Robotics and Automation

Humanoid and industrial robots, autonomous systems, automation, and physical artificial intelligence.

53 Articles

Robotics and Automation

Drone Attacks Sink Two Commercial Vessels Near Bulgaria and Romania, Raising EU Concerns

Drone attacks sank two cargo ships and damaged a third in the exclusive economic zones of Bulgaria and Romania, killing at least two sailors and leaving others missing. Ukraine accuses Russia of carrying out the attacks, while the European Union says their circumstances are still being verified.

2026-10-06

Robotics and Automation

Safeworld Raises More Than $12 Million to Assess the Safety of Generative AI-Powered Robots

Safeworld has emerged from stealth with a seed funding round exceeding $12 million to develop simulation tests measuring how generative AI-powered robots interact with humans in unexpected situations. The company is betting on independent safety evaluations before robots are deployed at scale.

2026-10-05

Robotics and Automation

KDDI and RLWRLD Develop AI Models for Robots Under the GENIAC Project

KDDI and RLWRLD announced the start of a collaboration to develop foundation models for robots that combine real-world training data with environmental simulations, with the aim of improving robots’ ability to learn and perform tasks. The collaboration is part of the NEDO-supported GENIAC project, with plans for proof-of-concept tests and expansion of the available data.

2026-10-05

Robotics and Automation

YMX Tests Autonomous Electric Yard Trucks from Outrider

YMX has entered into a five-year commercial agreement with Outrider to operate an autonomous driving system on Class 8 Orange EV electric trucks within enterprise customer yards. The system relies on LiDAR, radar, cameras, and NVIDIA DRIVE hardware to monitor the environment and move trailers, equipment, and loads without direct tailpipe emissions.

2026-10-04

Robotics and Automation

Shorooq and Presight Invest in Maven Robotics’ $100 Million Round

Shorooq and Presight, a G42 subsidiary, participated in the $100 million Series A round for US-based Maven Robotics, which develops autonomous industrial robots for logistics and manufacturing. Maven will use the funding to expand production of the third generation of its robots, develop the fourth generation, and broaden the scope of material-handling tasks.

2026-09-28

Robotics and Automation

PLC Software Solutions Enter the Age of Artificial Intelligence with Camera and Software Agent Integration

Automation companies at the Industry Open Network 2026 exhibition showcased solutions that connect programmable logic controllers with artificial intelligence and cameras, aiming to simplify monitoring, program modification, and fault recording. The demonstrations indicate that the PLC is shifting from a standalone controller to an element connected to a broader operating and analysis system.

2026-09-25

Robotics and Automation

Feather Develops a Modular Robotic Platform for Developers Priced at $30,000

The American startup Feather Robotics is betting on a customizable humanoid robotic platform that allows developers to modify the hardware and run models from different artificial intelligence providers. The company has begun selling limited quantities of its robots and generated more than $1 million in revenue, as it prepares to launch a broader product.

2026-09-24

Robotics and Automation

AI-Powered Vision Solutions Expand the Use of Robots in Flexible Manufacturing

Industrial companies at Factory Innovation Week 2026 showcased solutions combining 3D vision and artificial intelligence to enable robots to pick up a variety of parts, including irregularly shaped and shape-changing objects. The demonstrations included machine vision systems, smart sensors, and solutions that can be integrated with robots and industrial controllers.

2026-09-16

Robotics and Automation

More Capable Robots Need Systems Science, Not Just Smarter Models

An Arm white paper presents the challenges of building robotic systems capable of turning AI models into effective, safe, and scalable behavior. The paper focuses on coordinating capabilities over time, distributing them across heterogeneous hardware, and subjecting them to clearly defined constraints.

2026-09-16

Robotics and Automation

FANUC Develops an AI Agent That Reads Drawings and Programs Welding Robots

FANUC announced the development of an artificial intelligence agent based on Google Cloud that reads product drawings and automatically generates welding settings and robot movements. The company plans to showcase the technology at the 2026 International Welding Show and begin rolling it out in December 2026.

2026-09-15

Robotics and Automation

Zurich Airport Operates Two Level 4 Autonomous Buses Without a Human Supervisor

Zurich Airport has begun operating two Level 4 autonomous electric buses without a driver or safety supervisor inside the vehicles, relying on remote monitoring and intervention when necessary. The vehicles will initially operate without passengers before being made available to employees of partner companies on a designated route within the airport.

2026-09-13

Robotics and Automation

Inside a Japanese Data Factory Training Humanoid Robots for Real-World Tasks

A facility in Narashino, Japan, has begun collecting training data for physical AI using 35 humanoid robots as part of a consortium comprising five companies. The facility relies on remote control, motion recording, and labeling successful and failed states, with the goal of building models that can be used in factories and various industries.

2026-09-11

Robotics and Automation

Maven Robotics Emerges from Stealth Mode with $100 Million in Funding and Live Deployment of Warehouse Robots

Maven Robotics has revealed itself after raising $100 million in a Series A round, confirming that it operates up to eight robots at customer facilities for 16 hours a day with an uptime rate of 99% or higher. The company is currently focused on rebuilding mixed pallets in distribution centers, with a plan to produce 250 third-generation robots.

2026-09-10

Robotics and Automation

Japan’s GENIAC Program Expands Funding for Robotics AI Models

Japan’s GENIAC program, supported by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and NEDO, announced results and funding for projects to develop foundation models for robots and build a data ecosystem for embodied AI. The initiatives include 13 organizations in the robotics-model field and nine organizations in the data-ecosystem project.

2026-09-10

Robotics and Automation

Cerence Emergency Vehicle Detection Technology Enters Autonomous Bus Trial in Japan

Cerence AI announced the use of Cerence Emergency Vehicle Detection technology in an autonomous bus platform during an on-road public-road trial in Japan. The technology is intended to detect the sirens of ambulances, fire engines, and police vehicles, supporting autonomous-driving system decisions in situations where visual detection may be difficult.

2026-09-09

Robotics and Automation

Panasonic Launches an AI-Powered Visual Inspection System Based on a Hyperspectral Camera

Panasonic has announced the AG-HSV10M hyperspectral camera and the AG-HSS10 AI image inspection software, which enables the creation of an inspection model from a single image and distinguishes between defect-free and defective products. The system is scheduled to launch in Japan on October 10, 2026.

2026-09-08

Robotics and Automation

Uber and Wayve Launch the UK’s First Announced Autonomous Ride Service in London

Uber and Wayve have begun offering rides in London using Mustang Mach-E vehicles equipped with the Wayve AI Driver system, with a licensed driver able to intervene when necessary. The service remains limited and does not represent fully autonomous taxi operations, and the companies have not disclosed the size of the initial fleet.

2026-09-04

Robotics and Automation

Ricoh Develops Physical AI Technology to Teach Robots from Images of Human Actions

Ricoh announced the development of technology based on a Latent Action Model to teach robots actions such as grasping and moving objects from image and video data, without relying entirely on a specific robot architecture. The company tested the technology in a simulation environment built on physical conditions, using AWS services to reduce the cost of data collection and model training.

2026-09-04