Symbotic Inc, a leader in A.I.-enabled robotics technology for the supply chain, announced the appointment of Dr. James Kuffner as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), effective January 1, 2025, in line with the retirement of George Dramalis, Symbotic’s former CTO. In his new role, Kuffner will be responsible for continuing to advance Symbotic’s technologies and solutions to drive Symbotic’s strategic long-term growth.
“James has more than 30 years of leadership experience in robotics. He has helped forge groundbreaking technological advances at Toyota, Google and Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute,” said Rick Cohen, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer.
As the author of 125 publications and 40 patents in 3D graphics, robotics and autonomous vehicles, James is most notably known as the co-inventor of the Rapidly Exploring Random Tree (RRT) algorithm for robot motion planning. James joins Symbotic from Toyota Motor Corporation, where he held several leadership roles during his long tenure. Most recently, he was a Senior Fellow in charge of the company’s Software Development Center, after serving as Toyota’s Chief Digital Officer and Member of the Board.
“James is a visionary leader whose cutting-edge research and development have accelerated the world’s technological solutions,” continued Cohen. “We are excited to welcome him to Symbotic and look forward to his development of innovative solutions that will unlock Symbotic’s next phase of growth.”
Symbotic is an automation technology leader reimagining the supply chain with its end-to-end, A.I.-powered robotic and software platform. Symbotic reinvents the warehouse as a strategic asset for the world’s largest retail, wholesale, and food & beverage companies. Applying next-generation technology, high-density storage and machine learning to solve today’s complex distribution challenges, Symbotic enables companies to move goods with unmatched speed, agility, accuracy and efficiency.
SOURCE: GlobeNewswire