How Shadow Robot started
The early story of the company and where the Shadow Robot name came from.
EPISODE 01 / SHADOW ROBOT
Rich Walker.
Shadow Robot.
A conversation about dexterous robot hands, how Shadow Robot grew, the reality of building a robotics company, major collaborations and where robotics goes next with AI.
GuestRich Walker
RoleDirector, Shadow Robot
Published26 Aug 2026
LengthAbout 30 min
WATCH / FULL EPISODE
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AT A GLANCE /
What we
talk about.
Rich Walker is a Director at Shadow Robot, a UK robotics company known for advanced dexterous robot hands. In this episode he talks through the company's beginnings, the story behind its name, major collaborations, building the Bionic Man, the pressure of cash flow, and how AI is changing robotics.
TOPICS /
Inside the
conversation.
Dexterous robot hands
What the company builds and why human-like robotic dexterity remains a difficult engineering problem.
Major collaborations
Rich discusses work involving organisations such as NASA and Google as part of Shadow Robot's history.
Running the company
The less glamorous realities behind advanced robotics, including cash flow and keeping a specialist company moving.
The Bionic Man
The conversation covers Shadow Robot's part in the well-known Bionic Man project.
Robotics + AI
Where increasingly capable AI systems could take robotic manipulation and dexterity next.
QUICK ANSWERS /
About this
episode.
Who is Rich Walker?
Rich Walker is a Director at Shadow Robot, the UK robotics company featured in this episode.
What does Shadow Robot build?
Shadow Robot is known for advanced dexterous robot hands and robotic systems designed for research and challenging manipulation problems.
What is this episode about?
The conversation covers how Shadow Robot started, dexterous robot hands, major collaborations, the Bionic Man, cash flow and where robotics may go next with AI.
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