Engineered FOR Resilience
A first-of-its-kind deep tech conference for ag robotics and the physical AI stack. For teams building rugged, field-ready systems that perform in real farm environments.
What is Ruggedize?
A NEW DEEP TECH CONFERENCE FOR AG
This a technical gathering focused on the hard problems: dust, heat, vibration, biological variability, and the relentless demand for shorter-term ROI.
KEY PARTNERS
CORE FOCUS AREas
ENGINEERED FOR THE REAL WORLD
Deep dives into the specific technical challenges of deploying physical AI in unstructured agriculture environments
Perception & sensing
Operation in dust, variable light , and biological noise that breaks conventional computer vision
Autonomous operations
Continuous in-field operation without human intervention across unpredictable terrain.
System integration
Hardware, Software, and firmware working as one cohesive platform in the field
Testing & validation
Simulation and validation methodologies tied directly to real-world field performance.
Reliability & engineering
failure modes, recovery protocols, and building systems that survive thousands of field hours.
ROI-driven design
serviceability, economics, and design decisions that make sense in real production environments.
CONFIRMED Speakers
ROBOTICS & PHYSICAL AI PRACTITIONERS
Industry leaders, engineers, and founders pushing the boundaries of robotics and physical AI.
Paige Bailey
AI Developer Relations Lead, Google DeepMind
Matthew Potter
Director, Engineering - Robotics & Mobility Technology, John Deere
Paul Mikesell
Founder & CEO, Carbon Robotics
Danny Bernstein
CEO, Reservoir
Jorge Heraud
CEO, TerraBlaster
Gabe Sibley
Founder & CEO, Verdant Robotics
Dr. Stavros Vougioukas
Professor, PhD , UC Davis
Ben Palone
Sr. Director of Automation & Commercialization, WGA
Tim Bucher
CEO, Agtonomy
Vanessa Orsi
CEO, ROS Speaker
Katherine Hecht
Forward Deployed Engineer, Google Cloud
Tyler Niday
Founder & CEO, Bonsai Robotics
Ali Murtaza
Smart Machines and IoT Lead, NAMER, AWS
Matt Hoffman
Head of Farms, Reservoir
Steven Mirsky
Director of Digital Agriculture, USDA
Bill Turechek
Vice President of Research, California Strawberry Commission
Dr. Bo Liu
Professor, Cal Poly
Charles Wu
Founder & CEO, Orchard AI
Colin Hurd
CEO, MACH
Les Karpas
Inception Global Head of Physical AI, NVIDIA
Nolan Paul
CEO, Yamaha Agriculture
AGENDA
DAY ONE
AUG 26th, 2026
Keynote: Welcome
Danny Bernstein, Reservoir
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Keynote: Welcome
Danny Bernstein, Reservoir
Deploying AI in Rugged, Disconnected Environments
Paige Bailey, Google Deepmind
9:30 – 10:30 AM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
10:30 – 11:30 AM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Case Study: Verdant Robotics
Gabe Sibley, Verdant Robotics
12:30 – 1:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Case Study: Agtonomy
Tim Bucher, Agtonomy
1:30 – 2:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Robots, Business Model, or VCs - which will kill you first?
Paul Mikesell, Carbon Robotics
2:30 – 3:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Building Rugged Autonomous Systems with Open Source
3:30 – 4:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Rugged AI at USDA
Steven Mirsky, USDA
4:30 - 5:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
DAY TWO
AUG 27th, 2026
Case Study: Orchard Robotics
Charles Wu, Orchard Robotics
9:00 – 9:30 AM
Keynote: Welcome
Danny Bernstein, Reservoir
NVIDIA Processing Software Systems in Rugged Environments
Les Karpas, NVIDIA
9:30 – 10:30 AM
Matt Hoffman (Reservoir), Dr. Bo Liu, (Cal Poly), Bill Turechek (California Strawberry Commission), Ben Palone (Western Growers) 

Rugged AI at Google Cloud
Katherine Hecht, Google Cloud

10:30 – 11:30 AM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Panel: Scaling Ag Robotics – From Prototype to Commercial Reality
Nolan Paul, YAMAHA with Andros Engineering
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Case Study: Terrablaster
Jorge Heraud, TerraBlaster

12:30 – 1:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Building Ag Robots that Interact with Crops at High Throughput
Dr. Stavros Vougioukas

1:30 – 2:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
AWS Connectivity for Hardware and Software in Remote Fields
Ali Murtaza, Amazon Web Services

3:30 – 4:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Case Study: MACH
Colin Hurd, MACH

4:30 - 5:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Panel: What’s Next for Rugged AI in Agriculture
Matt Hoffman (Reservoir), Dr. Bo Liu, (Cal Poly), Bill Turechek (California Strawberry Commission), Ben Palone (Western Growers) 

4:30 - 5:30 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Closing Remarks
Danny Bernstein
5:30 - 6:00 PM
How AI is Changing Field Applications for Implements
Matthew Potter, John Deere
Discover the Future of Rugged Physical AI
GENERAL
Who it’s for:
- Engineers at Startups
- Technical Founders
- Academia & Researchers
Opportunities:
- Learn from industry leader
- See the latest in rugged AI
- Network with engineers and founders
- Showcase your company with a free booth (3+ tickets)
INVESTOR
Who it’s for:
- Engineers & Engineer Managers
- CTOs & VPs
- VCs & Tech Investors
Opportunities:
- Inform your product roadmap
- Scout new business
- Attend exclusive VIP events
- Showcase your company with a free booth (3+ tickets)
STUDENT / NON-PROFIT / BOOTSTRAP
Who it’s for:
- Enrolled Students in Robotics, Software Engineering, and Agriculture Technology
Opportunities:
- Learn from leaders beyond the classroom
- Meet future colleagues and mentors
LEARN MORE
Get Involved
Ruggedize is designed for the technical community advancing ag robotics and physical AI. This is an early, evolving platform, and we want practitioners in the room. We’re looking for sponsors, speakers, demo teams, and engaged participants. If you’re building or backing field-ready autonomy, register your interest and get involved
For teams building ruggedized, ROI-constrained physical AI, Ruggedize will serve as a working forum for advancing the state of the art in real-world deployment.
Reservoir Farms
Salinas, CA - Highway 68
Experience robotics and AI systems in one of the most productive agriculture regions in the world