Hi everyone, Our next robotics seminar speaker is B. Pietro Filardo, Founder & CEO at Pliant Energy Systems Inc. Speaker: B. Pietro Filardo Date: 09/26/2025 Time: 11:00 AM EST Location: Bowen 222 [ https://robo.princeton.edu/seminar | https://robo.princeton.edu/seminar ] We are looking forward to seeing you there! Please stay tuned for more details. Title: From Energy Harnessing to Marine Robotics & Back Again Abstract: Pliant Energy Systems Inc began as a renewable energy startup with concepts that proved to be more fund-able when applied to marine robotics. The company’s founder, Pietro Filardo, will tell the unusual story how of a very small startup repeatedly pivoted to win $20M of government funding to develop their technology. Pietro’s video-heavy presentation will show how initial concepts and sketches materialized into generators, pumps, and propeller-less autonomous underwater robots that traverse sand, ice and snow. He will also present an overview of Pliant’s ongoing US Navy funded marine robotics program and conclude with a new project that circles back to their foundational energy harnessing origins. Best Regards, Robotics Seminar Committee