Ryan Knopf

Ryan Knopf has a diverse work experience in the field of robotics and engineering. Ryan started their career as a Research Assistant at the University of Pennsylvania, where they were involved in mechanical design and component selection for robotic systems. Ryan then worked as a Robotics Engineer at Bossa Nova Robotics, focusing on control systems design and implementation.

After that, Knopf joined Soft Robotics Inc. as a Senior Robotics Engineer, where they contributed to the development of soft robotic actuators and integrated systems. Ryan later became the Director of Hardware Development at Soft Robotics Inc., leading the hardware and software development for soft robotic grippers and electro-pneumatic control systems. During their time there, they obtained over 30 issued patents in the field of Soft Robotics.

In 2018, Knopf co-founded Root AI and served as the Co-Founder and CTO. Under their leadership, the company developed the world's first fully autonomous CEA harvesting robot and achieved significant operational milestones and KPIs. Root AI was eventually acquired by AppHarvest, and Knopf continued in their role as VP of Technology, leading technology and team development for autonomous crop care and intelligence solutions.

Currently, Knopf works as the VP of Engineering at Zordi, where they oversee the engineering department.

Ryan Knopf attended the University of Pennsylvania from 2008 to 2012, where they pursued a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Computer Science.