{"id":4021,"date":"2025-06-12T01:52:26","date_gmt":"2025-06-12T05:52:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/4f3b7e0f0f63b0d70d5ea4bd93f99f16\/?post_type=news&p=4021"},"modified":"2025-10-22T16:02:44","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T20:02:44","slug":"dr-oscar-mendez-to-lead-ai-data-science-team","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/locusrobotics.com\/news\/dr-oscar-mendez-to-lead-ai-data-science-team","title":{"rendered":"Locus Robotics Appoints Dr. Oscar Mendez to Lead AI and Data Science Team, Pioneering Next-Generation \u201cPhysical AI\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Locus Robotics Appoints Dr. Oscar Mendez to Lead AI and Data Science Team, Pioneering Next-Generation \u201cPhysical AI\u201d<\/h1>\n
June 12, 2025<\/div>\n <\/div>\n
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WILMINGTON, MA \u2013 June 12, 2025<\/span><\/b> \u2013 Locus Robotics, the global leader in mobile warehouse automation, is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Oscar Mendez to <\/span>Director of AI & Data Science Team<\/span>, leading Locus\u2019s mission to bring advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to the physical world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Locus\u2019s AI and Data Science team is focused on cutting-edge development in Physical AI to drive innovation and deliver intelligent warehouse optimization at scale\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe are thrilled to welcome Oscar to this critical leadership role,\u201d said Hamid Montazeri, Senior Vice President of Software & AI at Locus Robotics. \u201cOscar\u2019s exceptional research credentials, combined with his passion for applied AI, make him the perfect leader to help us shape the future of intelligent robotics. Under his direction, the AI and Data Science (ADS) team will be instrumental in creating the first foundation model purpose-built for warehouse automation\u2014ushering in a new era of \u2018Physical AI\u2019 for our industry.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Dr. Mendez brings a deep research background and international recognition in Robotics, Computer Vision, Physical AI, and Artificial Intelligence. He joined Locus in October 2023 from the University of Surrey, where he was a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Vision, Speech and Signal Processing\u2014one of the UK\u2019s top AI research centers\u2014and a Fellow of the Institute for People-Centered AI. His career has been marked by award-winning contributions to autonomous agents, collaborative robotics, and computer vision, including leading groundbreaking projects such as Autonomous Valet Parking (AVP). Dr. Mendez won the 2022 ICRA best paper award which was named as one of <\/span>Amazon's most influential papers<\/span><\/a> in 2022.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Dr. Mendez\u2019s appointment further strengthens Locus\u2019 position at the forefront of Physical AI, delivering Explainable AI (XAI) - a domain in which the company already leads thanks to its Robotics Software Team (RST) - Embodied Intelligence and a warehouse-wide \u201cHolistic\u201d AI,\u00a0\u00a0 supporting the company\u2019s continued drive to deliver transformative value to customers through intelligent automation.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u201cWe\u2019re building more than robots\u2014we\u2019re building a smarter, more adaptive supply chain,\u201d said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. \u201cOscar\u2019s leadership and vision will accelerate our ability to develop intelligent systems that understand, learn, and act with ever-greater sophistication. His appointment reflects our ongoing investment in world-class talent to lead the industry through its next wave of innovation.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/span>About Locus Robotics\u202f<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Locus Robotics is a global leader in AI-enabled, mobile warehouse automation, delivering unmatched flexibility and unlimited throughput, and actionable intelligence to optimize operations. Powered by LocusONE\u2122, an AI-driven platform that seamlessly integrates our flexible mobile robots into existing warehouse environments to dramatically enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and scale operations with ease.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Trusted by over 150 industry leading retail, healthcare, 3PL, and industrial brands in over 350 sites worldwide, Locus enables warehouse operators to achieve rapid ROI, minimize labor costs, and continuously improve productivity. Our industry-first Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) model ensures ongoing innovation, scalability, and cost-effectiveness without the burden of significant capital investments. With proven capabilities in diverse workflows\u2014from picking and replenishment to sorting and pack-out\u2014Locus Robotics empowers businesses to meet peak demands and adapt to ever-changing operational needs.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

\u00a0<\/span>For more information, visit <\/span>www.locusrobotics.com<\/span><\/a> and follow us on social media.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div> <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/section>\n

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Locus Robotics, the global leader in AI-driven, mobile warehouse automation, today announced it has surpassed the 5 billion units picked milestone across its global customer deployments.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4023,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"news_type":[10],"country":[],"class_list":["post-4021","news","type-news","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","news_type-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nLocus Robotics Appoints Dr. Oscar Mendez to Lead AI and Data Science Team, Pioneering Next-Generation \u201cPhysical AI\u201d - Locus Robotics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Locus Robotics, the global leader in AI-driven, mobile warehouse automation, today announced it has surpassed the 5 billion units picked milestone across its global customer deployments.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Locus Robotics Appoints Dr. Oscar Mendez to Lead AI and Data Science Team, Pioneering Next-Generation \u201cPhysical AI\u201d - 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