{"id":2300,"date":"2026-02-16T20:19:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T20:19:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/petermbach.com\/?page_id=2300"},"modified":"2026-04-05T06:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-05T06:47:09","slug":"057-hiten-sonpal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/petermbach.com\/index.php\/podcast\/057-hiten-sonpal\/","title":{"rendered":"TGC Podcast Episode 057 – Hiten Sonpal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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The Grand Challengers Podcast Episode #57<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A LEGO crane, a belt and disrupting the 600 billion dollar robotics industry<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Guest: Hiten Sonpal<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

February 17th, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Overview<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every machine that lifts, digs, or hauls relies on hydraulics \u2014 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 \u2014 with zero emissions?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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 \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiten takes us inside the world of robotics \u2014 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2013$1,200 per truck per day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hiten also shares the personal story of spending five years building a robot lawnmower at iRobot, only to have it cancelled by COVID \u2014 and how that adversity became the catalyst for his entrepreneurial career leading three companies as CEO.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Episode Teaser<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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