Duration: 19:27 | Published: November 19, 2020
Episode Summary
For Matt Bilsky, '12 '14G '17PhD, being an entrepreneur is the logical extension to a path that might have started around the day he threw a tantrum as a four-year-old when his mom wouldn’t buy him an extension cord. “I had a little shop in the basement,” he says, “and I think I knew what I wanted to build, I just didn’t have the skill set to make it. Now, 20 years later, I’m able to make those things a reality.”
Today, Matt is a mechanical engineer (and avid outdoors guy) who completed his undergrad, master’s, and PhD at Lehigh. He’s also the founder and CEO of FLX Solutions, a robotics startup developing innovative snake-like inspection robots that can access hard to reach places, saving time and money while protecting workers across a range of industries including construction, infrastructure, industrial, and defense.
In this episode, Matt explains how his interests in physics, programming, and robotics evolved into a passion for mechatronics, the interdisciplinary field that combines mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer engineering and robotics.
Along the way, he taught himself programming, electronics, Arduino development and rapid prototyping, eventually designing and building increasingly sophisticated robotic systems while at Lehigh. Rather than following a traditional academic path, he combined research, teaching, and entrepreneurship to build a company around technology he invented during his doctoral work.
That technology is the FLX Bot, a flexible, snake-like inspection robot designed to access confined spaces that are difficult or dangerous for people to reach. The robot can extend, brace itself inside walls or pipes, carry cameras and tools, and perform tasks such as inspection, wiring, drilling, and maintenance.
Matt discusses the engineering challenges behind the robot, why affordability matters for widespread adoption, and how robotics can improve worker safety while reducing costs across industries.
He also offers practical advice for engineering students interested in startups and innovation. Successful engineers, he says, continually teach themselves new skills, build personal projects, develop an entrepreneurial mindset alongside technical expertise, and become “T-shaped” engineers—combining deep technical knowledge with curiosity, creativity, and the ability to connect ideas across disciplines.
Matt’s story takes us through those early days of trial and error, to stumbling upon mechatronics as an undergrad, and essentially designing his own PhD program. And of course, we learn about—and listen to—the inventions small and large and potentially game-changing that he’s creating in South Bethlehem.
His is an inspiring story about robotics, engineering education, startup life and turning lifelong curiosity into the kind of real-world innovation that solves life’s “Wouldn’t it be nice if…” problems.
Key Moments
- 3:51 — Childhood fascination with building and inventing
- 5:46 — Learning programming and building a robot
- 7:09 — Prototyping inventions and sharing them on YouTube
- 9:56 — Discovering mechatronics at Lehigh
- 10:57 — Building a startup during graduate school
- 11:35 — Inventing the FLX Bot
- 12:30 — How the FLX Bot works
- 14:21 — The realities of startup life
- 14:57 — What employers look for in engineers
- 15:56 — Becoming a T-shaped engineer
Featured Quotes
"I don’t see the world the way it is. I see it the way it could be." — Matt Bilsky
"It’s up to you to become that multi-talented person." — Matt Bilsky
"It’s having that balance of mindset and skillset that’s really enabled me to do what I’m doing." — Matt Bilsky
Full Transcript
Transcript is auto-generated and lightly edited for clarity.
Host-Christine Fennessy (00:06):
Welcome to Rossin Connection, a podcast about all things Lehigh engineering. Coming to you from the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University. It's a show for students, alumni, faculty and staff, current, former and future, and for anyone interested in the many creative ways that engineers are solving the world's problems. I'm your host and producer, Christine Fennessy. Matt Bilsky first got interested in robotics when he was a kid. He got a Lego Mindstorm set for a present and he was more of a K'Nex guy back then, but the Lego set was the first programmable robot he'd ever had. Today Matt runs a company built around a snake-like robot called the FLX Bot. On this episode, how Lehigh alum, Matt Bilsky went from that K'Nex kid to CEO. Thanks for joining us.
Welcome to Rossin Connection, a podcast about all things Lehigh engineering. Coming to you from the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science at Lehigh University. It's a show for students, alumni, faculty and staff, current, former and future, and for anyone interested in the many creative ways that engineers are solving the world's problems. I'm your host and producer, Christine Fennessy. Matt Bilsky first got interested in robotics when he was a kid. He got a Lego Mindstorm set for a present and he was more of a K'Nex guy back then, but the Lego set was the first programmable robot he'd ever had. Today Matt runs a company built around a snake-like robot called the FLX Bot. On this episode, how Lehigh alum, Matt Bilsky went from that K'Nex kid to CEO. Thanks for joining us.
Matt Bilsky (01:09):
Okay, Google turn on power supply. Okay, Google turn on iron Speaker 3 ([[01:18]{.underline}](https://www.temi.com/editor/t/4JjvQo9kq2Np-7RIKaWMIRJ7Mzf6p-PJAvXq5V3llL...)): Cut.
Okay, Google turn on power supply. Okay, Google turn on iron Speaker 3 ([[01:18]{.underline}](https://www.temi.com/editor/t/4JjvQo9kq2Np-7RIKaWMIRJ7Mzf6p-PJAvXq5V3llL...)): Cut.
Host-Christine Fennessy (01:19):
That's Matt Bilsky.
That's Matt Bilsky.
Matt Bilsky (01:20):
I'm Dr. Matt Bilsky.
I'm Dr. Matt Bilsky.
Host-Christine Fennessy (01:22):
Matt is a mechanical engineer. He got his undergrad master's and PhD at Lehigh. He was a postdoc and a professor at the university and today he's an entrepreneur
Matt is a mechanical engineer. He got his undergrad master's and PhD at Lehigh. He was a postdoc and a professor at the university and today he's an entrepreneur
Matt Bilsky (01:32):
And currently my role is founder and CEO of FLX Solutions here in South Bethlehem.
And currently my role is founder and CEO of FLX Solutions here in South Bethlehem.
Host-Christine Fennessy (01:38):
Here in South Bethlehem means his house from the outside. It's a typical duplex with a neat spindled railing around the front porch and so his neighbors have no idea what's going on inside or why he needs Google to help him turn on all of his stuff.
Here in South Bethlehem means his house from the outside. It's a typical duplex with a neat spindled railing around the front porch and so his neighbors have no idea what's going on inside or why he needs Google to help him turn on all of his stuff.
Matt Bilsky (01:55):
I've converted the majority of a three bedroom house into a full, you know, state-of-the-art robotics facility. My office is 10 by 12 and I think I have more crap per square foot than most people could imagine, but it's also very accessible, organized 'cause if you can't find it, you can't use it.
I've converted the majority of a three bedroom house into a full, you know, state-of-the-art robotics facility. My office is 10 by 12 and I think I have more crap per square foot than most people could imagine, but it's also very accessible, organized 'cause if you can't find it, you can't use it.
Host-Christine Fennessy (02:14):
Matt's office is a wonder of stacked plastic bins. They're on shelves above his workbench. They sit on wheels tucked under his desk. They slide like drawers from his tool cart and nearly all of them are labeled with green tape.
Matt's office is a wonder of stacked plastic bins. They're on shelves above his workbench. They sit on wheels tucked under his desk. They slide like drawers from his tool cart and nearly all of them are labeled with green tape.
Matt Bilsky (02:28):
My absolute favorite tool in the lab is this right here. This is my masking tape dispenser. I use it for everything for electrical tape to mounting things to you name it,
My absolute favorite tool in the lab is this right here. This is my masking tape dispenser. I use it for everything for electrical tape to mounting things to you name it,
Host-Christine Fennessy (02:42):
But bins and tape aren't what makes this house such a high tech stealth lab. His office also has a 3D printer in the closet, soldering irons on his workbench, a hot air reflow station for working on circuits and a fume extractor to suck away solder fumes. And in the bedroom down the hall, he's got two more 3D printers and an oven for melting solder. Up in the attic, he's got a resin printer for fine detail stuff, a laser cutter for printing prototypes and a very noisy ultrasonic cleaner that he uses for cleaning circuit boards and 3D printed parts. It's an impressive setup and it's been home to Matt's startup for nearly two years now. He's just weeks away from finishing his beta prototype. It started as an idea he had back in the summer of 2013, an idea that put him on a unique path as a PhD student at Lehigh, or maybe it's more accurate to say, kept him on a path he's been on since he was a kid.
But bins and tape aren't what makes this house such a high tech stealth lab. His office also has a 3D printer in the closet, soldering irons on his workbench, a hot air reflow station for working on circuits and a fume extractor to suck away solder fumes. And in the bedroom down the hall, he's got two more 3D printers and an oven for melting solder. Up in the attic, he's got a resin printer for fine detail stuff, a laser cutter for printing prototypes and a very noisy ultrasonic cleaner that he uses for cleaning circuit boards and 3D printed parts. It's an impressive setup and it's been home to Matt's startup for nearly two years now. He's just weeks away from finishing his beta prototype. It started as an idea he had back in the summer of 2013, an idea that put him on a unique path as a PhD student at Lehigh, or maybe it's more accurate to say, kept him on a path he's been on since he was a kid.
Matt Bilsky (03:51):
It never really was a surprise that I was gonna be an engineer.
It never really was a surprise that I was gonna be an engineer.
Host-Christine Fennessy (03:55):
Matt was fascinated by things like vacuum cleaners. He lost it as a 4-year-old when his mom wouldn't buy him an extension cord and he loved, loved getting Home Depot gift cards
Matt was fascinated by things like vacuum cleaners. He lost it as a 4-year-old when his mom wouldn't buy him an extension cord and he loved, loved getting Home Depot gift cards
Matt Bilsky (04:08):
Like that was what I got for my birthday. We didn't really video games. I was a kid and I just remember my friends would get them and I'd be like, well, they're gonna play with that for a year, but if I buy a tool I'll have it forever.
Like that was what I got for my birthday. We didn't really video games. I was a kid and I just remember my friends would get them and I'd be like, well, they're gonna play with that for a year, but if I buy a tool I'll have it forever.
Host-Christine Fennessy (04:18):
Growing up, he was always inventing stuff, most of it, like a zip line off the swing set didn't work, but he kept at it in his basement workshop.
Growing up, he was always inventing stuff, most of it, like a zip line off the swing set didn't work, but he kept at it in his basement workshop.
Matt Bilsky (04:28):
In fourth grade, I entered an competition and built the adjustable screwdriver hammer and didn't win, but I got a screwdriver set, which I was really happy with. Then fast forward like 20 years later, I was on Amazon and somebody made an adjustable screwdriver hammer and I bought it and it still just sits on the first floor of my house and that seems to be my everything. So I guess it wasn't that crazy of an idea. In hindsight,
In fourth grade, I entered an competition and built the adjustable screwdriver hammer and didn't win, but I got a screwdriver set, which I was really happy with. Then fast forward like 20 years later, I was on Amazon and somebody made an adjustable screwdriver hammer and I bought it and it still just sits on the first floor of my house and that seems to be my everything. So I guess it wasn't that crazy of an idea. In hindsight,
Host-Christine Fennessy (04:54):
Matt was also really good at fixing stuff. He was still a kid when he figured out how to repair computers and he turned himself into a business.
Matt was also really good at fixing stuff. He was still a kid when he figured out how to repair computers and he turned himself into a business.
Matt Bilsky (05:04):
My middle school years, I was making a pretty good amount of money, uh, in the summers, you know, my friends were camp counselors and I was fixing computers and then as I got older, was able to start doing handyman work for other people. I always, as a kid it was, I would watch hands-on TLC and stuff and learn from the tv. My parents would be like, how'd you learn that? I'm like, I saw it on tv. So before they'd call the handyman, they'd call me, let me try. I was like, well, it's broken. We'll see if he can fix it.
My middle school years, I was making a pretty good amount of money, uh, in the summers, you know, my friends were camp counselors and I was fixing computers and then as I got older, was able to start doing handyman work for other people. I always, as a kid it was, I would watch hands-on TLC and stuff and learn from the tv. My parents would be like, how'd you learn that? I'm like, I saw it on tv. So before they'd call the handyman, they'd call me, let me try. I was like, well, it's broken. We'll see if he can fix it.
Host-Christine Fennessy (05:30):
In high school, chemistry and biology just didn't do it for him. Too much memorization, not enough action.
In high school, chemistry and biology just didn't do it for him. Too much memorization, not enough action.
Matt Bilsky (05:37):
Science fair was always my favorite because it's like let's learn something to make something to do something.
Science fair was always my favorite because it's like let's learn something to make something to do something.
Host-Christine Fennessy (05:42):
But one class totally resonated with his inner inventor.
But one class totally resonated with his inner inventor.
Matt Bilsky (05:46):
For me, physics really explained the way I saw the world. Definitely mechanical physics of friction and force equals ma, things like that just made total sense and it was like, okay, this is a language to describe what I already knew.
For me, physics really explained the way I saw the world. Definitely mechanical physics of friction and force equals ma, things like that just made total sense and it was like, okay, this is a language to describe what I already knew.
Host-Christine Fennessy (06:02):
It was also in high school where Matt learned programming. He remembers feeling pretty confident walking into the computer club as a freshman
It was also in high school where Matt learned programming. He remembers feeling pretty confident walking into the computer club as a freshman
Matt Bilsky (06:10):
And I ran a computer repair business and a networking business and that was the first time that nobody really cared that I could build a computer, that I could network that didn't matter to the computer club. The computer club was computer programming and that was really my first exposure programming.
And I ran a computer repair business and a networking business and that was the first time that nobody really cared that I could build a computer, that I could network that didn't matter to the computer club. The computer club was computer programming and that was really my first exposure programming.
Host-Christine Fennessy (06:26):
So Matt did what Matt does. He bought a book at Barnes and Noble and taught himself programming. He did a couple of summer online courses and when he was a junior he decided to build a robot for the science fair.
So Matt did what Matt does. He bought a book at Barnes and Noble and taught himself programming. He did a couple of summer online courses and when he was a junior he decided to build a robot for the science fair.
Matt Bilsky (06:38):
So I built this like wheeled cart that you could put it on and had like the Lego Mindstorms and a GPS that we had put a couple sensors on and built a autonomous robot that could navigate around my driveway and the next house and back.
So I built this like wheeled cart that you could put it on and had like the Lego Mindstorms and a GPS that we had put a couple sensors on and built a autonomous robot that could navigate around my driveway and the next house and back.
Host-Christine Fennessy (06:54):
That was the last robot that Matt made before, the one that has ultimately made him the CEO of a startup and turned his bedrooms into laboratories and we'll get to that robot in a minute, but first we're going on YouTube. Speaker 4 ([[07:09]{.underline}](https://www.temi.com/editor/t/4JjvQo9kq2Np-7RIKaWMIRJ7Mzf6p-PJAvXq5V3llL...)): The kite string reeler-inner has a variable speed control and can quickly reel in a kite that's even 500 feet out. Here's a closeup of the winding mechanism in action.
That was the last robot that Matt made before, the one that has ultimately made him the CEO of a startup and turned his bedrooms into laboratories and we'll get to that robot in a minute, but first we're going on YouTube. Speaker 4 ([[07:09]{.underline}](https://www.temi.com/editor/t/4JjvQo9kq2Np-7RIKaWMIRJ7Mzf6p-PJAvXq5V3llL...)): The kite string reeler-inner has a variable speed control and can quickly reel in a kite that's even 500 feet out. Here's a closeup of the winding mechanism in action.
Host-Christine Fennessy (07:19):
That's Matt on YouTube. He's posted 98 videos since 2007 and they're a mix. His channel features lectures and seminars he gave at Lehigh, and the rest are his prototypes and problem solving inventions like the automatic kite string reeler-inner. Back to that YouTube video. Speaker 4 ([[07:38]{.underline}](https://www.temi.com/editor/t/4JjvQo9kq2Np-7RIKaWMIRJ7Mzf6p-PJAvXq5V3llL...)): I've always enjoyed flying kites ever since I was a kid. Getting it up and flying and letting the string go out as far as I could was always the best part, but the annoying part was having to wind up the string manually, which always seemed to take forever.
That's Matt on YouTube. He's posted 98 videos since 2007 and they're a mix. His channel features lectures and seminars he gave at Lehigh, and the rest are his prototypes and problem solving inventions like the automatic kite string reeler-inner. Back to that YouTube video. Speaker 4 ([[07:38]{.underline}](https://www.temi.com/editor/t/4JjvQo9kq2Np-7RIKaWMIRJ7Mzf6p-PJAvXq5V3llL...)): I've always enjoyed flying kites ever since I was a kid. Getting it up and flying and letting the string go out as far as I could was always the best part, but the annoying part was having to wind up the string manually, which always seemed to take forever.
Host-Christine Fennessy (07:51):
So picture a square plastic box with no top, you load the kite spool in from the top, lock it down and route the string through the winding mechanism in the front of the box. The whole thing is 3D printed and powered by a drill battery. Thinking back on it now, Matt says it's one of his most satisfying inventions
So picture a square plastic box with no top, you load the kite spool in from the top, lock it down and route the string through the winding mechanism in the front of the box. The whole thing is 3D printed and powered by a drill battery. Thinking back on it now, Matt says it's one of his most satisfying inventions
Matt Bilsky (08:11):
Because I was a little kid when I built a crappy balsa wood and you know, radio shack motor version that just basically coiled a string, never actually worked, but then 20 years later decide I have a 3D printer, I have a full lab, I'm, I'm a PhD in engineering. I'm sure I can build this to actually then build the real thing and be able to take it out. It was, it was really cool to just, I've always thought about this for years and years and years and now I have it.
Because I was a little kid when I built a crappy balsa wood and you know, radio shack motor version that just basically coiled a string, never actually worked, but then 20 years later decide I have a 3D printer, I have a full lab, I'm, I'm a PhD in engineering. I'm sure I can build this to actually then build the real thing and be able to take it out. It was, it was really cool to just, I've always thought about this for years and years and years and now I have it.
Host-Christine Fennessy (08:39):
His most popular video has more than 40,000 views. He was planning a cross country trip and wanted to be able to carry his gear, haul around all of his friends and sleep in his car. Here's Matt, showing viewers how to build a folding twin sized bed for a Subaru Outback.
His most popular video has more than 40,000 views. He was planning a cross country trip and wanted to be able to carry his gear, haul around all of his friends and sleep in his car. Here's Matt, showing viewers how to build a folding twin sized bed for a Subaru Outback.
Matt Bilsky (08:58):
As you can see, you could fold down the back seats and then pull out the bed frame, put in the supports, snap out the ends, and then you could slide out the pieces that support the mattress and boom, you have an instant twin sized bed in the back of your Subaru, but you can still carry all five passengers.
As you can see, you could fold down the back seats and then pull out the bed frame, put in the supports, snap out the ends, and then you could slide out the pieces that support the mattress and boom, you have an instant twin sized bed in the back of your Subaru, but you can still carry all five passengers.
Host-Christine Fennessy (09:14):
For Matt, YouTube is a place to share ideas and build his brand. So whether you're looking to design a budget friendly tool drawer or maximize your lab space, he's the guy who figures stuff out
For Matt, YouTube is a place to share ideas and build his brand. So whether you're looking to design a budget friendly tool drawer or maximize your lab space, he's the guy who figures stuff out
Matt Bilsky (09:27):
Because I think YouTube is the future of content and it, I think through this whole pandemic it's, and we haven't seen new movies, we haven't seen TV shows. It's been the summer of the creator,
Because I think YouTube is the future of content and it, I think through this whole pandemic it's, and we haven't seen new movies, we haven't seen TV shows. It's been the summer of the creator,
Host-Christine Fennessy (09:40):
That creator mindset? It shaped Matt's trajectory at Lehigh. When he was a junior in the mechanical engineering department, his advisor recognized just how good he was at building stuff. Matt had taught himself Arduino, it's an open source electronics platform
That creator mindset? It shaped Matt's trajectory at Lehigh. When he was a junior in the mechanical engineering department, his advisor recognized just how good he was at building stuff. Matt had taught himself Arduino, it's an open source electronics platform
Matt Bilsky (09:56):
And this guy's like, you gotta get an electrical engineering minor and what you do is called mechatronics. So learning that I'm a mechatronics person now, I had to figure out what it took to be a mechatronics person.
And this guy's like, you gotta get an electrical engineering minor and what you do is called mechatronics. So learning that I'm a mechatronics person now, I had to figure out what it took to be a mechatronics person.
Host-Christine Fennessy (10:06):
Mechatronics combines electrical, computer, mechanical and robotics engineering. It's used in things like automation, medical imaging, and control systems. Matt did end up getting that minor in electrical engineering and he started to get a feeling for the direction he wanted to go in, but it wasn't going to be conventional. He graduated in 2012 and soon started a PhD program and like most grad students, he was doing research for another professor, but then he started teaching and that's when he essentially created his own PhD program called an Entrepreneurial Minded Dissertation. He was getting paid to teach, teaching covered his tuition, which meant he could focus on his own research and on an idea he had for a company in 2013. During the second year of his PhD, he started Impossible Incorporated.
Mechatronics combines electrical, computer, mechanical and robotics engineering. It's used in things like automation, medical imaging, and control systems. Matt did end up getting that minor in electrical engineering and he started to get a feeling for the direction he wanted to go in, but it wasn't going to be conventional. He graduated in 2012 and soon started a PhD program and like most grad students, he was doing research for another professor, but then he started teaching and that's when he essentially created his own PhD program called an Entrepreneurial Minded Dissertation. He was getting paid to teach, teaching covered his tuition, which meant he could focus on his own research and on an idea he had for a company in 2013. During the second year of his PhD, he started Impossible Incorporated.
Matt Bilsky (10:57):
I think it Impossible Incorporated really comes down at a core to who I am. I'm the type of guy that if you complain to me, you should better know that I'm gonna try to solve the problem. I see the world and I don't see it the way it is. I see it the way it could be. So I like using my engineering skillset to solve life's, wouldn't it be nice if problems?
I think it Impossible Incorporated really comes down at a core to who I am. I'm the type of guy that if you complain to me, you should better know that I'm gonna try to solve the problem. I see the world and I don't see it the way it is. I see it the way it could be. So I like using my engineering skillset to solve life's, wouldn't it be nice if problems?
Host-Christine Fennessy (11:17):
One of those problems was how to access hard to reach places. as an undergrad. Matt had worked as a contractor fixing apartments. He knew what it meant if, you know, for example, someone wanted a new light in a kitchen, the ceiling had to be cut open dust would be everywhere, and of course it's expensive.
One of those problems was how to access hard to reach places. as an undergrad. Matt had worked as a contractor fixing apartments. He knew what it meant if, you know, for example, someone wanted a new light in a kitchen, the ceiling had to be cut open dust would be everywhere, and of course it's expensive.
Matt Bilsky (11:35):
I think it was pretty early on that I was like, you know, I think I'm gonna make a robot that runs wires
I think it was pretty early on that I was like, you know, I think I'm gonna make a robot that runs wires
Host-Christine Fennessy (11:47):
That is the sound of that robot. It's called the FLX Bot. Picture a snake made of short plastic segments and what you're hearing is the sound of one of those segments getting longer. The fFLX Bot is the reason why Matt's house is a robotics lab. It was his first product idea for Impossible Incorporated, and the robot was the subject of his PhD, which he finished in 2016. In 2019, Matt used the robot to form another company. It's called FLX Solutions, that's FLX. He's got pre-seed funding, he's hired some people and he's nearly finished his beta prototype. The minimum viable product, the robot he'll demo with potential customers.
That is the sound of that robot. It's called the FLX Bot. Picture a snake made of short plastic segments and what you're hearing is the sound of one of those segments getting longer. The fFLX Bot is the reason why Matt's house is a robotics lab. It was his first product idea for Impossible Incorporated, and the robot was the subject of his PhD, which he finished in 2016. In 2019, Matt used the robot to form another company. It's called FLX Solutions, that's FLX. He's got pre-seed funding, he's hired some people and he's nearly finished his beta prototype. The minimum viable product, the robot he'll demo with potential customers.
Matt Bilsky (12:30):
Yeah, so the FLX Bot is a one inch diameter snake lake robot that's designed to get workers into places they can't easily get and do what they can't currently do. So it's made up these six inch long rigid links that have a patented technology that I invented that allows them to both extend and rotate. And what that enables the snake to do is put it in a wall, put it in a pipe, it can form an S shape and then brace against the walls of a cavity just like a rock climber trying to brace against like a chimney to slither up. That's what the technology can do and then it can lock out and do things like drill spray and inspect. One of the things is that all the links which are identical, have cameras in them. So we can stitch the cameras, the images from all those cameras together into one 3D, AR, VR, you name it, image to give it that first person view without having to get workers in harm's way. And our goal with this technology is make it so that it's mass deployable by lowering cost and really making it so the user interface is such that anybody can pick it up and operate it.
Yeah, so the FLX Bot is a one inch diameter snake lake robot that's designed to get workers into places they can't easily get and do what they can't currently do. So it's made up these six inch long rigid links that have a patented technology that I invented that allows them to both extend and rotate. And what that enables the snake to do is put it in a wall, put it in a pipe, it can form an S shape and then brace against the walls of a cavity just like a rock climber trying to brace against like a chimney to slither up. That's what the technology can do and then it can lock out and do things like drill spray and inspect. One of the things is that all the links which are identical, have cameras in them. So we can stitch the cameras, the images from all those cameras together into one 3D, AR, VR, you name it, image to give it that first person view without having to get workers in harm's way. And our goal with this technology is make it so that it's mass deployable by lowering cost and really making it so the user interface is such that anybody can pick it up and operate it.
Host-Christine Fennessy (13:37):
Matt says the FLX Bot has a few advantages over the competition. It's narrower, it can extend and brace itself and it's cheaper. Matt says the average service robot costs about $50,000. The FLX Bot will cost in the hundreds of dollars. He sees the robot helping with things like running wires, soldering pipes, troubleshooting for underground utilities and protecting workers who work on high voltage systems.
Matt says the FLX Bot has a few advantages over the competition. It's narrower, it can extend and brace itself and it's cheaper. Matt says the average service robot costs about $50,000. The FLX Bot will cost in the hundreds of dollars. He sees the robot helping with things like running wires, soldering pipes, troubleshooting for underground utilities and protecting workers who work on high voltage systems.
Matt Bilsky (14:02):
But you also have things like the internet where single minute of downtime can cost tens of thousands of dollars. We're trying to come up with ways to enable those workers to work on these live systems and do preventative maintenance and things like that without having to put themselves in harm's way and without having to take stuff outta service.
But you also have things like the internet where single minute of downtime can cost tens of thousands of dollars. We're trying to come up with ways to enable those workers to work on these live systems and do preventative maintenance and things like that without having to put themselves in harm's way and without having to take stuff outta service.
Host-Christine Fennessy (14:21):
It's exciting work and exhausting. This beta prototype has taken him 12 months to build 12 months of working, six to seven days a week, sometimes 20 hours a day. It's one of the things he shares when he talks to students about startup life. It's not easy.
It's exciting work and exhausting. This beta prototype has taken him 12 months to build 12 months of working, six to seven days a week, sometimes 20 hours a day. It's one of the things he shares when he talks to students about startup life. It's not easy.
Matt Bilsky (14:40):
That expression of if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. That's not true. Uh, you'll just not resent the work you're busy doing.
That expression of if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. That's not true. Uh, you'll just not resent the work you're busy doing.
Host-Christine Fennessy (14:51):
He also wants students to know, what entrepreneurs like him are looking for in their employees.
He also wants students to know, what entrepreneurs like him are looking for in their employees.
Matt Bilsky (14:57):
If you're getting an engineering degree from a school like Lehigh, it's ABET accredited. Everybody took the same course as you did. Everybody had a capstone design, everybody took math ev. So that's, if you have a degree, I assume you know that stuff. I'm curious to see what you've been passionate about, what you've done to supplement it. Did you have a, a business, a blog, a podcast? Something that I wish more people did is have an online portfolio, not just projects you did during school, but things you've made, uh, just learning more about who you are. Um, so much of what I know and do on a daily basis is, is self-taught. Especially at the end of my PhD. I had a good enough fundamental understanding of math, science, physics, those sort of things to be able to pick up just about any article and work my way through it. So it's good to learn the languages, but really it's up to you to become that multi-talented person.
If you're getting an engineering degree from a school like Lehigh, it's ABET accredited. Everybody took the same course as you did. Everybody had a capstone design, everybody took math ev. So that's, if you have a degree, I assume you know that stuff. I'm curious to see what you've been passionate about, what you've done to supplement it. Did you have a, a business, a blog, a podcast? Something that I wish more people did is have an online portfolio, not just projects you did during school, but things you've made, uh, just learning more about who you are. Um, so much of what I know and do on a daily basis is, is self-taught. Especially at the end of my PhD. I had a good enough fundamental understanding of math, science, physics, those sort of things to be able to pick up just about any article and work my way through it. So it's good to learn the languages, but really it's up to you to become that multi-talented person.
Host-Christine Fennessy (15:56):
He says it's up to students to make themselves indispensable, and one way to do that, he says, is to become a T-shaped systems thinker for engineers. That means combining the depth of an engineering skillset, that ability to make, model and measure with the breadth of an entrepreneurial mindset, a mindset that's all about the three Cs, curiosity, connections and creating value.
He says it's up to students to make themselves indispensable, and one way to do that, he says, is to become a T-shaped systems thinker for engineers. That means combining the depth of an engineering skillset, that ability to make, model and measure with the breadth of an entrepreneurial mindset, a mindset that's all about the three Cs, curiosity, connections and creating value.
Matt Bilsky (16:24):
And that breadth goes beyond whatever four humanities classes you decide to sign up for. Again, that goes with, you went to college, I get that you took a couple of things, but really understanding that mindset, the curiosity, connections, creating value, that that is a great foundation for this notion that you need to be well-rounded to truly stand out. And I could say for myself, it's having that balance of mindset and skillset that's really enabled me to do what I'm doing.
And that breadth goes beyond whatever four humanities classes you decide to sign up for. Again, that goes with, you went to college, I get that you took a couple of things, but really understanding that mindset, the curiosity, connections, creating value, that that is a great foundation for this notion that you need to be well-rounded to truly stand out. And I could say for myself, it's having that balance of mindset and skillset that's really enabled me to do what I'm doing.
Host-Christine Fennessy (16:53):
Matt still has plenty to do to get his robot ready and some epic days ahead, but back in his house slash lab slash startup command post back in the house powered by Google, there are moments of pure joy.
Matt still has plenty to do to get his robot ready and some epic days ahead, but back in his house slash lab slash startup command post back in the house powered by Google, there are moments of pure joy.
Matt Bilsky (17:09):
Yes,
Yes,
Host-Christine Fennessy (17:09):
Like when the robot moves exactly as it should and one of life's what if problems gets closer to a solution.
Like when the robot moves exactly as it should and one of life's what if problems gets closer to a solution.
Host-Christine Fennessy (17:27):
That's it for today's show. I'd like to thank Matt for taking the time away from his prototype to not only talk to me, but record the sounds of his lab. You can watch his robot in action on his website, FLX Solutions dot com. That's FLX solutions dot com and be sure to check out his YouTube page. Search Matt Bilsky, B-I-L-S-K-Y. You will be amazed For more information about all the academic programs at the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, and to find our show, head to engineering.lehigh.edu. Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions. You can send us story suggestions or feedback on X at Rossin podcast. Thanks for listening and stay safe.
That's it for today's show. I'd like to thank Matt for taking the time away from his prototype to not only talk to me, but record the sounds of his lab. You can watch his robot in action on his website, FLX Solutions dot com. That's FLX solutions dot com and be sure to check out his YouTube page. Search Matt Bilsky, B-I-L-S-K-Y. You will be amazed For more information about all the academic programs at the P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science, and to find our show, head to engineering.lehigh.edu. Music in this episode is by Blue Dot Sessions. You can send us story suggestions or feedback on X at Rossin podcast. Thanks for listening and stay safe.
About the Guest
Matt Bilsky ’12 ’14G ’17PhD, is founder and CEO of FLX Solutions, a robotics company developing flexible snake-like robots for industrial inspection, maintenance, and infrastructure applications. A Lehigh alum with an undergraduate, master’s, and PhD from Lehigh’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, he combines expertise in robotics, mechatronics, rapid prototyping, and engineering entrepreneurship to create technologies that make difficult and dangerous work safer and more accessible.
Episode Details
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