Neura Robotics CEO David Reger: Building the Ecosystem for Physical AI | MACHINA 2026

In this talk

1. 0:41

   Robots to address the physical workforce gap

   Reger says Neura Robotics, based in Metzingen, Germany, aims to give robots hearing, vision and touch so they can respond independently. He argues that automation can help offset a projected loss of about 7 million workers in Europe and more than 80 million in China by 2030, particularly as experienced workers leave physical jobs.

2. 3:09

   Train skills in robots and their bodies

   Reger says robots can learn some new tasks in hours, while people may need weeks or longer, and robot skills can be copied for reuse. He says physical learning also requires responsive hardware: his swimming example illustrates why visual information alone cannot teach movement, and Neura’s smart limb concept pairs a computing brain with a trainable, fast reacting system developed with Qualcomm.

3. 7:34

   Build the data and training infrastructure

   Reger says useful physical AI depends on how data is captured and on compute that supports both reasoning and rapid reactions. Neura is building physical training sites with robot units and a platform called Neuroverse, where users can record a task and use it to fine-tune a foundation model. He also says about 1,000 employees wear data suits to collect human movement data.

4. 9:11

   Keep specialized knowledge with its owners

   Reger proposes a “brain account” for each company: a fine-tuned model that represents its processes and know-how. He says companies could license that knowledge, letting others reproduce production capabilities in their own factories while retaining a way to monetize what makes their operations distinct.

5. 12:42

   Coordinate devices through Neuraverse

   Reger argues that capable robots need an orchestration layer that can share information across devices and infrastructure. Neuraverse is intended as a developer platform and communication layer connecting devices, sensors and AI models; his fridge example shows how shared information could prevent a robot from making an unnecessary trip. He also describes a marketplace for distributing knowledge and envisions connections between autonomous cars, traffic signals and cameras.