The Grand Challengers Podcast Episode #57
A LEGO crane, a belt and disrupting the 600 billion dollar robotics industry
Guest: Hiten Sonpal
February 17th, 2026
Overview
Every machine that lifts, digs, or hauls relies on hydraulics — a technology that hasn’t changed in over 50 years. But what if you could replace that leaky, energy-wasting oil with a belt-and-pulley system that’s three times faster, three times more efficient, and three times more durable — with zero emissions?
That’s what Hiten Sonpal and his team at RISE Robotics are doing. In Episode 57, Hiten joins Peter Marcus Bach to explore his full robotics journey — from a childhood fascination with LEGO Technic in India to building bomb-disposal robots for Iraq and Afghanistan at iRobot, designing the Roomba lawnmower, and now leading RISE Robotics as CEO, where their patented Beltdraulic™ technology is disrupting the $600 billion hydraulics industry.
Hiten takes us inside the world of robotics — what counts as a robot, why humanoid robots are far from ready, and how AI is augmenting rather than replacing skilled workers. He explains why hydraulic systems waste 70% of their energy as heat, why electrifying heavy machinery has been prohibitively expensive, and how Beltdraulic solves both problems by replacing fluid with precision-engineered belts and sealed bearings.
The results speak for themselves. RISE’s Guinness World Record-holding robotic arm lifts over 7,000 lbs fluid-free. Their military crane dropped from 1,800 lbs to 300. And their commercial liftgate saves delivery fleets $300–$1,200 per truck per day.
Hiten also shares the personal story of spending five years building a robot lawnmower at iRobot, only to have it cancelled by COVID — and how that adversity became the catalyst for his entrepreneurial career leading three companies as CEO.
Episode Teaser
Biography
“…If it’s dull, dirty or dangerous, let’s find a way to automate it using robotics …”
coming soon…
Resources Related to the Episode
Key Companies & Technology
- RISE Robotics – https://www.riserobotics.com
- Beltdraulic™ Technology – https://www.riserobotics.com/beltdraulic
- Beltdraulic SuperJammer (Guinness World Record) – https://www.riserobotics.com/beltdraulic-superjammer
- Invest in RISE Robotics – https://invest.riserobotics.com (Wefunder campaign)
- Anthony Liftgates – RISE’s liftgate manufacturing partner
- iRobot (now filed for bankruptcy) – Hiten’s former employer, maker of Roomba
- Electric Sheep Robotics – Hiten’s former company, autonomous commercial mowing
Robotics & AI References
- Roomba robot vacuum cleaner – iRobot’s flagship consumer product
- PackBot – iRobot’s military robot used for bomb disposal in Iraq and Afghanistan, and at Fukushima Daiichi
- IBM Deep Blue – the supercomputer that defeated chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1997
- Crafty Chess Engine / XBoard – open-source chess software used in Hiten’s senior project
- Global robotics market statistics (~$94–95B in 2024, projected ~$111B by 2030)
- Republic of Korea – highest robot density: ~1,012 robots per 10,000 employees
Pentagon & Defense
- Common Lifting Device – collapsible hand-powered crane for USAF (reduced from 1,800 lbs to 300 lbs)
- Munitions Handling Unit / SuperJammer – Guinness World Record for strongest robotic arm prototype (7,015 lbs), verified March 3, 2025
- AFWERX TACFI contract – $3M follow-on to build SuperJammer Vehicle
- EWAAC – $46B U.S. Air Force Enterprise Wide Agile Acquisition Contract
Commercial Applications
- Beltdraulic Railgate 5500 – all-electric liftgate for medium/heavy-duty logistics
- Oil & gas natural gas compression pumps
- Marine sector – hydraulic oil-free boat systems
- Forklifts – future application using same cylinder technology
- California zero-emissions port mandate (target 2030)
Film & Cultural References
- The Hurt Locker (2008 film) – depicts the life of EOD operators diffusing bombs
- LEGO Technic Set 8040 – the pneumatic crane that inspired both Peter and Hiten
- Tabla – traditional Indian percussion instrument Hiten played growing up
- Jamshedpur, India – Tata manufacturing city where Hiten grew up, home of his childhood park memories
- Eucalyptus trees and feeding rabbits – Hiten’s favourite childhood memory
Career & Leadership
- University of Evansville – Hiten’s alma mater (BS Computer Engineering)
- Georgia Institute of Technology – currently pursuing MS Computer Science
- Colin Angle, Helen Greiner, Rod Brooks – iRobot founders/leaders who inspired Hiten
- Vice Admiral Joe Dyer – Hiten’s mentor at iRobot
- Innovation vs. Invention – Hiten’s framework: innovation is something new that a customer is willing to pay for
- MVP mindset and cutting scope – recurring leadership lesson throughout the episode
Episode Chapters
(Chapters are embedded in the episode for quick access, click this to expand and view all chapters and time stamps)
- 0:00 Intro
- 1:59 Guest Intro and the Drumming Passion
- 5:04 Early inspiration for robotics – Lego
- 9:15 Moving beyond Lego
- 11:29 The Chess Playing Robot
- 18:55 From Chess to iRobot – seeing real-world value
- 23:27 The rise and diversity of the robotics industry
- 30:21 Generative AI’s impact on robotics
- 32:36 The electric sheep and an unfortunate timing
- 37:56 Being smarter about design for sustainability – RISE Robotics
- 45:15 Examples of RISE’s applications
- 51:44 RISE Robotic’s Future Plans
- 58:17 Hiten’s reflections from advisory and leadership positions
- 1:01:43 Q&A Start
- 1:02:04 What does innovation mean to you?
- 1:03:28 Key Moment, Book, Person
- 1:05:18 Favourite childhood memory
- 1:07:03 Biggest challenge to date
- 1:13:18 Advice for young professionals
- 1:14:18 What would you most like to be remembered for?
- 1:15:32 Where can people find you?
- 1:15:58 Final Message
- 1:16:43 Outro
Connect with Hiten Sonpal
Related Episodes
 | Episode #25 – Shubber Ali Your garden, the ‘field of dreams’ for tackling the twin crises of climate change and artificial intelligence (Related Topics: business & tech, AI, community, entrepreneurship, robots) |
 | Episode #52 – Makoto Kern Feature-centric to user-centric – UX Design to navigate global challenges and the “AI Competence Mirage” (Related Topics: business & tech, AI, human-computer interfaces) |
 | Episode #54 – Mats Larsson Feature-centric to user-centric – UX Design to navigate global challenges and the “AI Competence Mirage” (Related Topics: electrification, AI, automation) |
Credits
- Hosted by Peter Marcus Bach, follow me on: X: @petermbach, Instagram: @petermbach87 or subscribe to my channel on YouTube: www.youtube.com/c/PeterMarcusBach/
- Intro/Outro Song: ‘Starsky’ by Alex Keren (Check out more of his tunes over on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5vZ3lENfDLjkln8scBJ8mW)