In Episode 106 of Blue Collar Startup, hosts Mike Nelson and Derek Foster sit down with Bob Caldarella of ClearFocus Robotics to talk real-world autonomous robots in the trades, how “mop bots,” delivery bots, and disinfection robots are taking over repetitive, dangerous, or mundane tasks in cleaning, healthcare, landscaping, and facilities, delivering ROI in under a year while creating higher-skilled jobs and happier customers.
Connect with Bob Caldarella and ClearFocus Robotics at clearfocusrobotics.com or on LinkedIn.
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00:00 Opening
00:15 Intro & Derek back from ISSA Vegas
02:17 Sponsor love & kids-in-trades donations
03:08 Guest: Meet Bob Caldarella – ClearFocus Robotics
04:04 What “front-of-house” real-work robotics means
06:05 Blue-collar tie-in & workflow pain points
10:01 Mowing robots vs. mop bots
11:15 Yelp horror stories & customer satisfaction math
14:19 Derek: 2x - 5x weekly vacuuming, zero extra labor
15:18 Other robot categories (secure delivery, heavy transport, UVC)
17:36 Hospital blood-sample runs: 75 miles/week automated
20:10 Bob’s journey from ATM manufacturing to life-saving robotics
22:43 Adoption fears & union concerns
25:38 When should you even look at robotics?
30:25 The $1M workman’s-comp cart push waiting to happen
33:32 Derek on finally pulling the trigger
34:02 How to spot a quality commercial robot
37:47 Where robotics is headed in the next 5 years
40:30 It’s about better outcomes, not fewer people
42:13 Where to find ClearFocus + main show wrap
43:20 Patreon tease & sponsor thanks
44:06 Outro “keep hustling”