The Robot That Played Renegade at the NFL Draft

Katie Dudas visits Pittsburgh Robotics & AI Discovery Day 2026 and catches up with Trevor Sibley, Marketing Manager at Pittsburgh-based HEBI Robotics, to meet a robot with a very Pittsburgh story.

When the NFL Draft came to Pittsburgh, HEBI had the opportunity to appear on the main stage alongside Carnegie Mellon University. Naturally, they decided their robot needed a local upgrade: “PLAY RENEGADE” displayed right on the robot. HEBI CEO Bob Raida helped get the crowd going as “Renegade” played during the demonstration.

Trevor also explains the technology behind the robot, including HEBI’s modular platform and R-Series smart actuators. Their mobile robots are designed to carry tools and equipment into muddy, dirty and hard-to-reach environments while remaining easy to control.

Katie also gets a look at HEBI’s industrial robotics work and how the company uses robots to make dangerous jobs safer while keeping skilled human operators in control.

It’s Pittsburgh robotics, Pittsburgh football culture and a robot that knows exactly when it’s time to Play Renegade.