Mind Robotics Names Doug Field President to Lead Robotics

Mind Robotics Appoints Doug Field as President

On October 13, Mind Robotics announced the appointment of Doug Field as president, bringing an experienced automotive technology executive into a leadership role at the industrial robotics company. Field will work closely with founder RJ Scaringe and oversee product development, engineering, operations, and other aspects of the business. His appointment comes as the company develops robots intended to transform industrial work through advanced hardware and artificial intelligence. Field previously served as chief EV, digital, and design officer at Ford and as senior vice president of engineering at Tesla during the development of the Model 3. His experience across automotive engineering and product development is relevant to Mind Robotics' plans to deploy robots in real manufacturing environments.

Doug Field Brings Ford and Tesla Engineering Experience

Before joining Mind Robotics as president, Doug Field held senior leadership positions at Ford and Tesla. At Ford, he served as chief EV, digital, and design officer, while at Tesla he was senior vice president of engineering during Model 3 development. These roles form the principal professional background identified in the appointment announcement. Mind Robotics founder RJ Scaringe highlighted Field's record of delivering new technologies in successful products, describing that experience as aligned with the company's requirements as it moves toward deploying robots in real factories and other environments. Field's responsibilities will span product, engineering, and operations, placing him across the core functions involved in developing and implementing the company's robotics platform.

Mind Robotics Develops AI-Enabled Robots for Industrial Work

Mind Robotics is developing universally capable robots intended to transform industrial work, with a particular emphasis on the capabilities needed for complex manufacturing tasks. Its full-stack platform combines foundation models with purpose-built hardware. According to the company's announcement, these systems are being developed to provide the dexterity and AI-enabled physical reasoning required for work in demanding industrial settings. This approach brings together artificial intelligence and physical robotic systems rather than relying on software alone. The company has not specified a complete product lineup, commercial deployment schedule, or quantitative performance targets in the shared announcement. Its stated development focus is building robots capable of performing complex tasks in real factories and potentially other environments.

Rivian to Serve as Key Customer and Launch Partner

Rivian will be a key customer and launch partner for Mind Robotics, providing a high-volume manufacturing environment for training and deploying the company's robotic models. This relationship connects robotics development with an operational industrial setting where systems can be trained and deployed in the context of real manufacturing work. The announcement identifies Rivian's role in supporting model training and deployment but does not specify which factory processes the robots will initially perform, when deployment will begin, or how many robots will be introduced. The partnership nevertheless gives Mind Robotics an identified manufacturing environment for its development efforts, linking the company's foundation models and purpose-built hardware with industrial applications.

RJ Scaringe Founded Mind Robotics in 2025

Founded by RJ Scaringe in 2025, Mind Robotics is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Scaringe will work closely with Doug Field as the company develops its robotics business and advances its plans for industrial deployment. Field's appointment establishes leadership responsibility across product, engineering, and operations while the company continues developing its full-stack robotics platform. The announcement positions the company around universally capable robots, foundation models, and purpose-built hardware designed for complex manufacturing tasks. Beyond the appointment, the supplied information does not provide details about Mind Robotics' workforce, funding, financial performance, or expected commercial revenue. Its next steps will center on developing and deploying its robotics technology in real-world industrial environments.

Industry Impact & Outlook

Mind Robotics' leadership appointment reflects the growing intersection of automotive engineering, artificial intelligence, and industrial automation. Field's experience at Ford and Tesla may be relevant as the company works to translate robotics research into products capable of operating in manufacturing environments. Rivian's role as a key customer and launch partner provides a defined setting for model training and deployment, although the announcement does not confirm specific applications or rollout dates. For automotive manufacturers, the practical significance will depend on whether these systems can perform complex tasks reliably in real production settings. Mind Robotics' progress will therefore be measured by its ability to develop capable robots and apply them to industrial work beyond the development stage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has Mind Robotics appointed as president?
Mind Robotics appointed Doug Field as president on October 13, placing the former Ford and Tesla executive in charge of key business functions. Field will work closely with company founder RJ Scaringe and oversee product, engineering, and operations. His previous positions include chief EV, digital, and design officer at Ford and senior vice president of engineering at Tesla during Model 3 development. The appointment comes as Mind Robotics develops AI-enabled robots for industrial work. The company cited Field's record of delivering new technologies in successful products as relevant to its objectives.

What will Doug Field oversee at Mind Robotics?
Doug Field will oversee product, engineering, operations, and other aspects of Mind Robotics as president, working closely with founder RJ Scaringe. His responsibilities cover the core business functions involved in developing and deploying the company's robotics technology. Mind Robotics is building a full-stack platform that combines foundation models with purpose-built hardware for complex manufacturing tasks. Field's previous leadership experience at Ford and Tesla provides the professional background described in the announcement. The company has not published a more detailed breakdown of his responsibilities or specific milestones assigned to him.

What is Mind Robotics developing?
Mind Robotics is developing universally capable robots designed to transform industrial work, including complex manufacturing tasks that require dexterity and AI-enabled physical reasoning. Its full-stack platform combines foundation models with purpose-built robotic hardware. The company intends to deploy robots in real factories and beyond, according to the appointment announcement. However, the supplied information does not identify specific robot models, detailed technical specifications, commercial prices, or a deployment timetable. Its stated focus is developing the combination of artificial intelligence and physical capabilities required for robots to perform demanding tasks in industrial environments.

What role will Rivian play in Mind Robotics' development?
Rivian will act as a key customer and launch partner for Mind Robotics, providing a high-volume manufacturing environment for training and deploying robotic models. This arrangement connects the company's robotics development with an actual industrial setting rather than limiting the work to technology development alone. The announcement does not identify the initial factory tasks, the number of robots planned, or the schedule for deployment. Rivian's confirmed role is to provide the manufacturing environment supporting training and deployment. Further details about specific applications and operational results have not been included in the shared announcement.

What experience does Doug Field bring from Ford and Tesla?
Doug Field previously served as chief EV, digital, and design officer at Ford and senior vice president of engineering at Tesla during Model 3 development. These roles are the key elements of his professional background highlighted by Mind Robotics when announcing his appointment as president. Founder RJ Scaringe praised Field's record of delivering new technologies in successful products and said that experience aligns with the company's needs. Field will now oversee product, engineering, and operations as Mind Robotics develops robots intended for real factories and other industrial environments.

Who founded Mind Robotics, and where is the company based?
RJ Scaringe founded Mind Robotics in 2025, and the company is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Scaringe is working closely with newly appointed president Doug Field as the business develops its robotics technology and industrial deployment plans. Mind Robotics is focused on combining foundation models and purpose-built hardware to create robots capable of handling complex manufacturing tasks. The company has identified Rivian as a key customer and launch partner for training and deployment. The supplied announcement does not disclose additional corporate details such as funding, employee numbers, or projected revenue.