Techable VC founder says robotics is still in its "Lego era"

In short: A former Nvidia robotics executive says robotics is still missing key basics, and she is now investing in what she calls “physical AI,” which includes more than robots.

What's going on

Amulya Vishwanath, who previously led product marketing for Nvidia’s robotics platforms, said on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast that robotics is in its “Lego era.” By that, she means the field is still putting together the standard parts and rules that make robots easier to build and safer to use.

She pointed to basic building blocks that are still being rebuilt or standardized. These include actuators (the parts that make a robot move, like muscles), robotic hands, software, and safety standards (the agreed rules for how robots should behave around people).

Vishwanath also argued that “physical AI” should not be limited to humanoid robots. She described it as AI that works in the real world across areas like factory machines, materials science (creating and testing new materials), and life sciences, including molecules and medicines.

Her view pushes back on the idea that robotics is about to have a “ChatGPT moment,” meaning a sudden leap where one general AI model makes many robots work out of the box. Some people believe a single “foundation model” (a large, general-purpose AI trained on lots of data, like a base brain you can adapt) could replace much of today’s specialized robotics work.

What to watch

Vishwanath is now writing early checks through her firm, Techable VC, which suggests more investor attention may shift toward the practical plumbing of robotics, not just flashy demos. Watch for startups focused on better robot parts, clearer safety rules, and real workplace use cases like factory labor shortages and reducing surgeon burnout.

Source: TechCrunch AI