In this episode, we speak with Maria Telleria co-founder and CTO of Canvas. Maria shares her journey from a mechanical engineering background in Mexico to leading innovations in AI and robotics for the construction industry. Starting from her research at MIT to building robots designed for unstructured environments, Maria discusses the challenges and breakthroughs in integrating AI with hardware. She emphasizes the critical role of sensors, AI models, and safety checks in developing effective robotic solutions. Maria also elaborates on how Canvas' technology is improving productivity and safety in construction, outlining the business benefits and future prospects for robots in commercial settings. The conversation covers the practical applications, adoption strategies, and the new hardware platform Canvas is launching to further augment construction workflows.

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Founder Bio:

Maria Telleria is co-founder and CTO of venture-backed Canvas. Her company is building and deploying robotic systems to assist workers in arduous and dangerous construction tasks. The Canvas System is now being deployed in the Bay Area. Before Canvas, Maria was a company lead at Otherlab, an independent research laboratory focused on developing hard tech ideas from research to product. At Otherlab, she oversaw three large-scale government grants and two commercial development programs aimed at developing a new class of compliant robotic systems for unstructured environments. She secured multi-million-dollar grants from agencies like NASA, DARPA, and the Office of Naval Research. She is author on sixteen patents and fifteen patent applications related to Canvas systems and is a co-inventor on an additional three patents related to pneumatic robots. Prior to joining Otherlab, Ms. Telleria worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory on the design of next-generation data systems. Maria holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Her dissertation established the field of cylindrical compliant mechanisms. While at MIT she co-founded the MIT Grad Catalyst Program with the mission to give minority students the tools and information required to pursue advanced degrees in science and technology.

Time Stamps:

00:31 Maria’s introduction and background

03:50 Challenges in Robotics

05:46 Canvas and real-world applications

07:58 AI and robotics in construction

14:22 Infusing AI into hardware 16:52 Simulation and data challenges

23:05 Use cases for the future of robotics

27:09 Core components of AI-enabled hardware

30:40 Human-AI Collaboration

32:21 Real-world applications and challenges

38:07 Market launch and business strategy

43:10 Adoption and future prospects

46:37 Future directions and how to get in contact with the Canvas team

Resources

Company website: https://www.canvas.build/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/we-are-canvas/

Twitter: https://x.com/canvas_build

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/we_are_canvas/