Why the Future of Robotics Still Begins in the Lab

We Need to Talk About Research and Innovation

I’ve been meaning to write this for a while, and a recent conversation with an industry colleague finally gave me the nudge to do it.

Here’s the bottom line: some of the most innovative automation technologies on today’s warehouse and manufacturing floors were born in university research labs. These labs will continue to solve the ever-evolving problems in manufacturing, logistics, and supply chain.

If you sell robotics or automation – even if education isn't your primary focus – you should be selling to educational institutions. Not only does it support the broader innovation ecosystem, but it can also be a valuable and often overlooked revenue stream.

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Where Innovation Really Starts

My career in robotics began over a decade ago, selling into the research community. My customers were educational and commercial labs working on autonomy, computer vision, human-robot interaction, and AI.

It was one of the most exciting times in my career. I visited some of the most high-profile robotics labs at top-tier universities and learned directly from the brilliant minds pushing the field forward.

I saw incredible early applications: the first cobots mounted on mobile bases, assistive robots for the visually impaired, and robots designed to support non-verbal students. These weren’t just lab demos – they were proofs of concept for the future.

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From Research Lab to Real-World Impact

By 2015, I started noticing a pattern. Across labs around the world, researchers were teaching robots how to see, understand, and manipulate objects, training them to pick and place with precision while learning object characteristics along the way.

I remember asking a professor why this work mattered so much. He said: "If we can get this right, we can change the future of work on the warehouse floor."

Later that year, I realized he was right as I sat on the sidelines of a hotel ballroom in Seattle, watching the Amazon Picking Challenge, attending solely to cheer on my clients. I remember thinking: if Amazon is paying attention to this research, it must be real. (Also, can you believe I still have pictures from that trip?)

Fast forward to today, many of those same academics have launched companies, shipped products, or had successful exits. I realize now that what I was seeing in those labs were the earliest forms of what we now know as robotic bin picking, each picking, and fulfillment solutions. Today, it’s hard to walk down an aisle at ProMat or Automate in 2025 without seeing those technologies fully productized and ready to ship to warehouses around the world.

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Why Selling to Academia Is Smart Business

Back then, I wasn’t working for an education-first robotics company. But leadership quickly recognized the value of selling to this sector. Academic and research labs helped fill pipeline gaps and smooth out dips. The sales cycle was often shorter, with fewer stakeholders and a clearer technical need.

Beyond the numbers, it felt meaningful. Our company had innovation in its DNA, and supporting world-class research wasn’t just another deal—it was a contribution.

In hindsight, the tools we provided helped shape the technologies that now define modern automation. We just didn’t know it yet.

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Back to Where It All Began

So why am I writing this now? I got a call from an industry colleague, a sales leader like me. Business is good, but like any great sales professional, he’s thinking ahead. He asked if I thought it was worth exploring a sales channel within academia.

My answer was immediate: “Absolutely.”

That conversation sent me digging through old photos of university labs I had visited, and here we are – me writing this article.

If you lead a robotics or automation company, take a look back at where you started. Many of you began in research. Don’t underestimate the value of returning to it, not just as a point of origin, but as a strategic engine for future growth.

Universities, commercial labs, and military research groups offer fast-moving, high-impact sales opportunities. The sales cycles are often shorter, and the partnerships can drive product innovation, market credibility, and long-term success.

And perhaps most importantly: supporting these institutions means investing in the next generation of innovation. It’s something I think about every day. Championing the innovators behind the technology has become my North Star and it’s the foundation on which Dwight & Company was built.

My heart remains in education; after all, that’s where I got my start. But that’s a story for another time.