Vytas SunSpiral

K-Scale Labs crosses $1M in sales within 72 hours of launch Early-stage robotics company K Scale Labs has reported $1 million in orders within the first three days of its commercial launch on July 1st. The sales figure represents 111 units of the company's K-Bot humanoid robotics platform. While the sector has been dominated by well-funded players like Tesla and Figure AI, K Scale's early traction demonstrates potential for alternative approaches in this market segment. We'll be watching to see whether this initial sales velocity can be sustained as the company moves from orders to production and delivery. For daily robotics, humanoids, and tech insights Follow K-Scale Labs Follow Bots n' Beans

57

2 Comments

Human drivers make mistakes.  Algorithms learn from them. Waymo is quietly rewriting the rules of road safety. Just read Waymo’s latest safety report—50 million self-driven miles across Phoenix and SF. And the numbers are surprisingly solid. → 88% fewer property damage claims compared to human-driven cars. → Only 13 airbag-triggering crashes (vs. 78 expected with humans) → Just 36 crashes with injuries (vs. 190 projected)—that’s an 81% reduction. Waymo also ran a model with Swiss Re. Humans would've triggered 26 insurance claims. Waymo triggered just 2. What's even more impressive is, most of the incidents weren’t even Waymo’s fault. — One got hit during a police chase.  — Another, rear-ended while waiting at a red light. Earlier this year, there was a software recall (it misinterpreted objects like gates and chains), but it was resolved quickly and caused no injuries. While we’re still debating whether we’d ever trust a driverless car, these vehicles are already logging millions of miles, learning as they go— and in many cases, outperforming us. It made me wonder: What if the safest “drivers” of the future don’t drive at all? Not saying we’re fully there yet. But 50 million miles in, it’s worth paying attention. Would you trust it with your commute?

334

424 Comments

If you've been to San Francisco recently, you'll notice something unusual.... Thousands of Waymo autonomous vehicle roaming the streets. When I started at Waymo back in 2019 it was more an R&D Project, than a bonafide commercial product. That's changed. Reports are indicating that Waymo now officially surpassed Lyft in ride-hailing market share in SF, with Uber potentially next in its sights. This isn't just about one company winning; it's a powerful signal about the shifting landscape of disruption, particularly how technology is now decisively trumping incumbency. For years, when we talked about competitive moats in tech, the "network effect" was king. Think Facebook: "People are on Facebook because other people are on Facebook." It created an almost impenetrable barrier. For rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft, their network effect was built on a two-sided marketplace: riders <-> platform <-> drivers. The more riders, the more drivers; the more drivers, the better service for riders, creating a virtuous cycle. But what Waymo is demonstrating is a profound disruption to this established idea, especially when AI and end-to-end automation enter the picture. Here's why it's different for self-driving: Waymo has fundamentally removed the marketplace element from the equation. Consider the traditional rideshare model: - Uber/Lyft: Riders <--- Platform ---> Drivers (a complex marketplace to manage, balance, and incentivize) Now look at Waymo: - Waymo: Riders <--- Platform ---> .... Nothing (no drivers to manage, no human supply/demand dynamics, just pure autonomous service delivery) They've replaced one side of the network with pure technology. The network effect, in its traditional sense, relied on the human element, the supply side of the marketplace. When you automate that supply side entirely with AI-driven vehicles, the competitive advantage shifts dramatically from a "people network" to a "technology and operational efficiency network." This isn't just a niche observation; it's a blueprint for disruption across industries. When you can automate an entire end-to-end process – removing the complex, variable human element from one side of a traditional marketplace – you redefine what a competitive moat looks like. It's no longer just about who has the most users or suppliers; it's about who has the most robust, scalable, and efficient autonomous system. For those of us in procurement and supply chain, this is a profound case study. Are we truly leveraging AI to remove complexity and build end-to-end automation, or are we just optimizing existing marketplaces? The Waymo story highlights that AI isn't just an efficiency tool; it's a fundamental re-architecting force that can dismantle long-held competitive advantages. What are your thoughts on this? Where else do you see AI dismantling traditional network effects? #AI #Automation #Waymo #NetworkEffect #Disruption #Procurement #Innovation

40

5 Comments

Robotics is no longer just for PhDs. The real experts now come from gaming and cloud, not grad school. On this week's episode of Tank Talks, we have Ryan Gariepy, CTO of Clearpath Robotics by Rockwell Automation, sharing how the field he grew up in used to be dominated by advanced degrees. Today? It’s filled with talent from: → Cloud computing → Gaming → Automotive engineering → Safety-critical systems This diversity isn’t just refreshing—it’s game-changing. Better code. Real-world trust. Robots are doing actual work. The future of robotics is interdisciplinary. Tune in this Thursday when the episode drops - subscribe to get notified - tanktalks.substack.com

42

4 Comments