Hello Robot to Showcase Stretch 4 Live at Disrupt 2026

Hello Robot co-founder and CEO Aaron Edsinger will showcase the company's new Stretch 4 robot live on the Real World AI Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. The demonstration, which focuses on robots built for real-life utility rather than demo reels, highlights a practical, non-humanoid approach to physical AI. Launched in May, the Stretch 4 has already sold out its first production run as of June.

Unlike the humanoid designs dominating the robotics industry, Stretch 4 is a compact, wheeled robot equipped with a single telescoping arm. It is designed specifically to navigate human spaces and perform everyday tasks to assist people with severe mobility impairments. The robot features the sensors, perception capabilities, and contact sensitivity required to operate safely around humans. Real-world applications of the technology have already enabled users with quadriplegia to perform tasks like feeding themselves, drinking, brushing teeth, and opening or closing blinds.

For robotics researchers and developers, Stretch 4 represents a shift toward practical, accessible hardware. The robot comes with a full-stack, open-source software platform designed for those working on embodied AI and human-collaborative robotics. This open-source foundation, shaped by six years of customer feedback, allows practitioners to bypass the complexities of humanoid balance and focus directly on manipulation and human-robot interaction. Edsinger, who previously founded Meka Robotics and Redwood Robotics before they were acquired by Google in 2013, brings decades of experience in human-robot interaction, mechanical design, and real-time control to this platform.