Jerry Pratt, a research scientist from MIT, has made notable moves in the robotics field. After departing from the humanoid robotics company Boardwalk Robotics, which he established, he briefly joined Figure, a robotics company in the Bay Area, as CTO before the company revealed itself to the public. However, his journey with Figure concluded quietly last month.
Pratt shared news of his departure and the launch of a new venture, Persona AI, on LinkedIn last week. Persona AI marks Pratt’s latest foray into the expanding realm of humanoid technology, having been established just recently.
Nic Radford, a seasoned figure in robotics and Pratt’s long-term collaborator, co-founded the startup. Radford, with a distinguished background including a seven-year stint at NASA and founding roles at Nauticus Robotics and Jacobi Motors, brings a wealth of experience to the table.
“Our aim was to test the waters and see if there was interest from potential collaborators and backers for such an initiative on LinkedIn,” Radford explained to TechCrunch.
This announcement also served to attract talent. Pratt excitedly posed a question on LinkedIn: “Have you ever wanted to create your own Iron Man suit, minus the billionaire lifestyle?”
The duo is looking to recruit an additional 10 to 20 “founders” (their term) to be instrumental in shaping the direction of the company. “It’s not just about Jerry and me; the next 18 individuals who join will play a crucial role in fostering the company’s culture,” stated Radford.
At this initial phase, Persona’s mission mirrors that of its competitors in the humanoid robotics field. The company’s early communications highlight the technological advancements that underpin this pivotal moment in robotics innovation.
The founding team states:
This is a prime time for humanoid commercialization. Advances in computer vision and perception algorithms enable motion detection, object identification, and pose estimation in real-time. Meanwhile, electronics and computational power have become both smaller and more powerful, allowing for efficient onboard integration without draining power budgets. Additionally, improved mobility and manipulation algorithms, alongside advancements in machine learning, enhance robot functionality while easing programming efforts. Investment and commercial interest in humanoid robotics are growing, signaling a ripe market for innovative applications.
Despite the early stage of Persona’s development, its ultimate competitive edge remains to be articulated beyond preliminary discussions and team perspectives.
“In many ways, our approach will resemble our competitors’, but we also aim to distinguish ourselves uniquely,” Radford shared. “Like car manufacturers comparing themselves to each other, at the core, we’re all providing similar services. However, we believe we have something special that stands out, akin to a signature feature like the Dodge Hemi.”
Pratt, affirming his belief in Persona’s potential, left a high-ranking position at Figure, one of the leading companies in humanoid robotics. The decision to part ways was mutual and influenced by geographical considerations.
“Traveling between Pensacola [Florida] and California bi-weekly was challenging,” Pratt recounted. “Initially, I had considered relocating to California, but it became clear it wasn’t feasible. Thus, our separation was amicable.”
Persona plans to distribute its activities between Pratt’s residence in Pensacola and Houston, which will act as the primary base, eventually housing about two-thirds of its personnel.
Compiled by Techarena.au.
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