The power of STEM: Shaping the next generation
In Episode 220 of The Robot Report Podcast, hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman recap the major robotics news of the week. This week on the show, we also welcome Dhaval Jadav, CEO of alliantgroup, and Dr. Robert Ambrose, professor at Texas A&M and director of robotics and artificial intelligence at alliantgroup, to discuss STEM education.
This episode digs into the challenges and opportunities in fostering a diverse and skilled workforce, as well as how robotics competitions serve as a gateway to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers. Learn how STEM-related programs from K-12 and then community colleges and universities are preparing the next generation of engineers, technicians, and other professionals necessary to support the growing fleets of robots and autonomous systems.
Dr. Robert Ambrose, chairman of robotics and AI at alliantgroup; associate director of the Texas A&M Space Institute.
Ambrose’s career spans more than 20 years across academic research, federal service, and startup innovation, giving him a unique perspective on what it takes to drive robotics from the lab to real-world impact.
As chief of software, robotics, and simulation at NASA from 2000 to 2021, Ambrose led a team at the Johnson Space Center that developed pioneering robotic platforms and technologies that continue to shape the future of human and robotic space exploration.
Dhaval Jadav, CEO of alliantgroup and a STEM education expert.
Jadav is the co-founder and CEO of alliantgroup, a national services firm based in Houston that educates and helps small and midsized U.S. businesses claim government-sponsored tax and credit incentives.
Jadav received his Master of Laws (LLM) degree in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.
Show timeline
8:45 – News of the week
37:29 – Interview with Dr. Rob Ambrose and Dhaval Jadav of alliantgroup
News of the week
Teradyne Robotics lays off another 14% of workforce
Roughly nine months after reducing its global workforce by 10%, Teradyne Robotics cut about another 14% of its staff worldwide. The unit of testing company Teradyne said revenue growth has not matched expectations.
Teradyne owns collaborative robot arm maker Universal Robots (UR) and autonomous mobile robot developer Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). Both UR and MiR are based in Odense, Denmark.
It’s unclear exactly how many employees were affected by the layoffs, but the company said reductions happened across its global teams. Prior to the January 2025 layoffs, the Teradyne Robotics website said it had more than 1,400 employees worldwide.
If the current 2025 revenue-per-quarter pace continues, UR’s 2025 revenue would reach roughly $232 million — a decline of about $100 million, or 28%, from its 2022 peak.
iRobot revenue continues to drop with ‘no sources’ of additional capital
iRobot Corp. shared its Q3 2025 financial results. The Roomba maker brought in $145.8 million in revenue, a 24.6% drop from the $193.4 million it brought in in Q3 2024.
This continued a downward trend for the company. Last quarter, iRobot’s revenue was down 23.3% year over year. iRobot has struggled financially in recent years due to lower demand, increased competition, and a failed Amazon acquisition.
As of Sept. 27, iRobot said it had $24.8 million in cash and cash equivalents on hand, a $15.8 million drop from the $40.6 million it had at the end of June. Even more dire, iRobot said in a Form 10-Q filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it “has no sources upon which it can draw for additional capital.” The report said management had “substantial doubt” about the company’s “ability to continue.”
Aaron Saunders to join Google DeepMind
Aaron Saunders, former chief technology officer at Boston Dynamics, announced on LinkedIn that he has joined Google DeepMind‘s robotics group. He had worked at Boston Dynamics from September 2003 to July 2025.
XPENG unveils feminine edition of IRON humanoid
Xpeng unveiled the latest edition of its IRON humanoid robot this week. The robot has distinct female features, albeit with a generic head/face, so it’s not intended to be hyper-realistic.
Most notable is the gait of the robot, which Xpeng claimed is the smoothest, most natural of any humanoid released thus far. In a video, the robot appears to walk a balance beam or tight rope with one foot in front of the other.
