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Shop Floor Stories

Azumuta

Shop Floor Stories brings manufacturing leaders, founders, researchers, and the people on the line into one honest conversation about where industry is really heading. Hosted by Azumuta's Batist Leman, each season digs past the hype to ask a simple question: as factories get smarter, how do we keep people at the center?

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  • 3 episodes
  • Avg 33 min
  • English
  • S1 · E3
    Tuesday · 27 min

    Ep3 - How automation really changes factory jobs (Stijn Gryp, ACV)

    When machines take over the factory, what happens to the people? In Episode 3 of the Azumuta podcast, we turn to the human side of dark factories with Stijn Gryp, national secretary of Belgium's largest trade union. We've heard from scientists on the technology and business leaders on the factory floor. Now we ask the harder question: how do automation, robotics, and AI reshape jobs, skills, and fairness at work? Stijn is clear that he is "not a modern Luddite," but he is just as clear that productivity gains have to reach the workers who create them. You'll learn why it's good that machines take the dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs, what happens to workers who are laid off, and why older workers without training are the hardest case. We dig into reskilling and "a life full of learning," 21st-century skills, real human-robot collaboration, and why workers must be involved early because of the tacit knowledge engineers keep missing. Plus a real Unilin / Quick-Step example, and the robot tax vs. wealth tax debate. The throughline: machines automate, but people stay in control. The goal isn't fewer people, it's better, safer, more meaningful work. Built for manufacturing leaders, HR, and operations teams thinking about the future of work. 🔗 Learn more: https://www.azumuta.com/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast_description&utm_campaign=dark_factories_ep3&utm_content=homepage 📅 Book a demo: https://www.azumuta.com/demo?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast_description&utm_campaign=dark_factories_ep3&utm_content=book_demo If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show and leave a review.

    • Chapters
  • S1 · E2
    August 1 · 36 min

    Ep2 - Why most factories stay 'grey': scaling vision-AI automation (Jonathan Berte, Robovision)

    What happens when you give machines eyes? In Episode 2 of the Azumuta podcast, Robovision founder Jonathan Berte takes us from the research lab to the real factory floor to explain how computer vision and AI are reshaping the future of manufacturing. Machine vision is what lets robots adapt to product variation, handle edge cases, and move beyond high-volume, low-mix production. Jonathan has spent almost twenty years building it, so he knows exactly where the hype ends and reality begins. You'll learn how deep learning let shop-floor experts build their own AI vision without code, why data capture has to come before the AI works (and what the Tesla bet teaches manufacturers), and the manufacturing "data catch-22." Jonathan also explains why 2026 could be the breakthrough year for humanoid robots, driven by cost rather than capability, why the cobot revolution stalled, and how human-in-the-loop supervision really works in production. Plus Nvidia vs. China, a possible 2026 compute crisis, and the "Ralph Wiggum Loop" that made one AI task 500x cheaper. The throughline: machines automate, but people stay in control. Less programming, more prompting. Built for manufacturing leaders who want signal, not another humanoid demo video. 🔗 Learn more: https://www.azumuta.com/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast_description&utm_campaign=dark_factories_ep3&utm_content=homepage 📅 Book a demo: https://www.azumuta.com/demo?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast_description&utm_campaign=dark_factories_ep3&utm_content=book_demo If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show and leave a review.

    • Chapters
  • S1 · E1
    June 18 · 37 min

    Ep1 - Are 'dark factories' real? What robots can and can't automate (feat. UGent robotics)

    Will the factory of the future really run in the dark, with no humans in sight? In Episode 1 of the Azumuta podcast, two robotics and AI researchers separate the hype around dark factories from what the technology can actually do today. Dark factories, also called lights-out manufacturing, are one of the most discussed and most misunderstood ideas in modern manufacturing. We sit down with Professor Francis Werfels and researcher Andreas Verlaenen, whose lab won an international robot cloth-folding competition, to look at the real state of robotics, AI, and automation on the factory floor. You'll learn why robots still struggle with generalization, what the famous towel-folding test really proves, why humanoid and collaborative robots still need clear work instructions, and why the field may be "100 years" from a ChatGPT-sized dataset at today's data-collection rates. We also compare Optimus, Figure, Boston Dynamics, and Toyota, and explain why your manufacturing data is a competitive moat worth building now. The throughline: machines automate, but people stay in control. Built for manufacturing leaders, plant managers, and operations teams. 🔗 Learn more: https://www.azumuta.com/?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast_description&utm_campaign=dark_factories_ep3&utm_content=homepage 📅 Book a demo: https://www.azumuta.com/demo?utm_source=buzzsprout&utm_medium=podcast_description&utm_campaign=dark_factories_ep3&utm_content=book_demo If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show and leave a review.

    • Chapters
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