Meet Dr. Sebastian “Basti” Scherer

As Field AI emerges from stealth, we’re launching a new blog series spotlighting the world-class team shaping our technology. First up is Dr. Sebastian Scherer, a globally recognized expert and our Director of Fieldable Embodied AI. Dr. Scherer is also an Associate Research Professor at Carnegie Mellon University, where he leads one of the largest AI robotics labs at the Robotics Institute, with over 50 members pushing the boundaries of embodied intelligence.

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Dr. Scherer’s pioneering research has driven major advancements in physically embodied AI and field robotics, influencing both academic and industry standards. Over the past decade, he’s led many of the nation’s most ambitious robotics and AI initiatives as Principal Investigator. His hallmark is a deep commitment to real-world impact, developing systems for field-tested and scalable deployment rather than controlled lab settings. At Field AI, that philosophy drives innovation that’s tested and proven in demanding field conditions.

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With 250+ publications, 80 inventions, and 6 patents, Dr. Scherer brings a legacy of excellence and a passion for deploying resilient AI systems in unstructured environments. His approach is deeply woven into how we think about scale, resilience, and field-readiness.

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In the following interview, Dr. Scherer (“Basti”) shares thoughts on this pivotal moment for Field AI.

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What’s been most exciting about the progress at Field AI so far?

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“Field AI is on an exciting mission to solve a core problem in safe embodied AI—one that has the potential to unlock enormous value: making autonomous robots safe and reliable in unstructured and degraded environments. What initially drew me in was not just the ambition, but the execution. There’s a big difference between having a vision for generalizability and robustness in robotic systems and actually delivering it in the real world.

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Our company stands out as an extremely unique place where cutting-edge research on foundation models is being seamlessly combined with deeply practical, hardcore robotics. It’s a rare blend of ambition and capability, where teams are not only pushing theoretical boundaries, but also achieving meaningful milestones with robots already deployed across diverse, real-world sites around the globe. That level of field validation is a testament to both the quality of the team and the architecture of the new class of models being built. It’s exciting to be part of a company where the vision aligns so closely with my own, and where the DNA is grounded in both innovation and real-world impact.”

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What excites you about your work?

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“I lead research efforts that enhance the resilience and safety of autonomous systems. I'm excited that I collaborate with a talented team to explore new methods and models and the largest customer workflow datasets across many sites. Being part of a team that’s pushing the limits of what robotics can achieve is motivating, and it inspires me to continue driving progress in this field.“

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What’s next for the work underway?

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“As we continue developing more and more intelligent, safer and reliable autonomous robots in unstructured environments, it opens an enormous set of value. We can expand these robots and solutions to millions of sites, as they do not require “optimizing the site for the robot” and the system can be deployed in human-purposed environments as readily as human labor. As these AI solutions rapidly evolve, it will transform the robotics evolution and improve safe embodied AI systems across the board.”

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Want to be part of Field AI and the future of autonomous robotics? We are always looking for top-tier talent to add to our team. There are many open positions currently available. Check out our Careers page for a full list of opportunities to shape the future of AI & Robotics.

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