Programming a robot one motion at a time is slow, expensive and needs specialists. A different approach is to let the machine learn by watching a person do the job, seen through the person’s own eyes. That idea, egocentric robot learning, is the subject of a talk by OLogic CEO and co-founder Ted Larson at RoboBusiness 2026. The conference runs October 20-21, 2026, at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, California.
The session, titled “Egocentric Robot Learning: Teaching Robots Through Human Experience”, is set for 10:45 a.m. on the second day of the show. The Robot Report announced it on September 16, 2026.
What the talk covers
The core idea is simple. A person records a task from a first-person view, and a robot uses that recording as training data. The demonstrations come from two main sources:
- Wearable cameras that record a task exactly as the person doing it sees it;
- Teleoperation systems, where a human operator guides the robot directly and the session becomes training data.
Larson plans to cover the technical basics of the approach and the practical problems of building these systems. He will also discuss what the method means for commercial robotics. According to The Robot Report, NVIDIA, Google DeepMind and Meta are among the organizations that have pushed this approach forward. The publication calls egocentric learning a way to cut the time, cost and expertise traditionally needed to deploy robots. The sectors expected to benefit are manufacturing, logistics, healthcare and service robotics, where faster automation matters most.
Who is speaking
OLogic is an embedded systems research and development company focused on robotic applications and technologies. It is based in Santa Clara and was founded in 2005. The company calls itself a team of hardware development experts and offers electronics and PCB design, motor control, firmware and software work including Edge AI, industrial and mechanical design, and robot engineering. OLogic says it has completed more than 300 projects for over 175 customers. Its clients include Google, NVIDIA, Meta, Intel, Panasonic and Hasbro, plus robotics startups such as Dusty Robotics, Misty Robotics and Fetch Robotics. It is also a MediaTek Preferred Design Partner.
Larson has more than 25 years of experience designing robots and consumer electronics. He holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from California Polytechnic State University.
The bigger picture
The 2026 show marks 20 years of RoboBusiness. The program has five tracks: physical AI, enabling technologies, humanoids, field robotics, and business and deployment. More than 100 exhibitors are expected on the expo floor, along with a Startup Alley and an Engineering Theater. Other featured speakers include Rodney Brooks of Robust AI, Ken Goldberg of UC Berkeley’s AUTOLab, Agility Robotics co-founder Jonathan Hurst, and Bhavna Chandrashekhar of Amazon Robotics. MassRobotics is the event’s strategic partner.
Full conference passes include keynotes, technical sessions, networking receptions and special events. Discounts are available for academia, associations and corporate groups.
