Ask HN: Career pivot from wireless/HW to next paradigm – robotics, AV or –?

I've spent my career in wireless and hardware with some software exposure (though I dont do it myself), but I've missed the AI wave and lack some of the hard skills that are now table stakes.

Looking at 2026, it seems like we're at an inflection point similar to when cloud/mobile were emerging. Physical AI, robotics, agentic systems, and autonomous vehicles keep coming up, but I'm trying to separate hype from genuine opportunity.

For those who've made similar pivots or are working in these emerging areas:

1) What domains do you see as the next real paradigm shift (not just incremental)?

2) Which specific areas have the best balance of genuine technical challenge vs. accessible entry points for someone with hardware/wireless background?

3) What companies or startups are doing truly differentiated work (not just applying LLMs to existing problems)?

4) Are there adjacent areas I'm not considering that leverage hardware expertise in new ways?

Particularly interested in hearing from folks at smaller companies or startups where the work is less incremental. Also curious if wireless/hardware experience is actually valuable in any of these domains or if it's basically starting from scratch.