AiNews.com Interview with Leo Ma, Founder and CEO of RoboForce

In this talk

1. 1:36

   Why RoboForce is building robot labor

   Ma says the company grew from seeing three needs converge: advances in robotics, shortages of workers, and jobs that can be harmful or overly demanding for people. He describes RoboForce as a team effort that began with colleagues and long-time acquaintances.

2. 2:45

   Labor gaps and difficult work sites

   Ma says labor shortages delayed or canceled about 40% of solar projects in 2023 and 2024, based on data RoboForce collected. He points to extreme heat at a one-gigawatt desert project and near-total annual turnover in cold-chain work as examples of conditions that challenge workers.

3. 12:54

   A system designed for varied environments

   Ma describes RoboForce’s system as built for indoor and outdoor settings, with mobility, precise manipulation, learning, communication, and safety capabilities. He says it can manipulate objects to within one millimeter and that the company expects it to perform at three times or more a human worker’s efficiency.

4. 15:23

   Business value and early applications

   Ma says RoboForce plans to charge for completed work through a robotics-as-a-service model, with an initial target of one-third the all-in cost of human labor. Its first solar application involves placing components and installing bolts and nuts on panels in desert utility-scale projects; he says demand from companies around the world has exceeded expectations.

5. 21:07

   Build expertise before expanding

   Ma argues that robotics companies should first deliver reliable results in one domain, then extend to others, rather than pursue many tasks at partial capability. His advice to newcomers is to become effective with AI tools, stay open to rapid change, and learn from trusted peers.