Lior Elazary Of inVia Robotics On The Future Of Robotics Over the Next Few Years

An Interview With David Leichner

Knowledge: This allows you to iterate more quickly. A lot of problems we are facing today have already been solved, and people with this advanced knowledge are able to understand what others have tested previously. It gives you an advantage to not repeat past mistakes that others have made.

With the shortage of labor, companies are now looking at how robots can replace some of the lost labor force. See here for example. The truth is that this is not really a novel idea, as companies like Amazon have been using robots for a while now. What can we expect to see in the robotics industry over the next few years? How will robots be used? What kinds of robots are being produced? To what extent can robots help address the shortage of labor? Which jobs can robots replace, and which jobs need humans? In our series called “The Future Of Robotics Over The Next Few Years” we are talking to leaders of Robotics companies, AI companies, and Hi-Tech Manufacturing companies who can address these questions and share insights from their experience. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Lior Elazary, the CEO and Co-founder of inVia Robotics.

Lior has more than 20 years of experience as an executive in internet networking, robotics, software development and enterprise architecture businesses. He has led and directed diverse teams developing everything from back-office systems to core enterprise technologies. In addition, he has a proven track record of scaling technology companies. He most recently co-founded and later sold EdgeCast, a content delivery platform, with enterprise customers such as Twitter and YouTube. Before that, he co-founded and later sold HostPro (now Web.com), an internet hosting company.

Elazary completed a master’s degree of computer science at the University of Southern California (USC) with a specialty focus on artificial intelligence. He attended a Ph.D. program in robotics at USC where he met his inVia co-founders. Their work together sparked a passion for the dramatic effect robots can have in driving efficiency and productivity, and most importantly in helping people live happier and more fulfilling lives.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started in robotics?

Thank you for having me! For a little bit of background, I have more than 20 years of experience as an executive in internet networking, robotics, software development and enterprise architecture businesses. I have had the opportunity to lead and direct diverse teams through the development of everything from back-office systems to core enterprise technologies. Most recently, I co-founded and later sold EdgeCast, a content delivery platform with customers such as Twitter and YouTube. Before that, I co-founded and later sold HostPro (now Web.com), an internet hosting company. I completed a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Southern California (USC) with a specialty focus on artificial intelligence. I also attended a Ph.D. program in robotics at USC, where I met my inVia co-founders. Our work together sparked a passion for the dramatic effect robots can have in driving efficiency and productivity and, most importantly, in helping people live happier and more fulfilling lives.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Back when I had co-founded HostPro (now Web.com), we would help secure websites from being hacked. One of our clients was DARE.org, the drug prevention organization. Their site used to be hacked constantly, so we worked to ensure the servers themselves were protected. We all thought, “this has to be the solution.” Well, it wasn’t. One day they were unexpectedly hacked by someone who got in through an administrative password. We were shocked. This was the first time I had been exposed to hacking and cybersecurity. After working through the issue with the FBI involved, it taught me to always question what you think you know and try to imagine the unimaginable happening. You can never be too prepared and this helps to ensure you always are.

When it comes to an interesting experience at inVia in particular, I really enjoyed competing in the DARPA Robotics Challenges during the early stages of the business. Back in 2015, we participated and drew inspiration from the challenge. It was helpful in guiding us to understand how to build the business in the best way possible. It was so incredible to watch how we would test the robots to their limits and have them complete tasks like driving cars, using jackhammers, and so on.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I love this question because I actually came up with this quote myself. “…because this life is yours. Some of it was given to you, but the rest you build yourself.” For me, this speaks to the fact that while biologically — and by nature — you are born with certain abilities, you have the opportunity to create the rest for yourself. As a creative person, this resonates deeply with me. I enjoy building the part of my life that wasn’t “given” to me.

Ok wonderful. Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview. Can you tell our readers about the most interesting projects you are working on now?

At inVia Robotics, we’re working on automating the rote and repetitive tasks that make up the e-Commerce fulfillment processes in warehouses. eCommerce has grown significantly in the last few years — and even more so through the pandemic — resulting in an increase of dangerous and dull work for people getting orders out. With many warehouses today operating almost entirely by manual processes, people are simply tired of working as if they are robots. They are oftentimes monitored heavily to ensure they’re being as productive as possible; this means limited bathroom and lunch breaks, no time to take phone calls, or focus on more in-depth tasks. Our warehouse automation system uses AI-powered software and autonomous mobile robots to automate this type of work so people can be freed up to do higher-level tasks that require more decision-making and are, frankly, more stimulating.

How do you think this might change the world?

Simply put, we’re changing the way people work in warehouses and making the job more fulfilling. People have been toiling in warehouses for years without the aid of technology and have had grueling jobs that many don’t speak about. They often spend more than 50% of their work day walking around cavernous warehouses to retrieve items; sometimes reaching anywhere from 5–10 miles per day. It’s physically and mentally taxing. With inVia’s system, people aren’t subjected to this type of work anymore. They get to do the tasks that allow them to engage their brain, while also having the ability to ensure productivity levels are met. We’re creating an opportunity for warehouse jobs to be something people actually want to do.

We actually spoke with one of our customers recently, who works as a picker. She was extremely frustrated in her job — and was actually about to quit — until her company introduced our automation solution into the warehouse. She said it has changed her entire experience. She now stands in a more concentrated area, on padded floors, with the ability to hold more social interactions with people around her. She went from feeling physically tired and lonely in her job to fulfilled and more productive. This is exactly what we hope more people get to experience.

Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?

This is interesting because I actually believe it’s more about the drawbacks of the industry. When I first formed the company with my partners, we recognized that many people didn’t understand the job of a warehouse worker. Most people had the notion in their minds that these people were “personal shoppers,” but for the online side of the business. It seems relatively simple. A person will select items they want from a website, hit purchase, and there’s someone on the other end taking those items off a shelf and putting them into a box. The reality is, the shelves are in warehouses the size of football fields and are oftentimes disorganized, making it a lengthy process to find the SKUs needed for each order. The difference in expectation versus reality has been one of the main reasons why there has been such a large turnover for warehouse jobs in recent years. With that in mind, we have a lot of work to do to escape the notion that this work is simple, but showcase how fulfilling it can be when technological advancements and automation are part of the process.

What are the three things that most excite you about the robotics industry? Why?

1. Solving real-world problems: We’re using engineering and computer science to solve problems people are facing every day. They need to keep their warehouse jobs to support themselves and their families, but need to be able to find a balance while performing the tasks required.

2. Solving problems on a large scale: The eCommerce industry is growing with no signs of slowing down. Combined with a mass labor shortage, it’s crucial that warehouses look at automation solutions to help their existing workforce do their jobs as efficiently as possible.

3. Robotics is just beginning: Right now, we’re automating the walking and picking tasks that are required within eCommerce warehouse fulfillment, but this is going to quickly expand into more. Eventually, the industry will get to a place where we have automation solutions for a number of rote tasks that people don’t want to do whether in the physical workplace or at home.

What are the three things that concern you about the robotics industry? Why?

There is one main thing that concerns me and that’s the lack of education people have about robots. People have a skewed perception of who they are and what they do from movies, television shows, and video games, but this isn’t the reality. Rather than the painted picture that robots are scary with plans to take over society, we should be educating people on the fact that they are able to improve our quality of life. Robots have the potential to serve as the bridge between the many issues facing our society, but without the proper education, we’re unable to use them to their full capacity. This doesn’t pertain specifically to warehouse automation, but to other facets of our lives, too.

As you know, there is an ongoing debate between prominent scientists, (personified as a debate between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg,) about whether advanced AI has the potential to pose a danger to humanity in the future. What is your position about this?

Again, a lot of the fear comes from what we see in movies. It’s important to educate people about robots so they don’t have these irrational fears. To date, it has been difficult for robots to solve their own problems; at the moment this is based on pattern recognition versus critical thinking that people do. There is the potential that we will create something beyond our capacity in the future, but because people are the ones doing the programming, the nature of what robots are used for depends on us. I tend to believe that most people want to do good things, and hope this would be the case for those developing this technology.

My expertise is in product security, so I’m particularly interested in this question. In today’s environment, hackers break into the software running the robotics, for ransomware, to damage brands or for other malicious purposes. Based on your experience, what should manufacturing companies do to uncover vulnerabilities in the development process to safeguard their robotics?

It’s difficult to do this, but we must think beyond the current thread. Social engineering is crucial, and it’s constantly a game of trying to think of other ways that someone could hack into the system. It’s a cat and mouse chase where hackers will always be one step ahead because they are dedicated to and passionate about finding a hole in someone’s security. I’ll go back to my lesson I learned at the start of my career — scenario planning is essential to avoid these types of issues. By creating multiple backup plans you are ultimately going to be more prepared in the event of an attack and recover quicker than those who don’t.

Additionally, companies need to be able to move on security threats a lot more quickly, and they need to make sure they are constantly updating their software to eliminate any vulnerabilities. If you are running older versions of software, it leaves your company in a vulnerable position.That’s one of the benefits of the RaaS (robotics-as-a-service) model we use, where software updates are automatically made for the customer. We build added security into the service we deliver.

Given the cost and resources that it takes to develop robotics, how do you safeguard your intellectual property during development and also once the robot is deployed in industry?

This is certainly important. inVia has been awarded more than 30 patents to date that protect our intellectual property. Alongside this, we always aim to stay a step ahead and get to the next level of software security as quickly as we can. For other companies, the productivity is up to the customer, while at inVia, we are aligning ourselves with the customer to get orders out the door as quickly as possible. This is where our RaaS model comes into play. Therefore, we take more responsibility and ownership of our robots to keep them updated as security and productivity are our key focuses.

Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Robotics Industry?

I believe there are three things that you need to create a successful robotics career:

1. Determination: Continuously moving forward in the presence of failures or frustrating technological roadblocks is key. The first thing you try will always fail, but don’t give up. Continue to troubleshoot and keep pushing until you have a breakthrough.
2. Knowledge: This allows you to iterate more quickly. A lot of problems we are facing today have already been solved, and people with this advanced knowledge are able to understand what others have tested previously. It gives you an advantage to not repeat past mistakes that others have made.
3. Culture: Being able to sustain a culture that is accepting of failure and flexible with what employees are working on. A lot of times people in the workforce need clear criteria about what they should accomplish in their job role, but this has to be more fluid for robotics. With emerging trends and shifting consumer demands, it’s difficult to plan for what the business will need to focus on. This is where company culture plays a significant role.

As you know, there are not that many women in this industry. Can you advise what is needed to engage more women in the robotics industry?

From a very high level, when we raise kids we typically instill in them beliefs about what they can or cannot do. We do see fewer women in the robotics industry, although we are seeing more and more each year! Typically, the ones we do see grew up not knowing that they “couldn’t do it,” so they had no reservations and just went after it. In general, we now see a lot more women in leadership roles as well as in programming, engineering, and design roles.

The earlier we can engage with girls and women who may be interested in robotics, the better. By introducing more robotics programs and learning opportunities for all genders at the middle school/high school levels, it gives them a chance to see if robotics is something that they would be interested in pursuing. Of course, It’s also important for companies to recruit from diverse talent pools and continue to elevate the voices of women in the industry. Having open and honest conversations in the workplace and within HR teams about representation and inclusion is something that should be prioritized in all industries, not just robotics.

You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Creativity is key! While everyone is creative in some inherent way, it is the intentional movement of becoming more creative that will take you to the next level in whatever it is you are aiming to achieve. It’s important to remember that you are capable, and leaving behind a fixed mindset will enable you to empower yourself to new heights. This can apply to much more than robotics. It applies to creating art, sustainability initiatives, and so on. We all get bogged down in the day to day from time to time, but if you have the privilege of freedom to think about things besides the basic survival necessities, you should take advantage.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

Readers can find more information about inVia at inviarobotics.com, on Twitter at @inviarobotics, and on LinkedIn.

Thank you so much for the time you spent doing this interview. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success.

Thank you for your time and consideration! Please let me know if there is anything else we can provide.

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is the Chairman of the Friends of Israel and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.