How YC-backed Bucket Robotics survived its first CES
22 days ago
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- Bucket Robotics CEO Matt Puchalski drove 12 hours in a rented Hyundai Santa Fe to ensure their booth setup at CES 2026 despite bad weather.
- Bucket Robotics, a YC-backed startup, focuses on automating quality inspections for surfaces using advanced vision systems, eliminating the need for manual labeling.
- The company generates simulated defects from CAD files to train its vision software, enabling quick defect detection on production lines without additional hardware.
- Bucket Robotics attracted interest from automotive and defense sectors, positioning itself as a dual-use company.
- Puchalski, with a background in autonomous vehicles at Uber and Ford, leveraged his industry connections during CES.
- The startup's CES experience was intense but fruitful, leading to follow-up discussions with potential customers and investors.
- Puchalski emphasized that automating surface inspections doesn't threaten jobs but addresses a long-standing industry challenge.