for robotics.
Show timeline
5:38 – Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman recap the week’s news
23:00 – Mike and Gene interview Angus Pacala, CEO and co-founder of Ouster Lidar
News of the week
Locus Robotics passes 5B picks as warehouse automation adoption accelerates
Locus Robotics this week celebrated its latest milestone, announcing that it has surpassed 5 billion units picked with its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) across its global customer deployments. The company said it achieved this record just 24 weeks after reaching its 4 billionth pick in October 2024.
Locus noted that its previous pick-rate records illustrate its exponential growth:
Starship Technologies makes 8M autonomous deliveries
Starship Technologies said its systems have completed more than 8 million autonomous deliveries and traversed over 10 million miles globally.
By comparison Zipline said it has used drones to deliver 1.45 million orders across seven countries, including the U.S., Ghana, and Japan, primarily in healthcare and e-commerce. Waymo, which won the 2025 RBR50 Robot of the Year, announced in late 2024 that it had surpassed 5 million driverless trips to date.
Robust.AI expands Carter robot capabilities, adds investors
Robust.AI said its collaborative mobile robot can serve multiple functions. The software-defined platform can handle point-to-point transport, support fulfillment picking, or even be a mobile sorting wall, according to the company.
Last year, DHL Supply Chain partnered with Robust.AI to deploy Carter across multiple locations. After a recent deployment in Las Vegas, Carter improved picking productivity by more than 60% from Day 1.
AV news: Helm.ai and Pony.ai both update software
Pony.ai unveils 7th-gen self-driving platform and plans for mass production this year
Dr. James Peng, co-founder and CEO of Pony.ai said: “2025 marks the inaugural year of Pony.ai’s mass-produced robotaxis.”
The company said continuous design optimization has reduced the total bill-of-materials (BOM) costs by 70%. This also came with an 80% decrease in autonomous driving computation (ADC) and a 68% cut in solid-state lidar, in each case compared with its predecessor.
Helm.ai launches AV software for up SAE L4 autonomous driving
Helm.ai develops artificial intelligence software for advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS), autonomous vehicles (AVs), and robotics. The company offers full-stack, real-time AI systems, including end-to-end autonomous systems, plus development and validation tools powered by its Deep Teaching methodology and generative AI.
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