In Episode 207 of The Robot Report Podcast, hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman discuss various topics in the robotics industry, including leadership changes at Agility Robotics and Boston Dynamics and the recent financial struggles faced by iRobot.
This week, we also feature a session from the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo on “The State of Humanoids” with Pras Velagapudi, chief technology officer of Agility Robotics; Aaron Prather, director of the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Program at ASTM International; and Al Makke, director of engineering at Schaeffler.
The expert panelists discussed the dynamic nature of the robotics industry, the evolving safety standards for humanoid robots, and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Show timeline
- 05:20 – News of the week
- 27:44 – Conversation about the state of humanoids with Pras Velagapudi of Agility Robotics, Aaron Prather of ASTM International, and Al Makke of Schaeffler, moderated by Mike Oitzman.
News of the week
Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics see leadership changes
On the left, Aaron Saunders keynoting the 2025 Robotics Summit & Expo, and on the right, Melonee Wise.
Agility Robotics and Boston Dynamics, two prominent humanoid robotics developers, are experiencing leadership changes. Aaron Saunders, chief technology officer at Boston Dynamics, announced on LinkedIn that he is stepping down from that role.
And Melonee Wise, chief product officer at Agility Robotics, is leaving the company at the end of the month, according to The Information. Wise’s departure from Agility Robotics was also confirmed by The Robot Report.
Wise joined Agility Robotics in 2023 as CTO and shifted into the chief product officer role in May 2024. She led Agility’s engineering team in addition to the newly formed product organization.
Wise has years of experience in the robotics industry. Prior to joining Agility in 2023, she was the vice president of robotics automation at Zebra Technologies. Before that, Wise was CEO of Fetch Robotics until its acquisition by Zebra.
Can iRobot bounce back? Deep concerns overshadow $127M Q2
iRobot revenue declined 23.3% in Q2 of 2025. Source: iRobot
Most robotics companies would kill to earn $127.6 million in a quarter. But not iRobot Corp. The Roomba maker continued its financial slide, reporting that second-quarter 2025 revenue was down 23.3% year over year.
iRobot’s revenue from Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 was down 32%.
The sharp decline highlighted ongoing challenges for iRobot as it struggles with slowing demand, increased competition, and the aftermath of its failed acquisition by Amazon.
iRobot said its Q2 revenue increased 6% in Japan but declined 33% in the U.S. and decreased 17% in EMEA over the prior-year period. The company’s revenue in Q1 2025 was $101.6 million, which was a 32% drop year over year from $150 million.
iRobot CEO Gary Cohen acknowledged the results fell short of expectations, citing market challenges and slower-than-anticipated scaling of new product lines. While iRobot saw improvement in gross margins and operating efficiency, Cohen said the company’s cash position remains under strain, limiting flexibility and raising concerns about liquidity.
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