In this episode Joe speaks with Daniel Theobald. Daniel has decades of experience leading research scientists and teams of engineers in developing cutting edge robotics technology. He has 67 issued patents and over 30 patents pending. He achieved a perfect academic record and was chosen by the faculty at MIT as the engineering student most likely to make a significant impact on engineering and humanity. He also received a prestigious Hertz Foundation Fellowship.  

In 2018 he founded Vecna Robotics, now a global leader in autonomous forklifts. In 2014 he co-founded MassRobotics, a non-profit dedicated to the global advancement of the robotics industry. His passion project is agriculture mechanization at Twisted Fields research farm on beautiful Rancho San Gregorio.  He is currently focused on helping large organizations successfully automate through his latest startup Mekable.com.  He is dedicated to the idea that technology can be used to improve life for everyone on the planet.

In the opening of the episode Daniels shares the story of how he met Edward Teller, “the father of the hydrogen bomb” as a boy and how that influenced him. He talks about how the teachings of his father and the Mormon faith have influenced him as a leader; what it means to be a responsible engineer, and the counterintuitive benefits of helping other people. Then toward the end Daniel shares insights into the current problems with food production and how automation can make food more sustainable and healthy for both humans and the earth.