Diligent Robotics, pioneers of socially-intelligent, AI-native humanoid robots deployed at scale, announced the addition of two former Cruise executives to its leadership team: Rashed Haq as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Todd Brugger as Chief Operating Officer (COO). Their expertise in autonomous vehicles and AI will help accelerate the company’s growth and open new markets beyond U.S. hospital logistics.
Haq, formerly VP and Head of AI and Robotics at Cruise, played a pivotal role in scaling self-driving vehicle autonomy to over 5 million miles across five cities. At Diligent, he will focus on advancing the AI roadmap and enhancing the capabilities of the company’s flagship humanoid robot, Moxi.
Brugger, who previously served as COO of Cruise, led the company’s robotaxi operations, scaling its fleet from zero to more than 500 vehicles. In his new role at Diligent, he will oversee the complete lifecycle of the business—from building and deploying robots to driving commercial strategies that expand growth across healthcare and additional industries.
“Hospitals have been the ultimate proving ground for our technology,” said Dr. Andrea Thomaz, CEO and Co-Founder of Diligent Robotics. “With Rashed and Todd’s leadership experience from Cruise, we’re positioned to scale faster and expand our humanoid robots into broader applications.”
Proven Success with Moxi in Healthcare
Diligent’s humanoid robot, Moxi, has already delivered more than one million tasks in over 30 hospitals across the U.S., saving nearly 600,000 staff hours and helping address workforce shortages. Major health systems such as Providence Health and Cedars-Sinai have adopted Moxi, reinforcing its impact in combating burnout and workflow inefficiencies.
“Humanoids and embodied AI represent one of the most significant industries of the future, comparable to energy and transportation,” said Haq. “Diligent’s proven deployments in hospitals show strong product-market fit and a clear path to expansion.”
“AI and robotics are at a historic inflection point,” added Brugger. “Diligent’s focus on execution, safety, and real-world deployment makes it stand out. I’m eager to help scale its operations and expand its footprint.”
Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer Vivian Chu emphasized, “Deploying AI-native humanoid robots in human environments is the next frontier of autonomy. With Rashed and Todd’s experience scaling self-driving technology, we’re ready to push the boundaries of human-aware mobility and manipulation.”
To learn more about Diligent Robotics’ AI-powered innovations, visit www.diligentrobots.com.
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