Amelia’s Weekly Fish Fry – Episode 671
Release Date: February 27, 2026

Amelia Dalton:
Hello there, everyone! Welcome to episode number 671 of this here electronic engineering podcast called Amelia’s Weekly Fish Fry, brought to you by EEJournal.com and written, produced, and hosted by me, Amelia Dalton.

Are you ready for some robots?

Yes! But we’re not talking about just any robots. This week, we’re focusing on the quiet revolution of grippers, sensors, and collaborative automation taking place on our factory floors.

My guest is Jen Kwiatkowski from Robotiq, and we’re diving deep into the world of collaborative robotics. Jen and I explore the future of human-robot interaction in manufacturing, how Robotiq is solving key industry challenges, and the crucial role that accessibility and ease of use play in driving the adoption of automation.

So without further ado, please welcome Jen to Fish Fry.

Interview Segment

Amelia Dalton:
Hi Jen, thank you so much for joining me.

Jen Kwiatkowski:
Yeah, thank you for having me. It’s a delight to be here.

Amelia Dalton:
Absolutely. Okay, so given Robotiq’s focus on collaborative robotics, how do you see human-robot interaction in manufacturing environments headed in the future?

Jen Kwiatkowski:
That’s a really interesting question because there are a few different axes we think about: the technical sphere, the user sphere, and the popular understanding of robotics.

Collaborative robots are robots that are easy to use and safe to use around humans. Traditionally, automation has been super expensive. Programming and setting up a robot is time-consuming and costly, which made it accessible primarily to large industries.

Having robots that are easier and safer to use makes them more accessible in more spaces. That said, we’re still not quite at the point where anyone can just buy a robot, plug it in, and integrate it seamlessly — especially small producers.

The two main challenges remain:

1. How do I program and use my robot easily?

2. How safe is it around my human workforce?

If you have to block off a third of your production line for safety, that’s a real barrier.

With the advent of physical AI, we’re seeing improvements in ease of use and safety — both in how robots safely interact with humans and how humans command robots. This will open up more applications in manufacturing, logistics, and beyond.

Ultimately, we’re going to see an explosion of applications that were previously too expensive or too complex to automate.

End-of-Arm Tooling & Industry Challenges

Amelia Dalton:
Talk to me about the key challenges you’re helping solve, especially with flexible end-of-tooling solutions for high-mix, low-volume production.

Jen Kwiatkowski:
At Robotiq, we joke that the robot is just a really expensive carrier for the end-of-arm tooling — because that’s what actually interacts with the world.

Industry-level tooling means 99.9% reliability. If you’re constantly maintaining or switching tooling, everything becomes more expensive and complicated.

We’ve been around for 17 years and have ridden the wave of collaborative robots. We understand what industry needs.

High-mix, low-volume means you want one robot to do many things. For example, you’d want one gripper that can grab every object in an Amazon warehouse. That’s still a massive challenge.

Our grippers offer two grasp modes:

• A traditional parallel grasp

• A patented encompassing grasp that pulls the object into the palm for stability

It does this with just one actuator, making it more robust, scalable, and reliable. It also includes a self-locking mechanism, so if power is cut, it maintains grip — critical for industrial safety.

We focus on feature-dense, reliable hardware that covers 90% of use cases rather than requiring specialized tools for everything.

We’re also addressing perception challenges. Robots can only act on what they perceive. That’s why we offer:

• End-of-arm cameras

• Force torque sensors

• New tactile sensors

These allow robots to adapt to changing environments, reducing the need for rigid, over-designed robotic cells.

Accessibility & Ease of Use

Amelia Dalton:
Robotiq is known for user-friendly hardware and software. What role does accessibility play in automation adoption?

Jen Kwiatkowski:
Here’s a powerful stat: integration costs make up 50–80% of an automation project.

Your robot arm might cost $50–100K, but the real expense is programming, sensing, safety infrastructure, and setup.

Even small improvements help:

• Cable management

• Shared communication protocols

• Universal mounting brackets

• Faster maintenance swaps

All of that reduces integration time and cost.

The easier you make deployment and maintenance, the cheaper and more accessible automation becomes.

Emerging Industries & Growth Areas

Amelia Dalton:
Beyond traditional manufacturing, what industries are showing surprising growth?

Jen Kwiatkowski:
The humanoid market is exploding.

While anthropomorphic robotic hands are exciting, they’re difficult to control, fragile, and prone to overheating. They’re not yet robust enough for real-world deployment at scale.

AI companies need massive datasets — billions or trillions of data points. That requires hardware with long life cycles.

If a gripper lasts 2 million cycles instead of 100,000, that’s a huge advantage for AI training and deployment.

Tactile sensing is another big area. There’s no standardized tactile sensor yet, which has slowed adoption. But with the rise of physical AI and humanoids, there’s renewed interest.

Our new tactile sensor focuses on:

• Industrial reliability

• Repeatability

• Long life cycles

That allows companies to deploy without constantly swapping hardware.

Advice for Companies Starting Automation

Amelia Dalton:
What advice would you give companies beginning their automation journey?

Jen Kwiatkowski:
Our CEO wrote a book called Lean Robotics that applies lean manufacturing principles to robotics.

Key ideas:

1. Put people before robots.
   Robots empower workers. Invest in training and internal competence.

2. Map your workflow value.
   ROI might come from cost savings, efficiency, cycle time, or simplification downstream.

3. Avoid overcomplication.
   The more complex your system, the more likely it is to fail.

4. Start small.
   Don’t automate your most complex, high-ROI process first. Start with the lowest-hanging fruit. Build competence and confidence.

Gradual automation leads to long-term success.

Off-the-Cuff Question

Amelia Dalton:
If you could have one meal right now, anywhere in the world, what would it be?

Jen Kwiatkowski:
Oh wow. I love food — this is hard!

Near the Robotiq office, there’s a restaurant that serves something called Pizza-ghetti — spaghetti inside a pizza.

I had it last week and I’m still thinking about it. It was so good.

It’s from Mustang Bill’s Pizza in Lévis. The wrong restaurant could ruin the concept forever — but this one? Amazing.

Amelia Dalton:
Pizza-ghetti? I kind of need that now.

Closing

Amelia Dalton:
Awesome. This was super cool. Thank you so much for joining me, Jen.

Jen Kwiatkowski:
Thank you so much, Amelia. This was a delight.

Amelia Dalton:
If you’d like more information about Robotiq, I’ve included links below the player on this week’s Fish Fry page on EEJournal.com and in the YouTube description.

If robot podcasts are your jam, I’ve also included a link to our robotics playlist.

Be sure to follow EE Journal on:

• Facebook

• LinkedIn

• BlueSky

• Mastodon

• YouTube at youtube.com/eejournal

You’ll find tech videos, Chalk Talk webcasts hosted by me, and our animated series Libby’s Lab.

Thanks for tuning in! If you know of any cool new technology — or just want to chat — shoot me a line at amelia@eejournal.com or post a comment on our forums.

For the week of February 27th, 2026, I’m Amelia Dalton…

…and you’ve been fried.