NEDO SV Foresight Seminars: Inventing the Future: Robotics Powered by AI
The 18th NEDO Silicon Valley Foresight Seminar
NEDO Silicon Valley Foresight Seminars: Inventing the Future
~Robotics Powered by AI~
We’re pleased to invite you to an exclusive seminar on industrial robotics, where experts will share insights into this fast-evolving field.
This seminar is the 18th in the NEDO Silicon Valley Foresight Series, spotlighting breakthrough developments and the innovators driving them.
Powerful software tools are enabling intelligent robotics to not only enhance traditional automation but also break into emerging fields such as precision agriculture, responsible home healthcare, and more. Many of these industries face growing labor shortages, and advanced robotics are positioned to fill critical gaps—often performing key tasks more efficiently and reliably than the available workforce. Join us to hear from leading experts who are shaping this fast-evolving frontier and discover how AI-driven robotics is redefining what’s possible.
Date: Monday, September 15, 2025
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 pm (registration and networking begin at 5 pm)
Location: Plug and Play Tech Center (440 North Wolfe Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94085)
Cost: Free but registration is required
Agenda:
5:00 - 5:30 Registration and Networking
5:30 - 7:15 Program: Panel Presentations + Q&A
7:15 - 8:00 Networking
Speakers :
Dhruv Diddi, Founder of Solo Tech
Bob Price Ph.D., Principal Research Engineer in Robotics at SRI & PARC
Peter Lowe, CTO, Cargo Robotics
Kenny Lee, co-Founder and CEO, Aigen
Yang Fang Ph.D.,Founder Beagle Tech
Moderator:
Richard Weinberg, Sr. Consultant, USAsia Venture Partners
Speakers & Moderator's Bio:
Dhruv Didd, Founder of Solo Tech
Dhruv Diddi is the Founder of Solo Tech, a platform leading Physical AI Inference and Tuning. Through simple, private, and performant models on your edge hardware, Solo gives you access to intelligence in the physical world.
Backed by the Meta Impact Grant and NVIDIA Inception Program, Solo brings deep industry experience from Google, YouTube, and Turo, in execution for physical intelligence. Dhruv’s recent publications and talks delve into medical on-device AI, robotics systems, AI ownership and deploying in constrained environments. In this session he will share notes on “Physical AI Model Optimizations”. https://x.com/AIatMeta/status/1917727629601616030
Bob Price, Principal Scientist, SRI Artificial Intelligence Center
Dr. Price has applied AI to a broad range of robotic and industrial automation problems including probabilistic reasoning for diagnosis of electromechanical systems for Xerox Corporation, augmented reality assistance for maintenance support and health care procedures, autonomous robotics for manufacturing transport, collaborative robotics for manufacturing and model-based surface reconstruction for 3D metal printing control. Dr. Price obtained his PhD in CS at University of British Columbia 2003 and did a Post Doc at University of Alberta 2006.
Peter Lowe, CTO, Cargo Robotics
Peter Lowe is an engineer and designer with a deep focus on robotics and automation. His work spans diverse domains—from combat robotics to coral farming—united by a core interest in using machines to eliminate human drudgery. Peter holds an M.S. in MS, Mechanical Engineering & Product Design from Stanford University, where he conducted research at the Stanford AI Lab under Dr. Kenneth Salisbury, developing wearable robotic arms. He also trained in human-centered design at the Stanford d.school under David Kelley. He is currently co-founder of Cargo Robotics, where he leads the development of on-vehicle systems to automate last-mile parcel handling. His goal: to build the world’s first scalable, fully automated delivery network.
Kenny Lee, CEO, Aigen
Kenny Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Aigen, an agtech company focused on advancing sustainable agriculture through robotics and AI. He has a wonderful family with two kids and is married to his childhood sweetheart. With an MBA from MIT in sustainability and data analytics, he is pioneering AI-driven tools that empower farmers to enhance productivity and sustainability. Through this journey, he has also learned how to farm on small acres—from planning, seeding, weeding to harvesting and selling veggies and flowers at a farmer's market.
Aigen's Element robots, which are self-sustaining, solar-powered, and autonomous, provide farmers with alternatives to herbicides for crop protection. Using AI, Aigen delivers greater crop insights with temporal and spatial intelligence, helping improve farm management and implement sustainable agriculture.
Yang Fang Ph.D., Beagle Tech
Yang Fang is the founder of Beagle Technology, a company pioneering AI and robotics solutions for precision agriculture. With a background in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mechatronics, Yang focuses on integrating computer vision, robotic manipulation, and intelligent control to solve real-world challenges in crop harvesting and processing. Yang holds a PhD in robotics control from Michigan State University.
Richard Weinberg , Senior Consultant on Sustainability, USAsia Venture Partners
Richard Weinberg has led the technical development and global product management for thin-film solar modules that have been used on buildings, vehicles, and power plants. While at Miasole as Director of Engineering, his CIGS thin-film solar modules were installed on thousands of delivery trucks throughout Europe. He is also an Ambassador for Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) in Palo Alto, California. Additionally, Richard developed Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) systems for the semiconductor industry for over 20 years at Varian and Novellus (since acquired by Lam Research). He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.
USAsia Venture Partners is a premier Silicon Valley strategic consulting company. They help their clients discover and exploit new opportunities for innovation and market disruption across a wide range of industries, from high tech and cleantech to healthcare and finance. Their consultants are renowned experts in their fields. They conduct market research and due diligence; formulate alliance, marketing, and business development strategies; and partner with the clients to plan and execute for their success.
The 18th NEDO Silicon Valley Foresight Seminar
NEDO Silicon Valley Foresight Seminars: Inventing the Future
~Robotics Powered by AI~
We’re pleased to invite you to an exclusive seminar on industrial robotics, where experts will share insights into this fast-evolving field.
This seminar is the 18th in the NEDO Silicon Valley Foresight Series, spotlighting breakthrough developments and the innovators driving them.
Powerful software tools are enabling intelligent robotics to not only enhance traditional automation but also break into emerging fields such as precision agriculture, responsible home healthcare, and more. Many of these industries face growing labor shortages, and advanced robotics are positioned to fill critical gaps—often performing key tasks more efficiently and reliably than the available workforce. Join us to hear from leading experts who are shaping this fast-evolving frontier and discover how AI-driven robotics is redefining what’s possible.
Date: Monday, September 15, 2025
Time: 5:30 - 8:00 pm (registration and networking begin at 5 pm)
Location: Plug and Play Tech Center (440 North Wolfe Road, Sunnyvale, CA 94085)
Cost: Free but registration is required
Agenda:
5:00 - 5:30 Registration and Networking
5:30 - 7:15 Program: Panel Presentations + Q&A
7:15 - 8:00 Networking
Speakers :
Dhruv Diddi, Founder of Solo Tech
Bob Price Ph.D., Principal Research Engineer in Robotics at SRI & PARC
Peter Lowe, CTO, Cargo Robotics
Kenny Lee, co-Founder and CEO, Aigen
Yang Fang Ph.D.,Founder Beagle Tech
Moderator:
Richard Weinberg, Sr. Consultant, USAsia Venture Partners
Speakers & Moderator's Bio:
Dhruv Didd, Founder of Solo Tech
Dhruv Diddi is the Founder of Solo Tech, a platform leading Physical AI Inference and Tuning. Through simple, private, and performant models on your edge hardware, Solo gives you access to intelligence in the physical world.
Backed by the Meta Impact Grant and NVIDIA Inception Program, Solo brings deep industry experience from Google, YouTube, and Turo, in execution for physical intelligence. Dhruv’s recent publications and talks delve into medical on-device AI, robotics systems, AI ownership and deploying in constrained environments. In this session he will share notes on “Physical AI Model Optimizations”. https://x.com/AIatMeta/status/1917727629601616030
Bob Price, Principal Scientist, SRI Artificial Intelligence Center
Dr. Price has applied AI to a broad range of robotic and industrial automation problems including probabilistic reasoning for diagnosis of electromechanical systems for Xerox Corporation, augmented reality assistance for maintenance support and health care procedures, autonomous robotics for manufacturing transport, collaborative robotics for manufacturing and model-based surface reconstruction for 3D metal printing control. Dr. Price obtained his PhD in CS at University of British Columbia 2003 and did a Post Doc at University of Alberta 2006.
Peter Lowe, CTO, Cargo Robotics
Peter Lowe is an engineer and designer with a deep focus on robotics and automation. His work spans diverse domains—from combat robotics to coral farming—united by a core interest in using machines to eliminate human drudgery. Peter holds an M.S. in MS, Mechanical Engineering & Product Design from Stanford University, where he conducted research at the Stanford AI Lab under Dr. Kenneth Salisbury, developing wearable robotic arms. He also trained in human-centered design at the Stanford d.school under David Kelley. He is currently co-founder of Cargo Robotics, where he leads the development of on-vehicle systems to automate last-mile parcel handling. His goal: to build the world’s first scalable, fully automated delivery network.
Kenny Lee, CEO, Aigen
Kenny Lee is the co-founder and CEO of Aigen, an agtech company focused on advancing sustainable agriculture through robotics and AI. He has a wonderful family with two kids and is married to his childhood sweetheart. With an MBA from MIT in sustainability and data analytics, he is pioneering AI-driven tools that empower farmers to enhance productivity and sustainability. Through this journey, he has also learned how to farm on small acres—from planning, seeding, weeding to harvesting and selling veggies and flowers at a farmer's market.
Aigen's Element robots, which are self-sustaining, solar-powered, and autonomous, provide farmers with alternatives to herbicides for crop protection. Using AI, Aigen delivers greater crop insights with temporal and spatial intelligence, helping improve farm management and implement sustainable agriculture.
Yang Fang Ph.D., Beagle Tech
Yang Fang is the founder of Beagle Technology, a company pioneering AI and robotics solutions for precision agriculture. With a background in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and mechatronics, Yang focuses on integrating computer vision, robotic manipulation, and intelligent control to solve real-world challenges in crop harvesting and processing. Yang holds a PhD in robotics control from Michigan State University.
Richard Weinberg , Senior Consultant on Sustainability, USAsia Venture Partners
Richard Weinberg has led the technical development and global product management for thin-film solar modules that have been used on buildings, vehicles, and power plants. While at Miasole as Director of Engineering, his CIGS thin-film solar modules were installed on thousands of delivery trucks throughout Europe. He is also an Ambassador for Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) in Palo Alto, California. Additionally, Richard developed Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) systems for the semiconductor industry for over 20 years at Varian and Novellus (since acquired by Lam Research). He has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University.
USAsia Venture Partners is a premier Silicon Valley strategic consulting company. They help their clients discover and exploit new opportunities for innovation and market disruption across a wide range of industries, from high tech and cleantech to healthcare and finance. Their consultants are renowned experts in their fields. They conduct market research and due diligence; formulate alliance, marketing, and business development strategies; and partner with the clients to plan and execute for their success.