S6E14 Russ Aldridge | Robot Cinematography, 16-day Ventilators, & Identifying the REAL problem

Being an Engineer

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This episode is a re-run from season 1

Russ Aldridge shares his entrepreneurial journey of founding Sisu, a mechanical engineering company that designs innovative robotic solutions. From creating a revolutionary knife-sharpening robot to developing a game-changing cinematography robot arm and rapidly producing ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, Russ demonstrates the power of creative problem-solving and team collaboration.

Main Topics:

• Origin of Sisu and its unique name
• Innovative robotic solutions for industrial and creative industries
• Developing a robot arm for cinematography
• Rapid ventilator production during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Building a collaborative and flat organizational culture

About the guest: Russ Aldridge and cofounder Marc Christenson started Sisu in 2010 as an integrator for their former employer NI (National Instruments). They have expanded the company far beyond just NI and now serve a wide variety of industries, developing highly sophisticated robotic & automated applications. Their team’s skill and ingenuity are matched by their incredible dedication to serving the customer—case in point: team Sisu went from concept to 100 fully functioning ventilators in just 2 weeks to meet the massive need brought on by COVID.

Links:

Russ Aldridge - LinkedIn

Marc Christenson - LinkedIn

SISU Website

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Chapters

1. S6E14 Russ Aldridge | Robot Cinematography, 16-day Ventilators, & Identifying the REAL problem (00:00:00)

2. Origins of Sisu and Its Name (00:00:13)

3. Early Careers and Entrepreneurial Mindset (00:03:56)

4. Developing the Omni Sharp Machine (00:10:52)

5. Transition to Robotics and Learning Curves (00:14:23)

6. Innovations in Robotics and Cinematography (00:22:58)

7. Organizational Structure and Culture at Sisu (00:25:33)

8. The Pipe Dream Project (00:30:28)

9. Response to the COVID-19 Ventilator Shortage (00:36:51)

10. Challenges and Future Plans (00:44:09)