Solving The Hard In Hard-Tech Development: SEMA ETTN Panel Scales Prototype Realities At FutureTech Studio

SEMA's FutureTech Studio presentation and discussion panel on "Scaling From Prototype To Manufacturable Product" was
held Day 1 of the 2025 SEMA Show. Image Credit: SEMA News Editors (2025)

Solving The Hard In Hard-Tech Development: SEMA ETTN Panel Scales Prototype Realities At FutureTech Studio

In the heart of the SEMA Show's Emerging Trends and Technology Network studio, a panel titled "Solving The Hard In Hard-Tech Development" unpacked the gritty realities of hardware innovation on November 4, 2025. Moderated by Motivo CBO Michael Konig, the discussion featured Glīd founder and CEO Kevin A. Damoa, BOOSTane Octane Engineering's Ian Lehn, and Motivo CTO Damon Pipenberg. These veterans of automotive aftermarket and advanced mobility shared battle-tested insights on turning concepts into scalable realities, proving that hardware's hurdles demand more than engineering prowess - they require adaptability, grit, and a laser focus on mission.

Michael Konig kicked off by highlighting the diverse expertise at the table, from race fuels to off-grid power systems and autonomous heavy-haul vehicles. He noted hardware's reputation for being capital-intensive and slow to fund, yet the SEMA floor buzzed with proof that innovators persist. The panelists introduced themselves with credentials that spanned military service, SpaceX rocket transport innovations, sustainable overlanding tech, and decades in vehicle prototyping, setting the stage for a no-nonsense exchange on overcoming assumptions in product development.

Platforms from GLID revolutionize logistics by synchronizing road and rail utilizing autonomous vehicles and AI. GLID believes their solutions eliminate bottlenecks, cut carbon, and unlock underutilized infrastructure - delivering safer, smarter, and more resilient freight networks for commerce, communities, and defense. Image Credit: Dean Case via LinkedIn (2025)

GLID designed railway wheels and road wheels are included on every platform for ease in transition and transport flow.
Image Credit: Motivo via LinkedIn (2025)

Kevin Damoa recounted his SpaceX days, where Elon Musk's vision demanded transporting Falcon 9 rockets via ship instead of traditional roads. The rocket's slimmer 14-foot circumference - designed to clear bridges - required a transport apparatus that maintained pressurization, balanced dynamics over 74 feet, and complied with 49 CFR regulations. "You take a shot with the team, a lot of testing, and employ authority," Damoa said, emphasizing iterative design under emergent tech constraints. This project shattered road-only norms, blending industrial design with real-world rigor.

BOOSTane - Octane boosters work by increasing the gasoline’s octane rating through the introduction of high-octane components, which make the fuel more resistant to knocking and pre-ignition. They also contain detergents and stabilizers to help keep the fuel system clean and improve engine performance. Image Credit: BOOSTane FB/META Timeline (2025)

Ian Lehn drew from Forged Authority Off-Grid, where promoting extended off-grid adventures meant ditching noisy generators for wind turbines. In wind-rich but sun-scarce regions like the Ohio Valley, the challenge was a turbine with sufficient form factor for campsite power, yet transportable over rocks and quick to deploy without hogging space. "Break it down to parts, focus on each variable, then assemble the whole - like eating the whale one bite at a time," Lehn explained, illustrating how modular problem-solving yielded marketable iterations.

Motivo’s publicly acknowledged client base includes names like Faraday Future, Nissan, BMW, Eaton, and
Panasonic. Privately, they’re working with others in the automotive and electronics industries as well.
Image Credit: Motivo via Digital Trends (2017)

Damon Pipenberg shared Motivo's decade-old supercar prototype, where 3D-printed chassis nodes challenged steel-stamped norms. Early additive manufacturing spat out parts riddled with holes and cracks, but relentless testing evolved the tech. Today, that vehicle holds lap records, races competitively, and influences aerospace and defense. "From something no one believed would work to production reality," Pipenberg reflected, underscoring how prototyping validates disruptive processes.
Diving into resource-heavy prototyping, Lehn championed rapid iteration: "A good plan today beats a perfect one tomorrow." He advocated 3D printing ideas by lunch, then breaking them physically to reveal flaws early - especially for budget-constrained startups. Damoa stressed partnerships, integrating proven chassis and autonomy tech with Glīd's Raiden, a truck-train-forklift hybrid that hauls 20-foot containers onto rail tracks. "Partner with leaders to deploy a system that works right out of the gate and scales reliably," he advised.
Pipenberg pushed bench testing for risk reduction: "Test early, break things on the whiteboard or in CAD - changes get costlier with scale." At Motivo, failure in prototypes is celebrated if it informs fixes before mass production. This segued to manufacturing scaling, where Damoa highlighted mixed mediums like 3D-printed titanium meshes alongside traditional chassis for form-fit-function testing. Lehn warned against design paralysis from evolving tech: "Products evolve; build platforms that accept upgrades to avoid obsolescence."
Technology On Display In The FutureTech Studio: A Glimpse into the Next Era of Mobility at the 2025 SEMA Show >>> Pivotal Aero

Pivotal Aero Emergency Medical Services - Enabling rapid aerial response to medical emergencies, significantly reducing time to care. Quickly access remote or congested areas with trained EMS Response Doctor or Technician where ground vehicles are delayed. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2025)

Unlike most eVTOLs, the Helix doesn’t move its rotors to adjust its attitude. Instead, the entire airframe tilts upward for vertical takeoff and landing, and shifts to horizontal to cruise up to 32 kilometers (20 miles) at a software-limited 103-kilometer-per-hour (64 mile-per-hour) top speed. The design helps make the Helix less daunting for rookie pilots; a single by-wire joystick controls every aspect of flight. Karklin says pilots can spend their time hovering, cruising, or banking, rather than constantly monitoring instruments that include battery state of charge and navigation. Image Credit: Edmund Jenks (2025)

The panel pinpointed the "Optimism Gap" between engineering ideals and production ROI. Pipenberg noted small teams wearing multiple hats prevent tunnel vision, ensuring parts are makeable and fundable. Damoa invoked Mars missions: "Take bite-sized steps you can pay for, aligning engineering, procurement, and finance for revenue-generating products." Avoiding ultrafuturistic vacuums keeps ventures alive.
Team motivation amid long cycles hinged on mission alignment. Damoa recruits for character tied to unchanging goals: "Products evolve, but the mission drives acceptance of failures cascading into progress." Lehn reframed setbacks: "Learn from losses, spotlight what we gained early - better now than in mass production." Pipenberg encouraged expecting failure: "Hide flaws, and they become cancer later; test like racing to ensure race-day reliability."
Leaders' personal failure handling revealed resilience. Lehn builds calluses through small wins, like hiring passionate talent or cross-panel inspirations. Damoa measures in inches, leaning on faith, family, and military principles: "Protect your teammate, own everything - failure builds content, not constant happiness." Pipenberg, shaped by Formula SAE breakdowns, instills: "Hope it breaks first time; give space to fail and retry for true success."
Looking ahead five years, Lehn flagged external factors like tariffs, urging future-proof designs adaptable to legislation. Damoa eyed reindustrialization: "Pair human jobs with robotics smartly - regain manufacturing sexiness without displacement." Pipenberg saw AI and automation's hype as a double-edged sword: "Discern what works to stay ahead; rapid change is opportunity for competitive edge."

The future is human. AI and automation are tools, not replacements. The best builders use both. From Left to Right - Damon Pipenberg (Motivo), Ian Lehn (BOOSTane Octane Engineering), Kevin A. Damoa (Glīd), and as moderator Michael Konig (Motivo). Image Credit: Motivo via LinkedIn (2025)

Wrapping up, advice crystallized hard-tech wisdom. Damoa: "Find the problem that's actually a problem and solve it - that's paying rent for your place on Earth, creating generational value." Lehn added passion to weather dark times. Pipenberg kept it simple: "Build stuff you're interested in, break it with friends and customers, enjoy the process."
The session underscored adaptability over perfection in hardware. Every product faces new tech, rules, or realities - build for change.
Failure is design's ally; top teams break early, fix fast, and expose ugly truths before they metastasize.
Mission endures while products evolve; align teams to it for sustained motivation through walls and discards.
Scalable ROI trumps elegance - bridge the Optimism Gap with cross-functional hats and fundable steps.
The future remains human; AI and robots are tools, not replacements - pair them wisely with reinvigorated manufacturing. As Damoa encapsulated, solving real problems secures your legacy in this temporary world.
... notes from The EDJE





TAGS: #HardTech, #HardwareInnovation, #SEMA2025, #ETTN, #Prototyping, #ScalableROI, #MissionDriven, #Adaptability, #FailureIsDesign, #FutureIsHuman, #GlidRaiden, #BOOSTane, #MotivoEngineering, #AutomotiveAftermarket, #Reindustrialization, The EDJE