Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Search Results for: autonomous

The future of landscaping: Autonomous technology is mowing the path ahead

by

By Tim Kubista, RC Mowers

When robotic mowing first appeared in the late 1990s, the mowers were primarily focused on the residential market and were commonly referred to as “lawn Roombas”. These mowers were small and innovative, but weren’t all that reliable or productive.

As the technology expanded, demand shifted to the commercial market, where expectations are significantly higher. Reliability, productivity and integration into existing operations are non-negotiable for most commercial lawn care and landscaping businesses.

Today, we’ve moved from simple robotic mowers to autonomous mowing, an industry that is in the critical early-adoption phase and is comparable to where robotic vacuums were in the early 2010s. Autonomous mowers are seen as having real utility but are often met with skepticism and infrastructure challenges. [Read more…] about The future of landscaping: Autonomous technology is mowing the path ahead

How autonomous mobile robots are picking up the slack caused by labor shortages

by

Autonomous mobile robots and their more versatile cousins, mobile manipulators, are increasing in number across many different sectors.

They are rapidly becoming the backbone of modern logistics and are now extending their reach far beyond the warehouse floor, revolutionizing how goods are moved, tasks are performed, and industries operate.

This burgeoning trend, frequently covered on Robotics and Automation News, underscores their critical role in addressing pressing challenges like labor shortages and the demand for greater efficiency in dynamic environments. [Read more…] about How autonomous mobile robots are picking up the slack caused by labor shortages

Beep begins operating ‘America’s first’ fully autonomous public transit system in Jacksonville

by

Beep, a provider of autonomous shared mobility solutions, has begun operating the Jacksonville Transportation Authority’s autonomous vehicle service, Navi (Neighborhood Autonomous Vehicle Innovation).

Navi, the nation’s first fully autonomous public transportation system, launched in Jacksonville, Florida this week.

Backed by a five-year operations and maintenance contract, Beep will operate and maintain the Navi service, which is part of the JTA’s groundbreaking Ultimate Urban Circulator (U2C) program. The company is also announcing the closing of $52.7 million in a funding round co-led by Intel Capital and Blue Lagoon Capital. [Read more…] about Beep begins operating ‘America’s first’ fully autonomous public transit system in Jacksonville

Exclusive interview: Bot Auto CEO on why autonomous trucking must prove its economics before it scales

by

Following our recent coverage of the challenges facing autonomous trucking, Robotics and Automation News now interviews Xiaodi Hou, co-founder and CEO of Bot Auto, to explore a different approach – one focused less on flashy demos and more on cost-per-mile performance.

Hou, a veteran in autonomous driving and AI, is taking aim at the industry’s reputation for over-promising and under-delivering.

With a PhD in Computation and Neural Systems from Caltech and a background in machine learning and computer vision, he brings both technical depth and commercial realism to the table. [Read more…] about Exclusive interview: Bot Auto CEO on why autonomous trucking must prove its economics before it scales

Comau launches new range of autonomous mobile robots

by

Comau, an industrial automation specialist, has launched its MyMR family of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at Automatica, the leading international trade fair for automation and robotics.

Engineered to meet the increasing demands of intralogistics across manufacturing, warehousing, logistics and highly automated environments, the MyMR platform addresses key challenges such as labor shortages, material handling inefficiencies, and safety concerns with a modular, scalable and fully autonomous solution.

Unlike traditional automation systems or manual handling processes, MyMR offers advanced features such as intelligent fleet management, real-time obstacle avoidance and seamless line integration. [Read more…] about Comau launches new range of autonomous mobile robots

China hosts world’s first fully autonomous humanoid robot football match

by

Beijing has hosted what is believed to be the world’s first fully autonomous football match between humanoid robots, marking a milestone in the development of embodied artificial intelligence.

Held on June 28 in the Yizhuang Development Zone, the match featured four teams of robots developed by Chinese universities, including Tsinghua University and China Agricultural University. In the final, the THU Robotics team beat the Mountain Sea team 5-3.

Each robot operated entirely without human control, using onboard cameras, sensors, and deep reinforcement learning algorithms to detect the ball, make tactical decisions, and navigate the field. Organizers say the event represents a breakthrough in real-time AI decision-making in dynamic physical environments. [Read more…] about China hosts world’s first fully autonomous humanoid robot football match

Mitsubishi orders almost 100 autonomous delivery robots from Cartken

by

Cartken, an autonomous delivery robot company, and Melco Mobility Solutions are expanding their strategic partnership through a new multi-million dollar agreement focused on industrial logistics.

Melco Mobility Solutions is part of the Mitsubishi Electric and a key distributor of their automotive equipment products and operator of mobility solutions.

As part of this collaboration, Melco Mobility Solutions has placed an order for nearly 100 AI-powered Cartken Hauler robots to be deployed across industrial facilities in Japan within this fiscal year.

This latest initiative builds on a longstanding collaboration between the companies. Since 2022, Mitsubishi Electric and Melco Mobility Solutions have served as Cartken’s distributor and operator in Japan, advancing their strategic initiative to expand autonomous robotics as a solution to the country’s growing labor and logistics challenges. [Read more…] about Mitsubishi orders almost 100 autonomous delivery robots from Cartken

Seegrid AMRs surpass 17 million autonomous miles driven in customer facilities

by

Seegrid, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robot (AMR) solutions for palletized material handling, announced a major company milestone: its AMRs have surpassed 17 million autonomous miles driven in production at customer sites.

This achievement validates Seegrid’s commitment to delivering safe, scalable autonomous solutions that work – day in and day out – for some of the world’s largest and most demanding manufacturers, distributors, and e-commerce providers.

David Griffin, chief sales officer at Seegrid, says: “Our autonomous mobile robots don’t just drive – they deliver. [Read more…] about Seegrid AMRs surpass 17 million autonomous miles driven in customer facilities

Borouge to test AI-powered autonomous petrochemicals operations in UAE

by

Borouge, a petrochemicals company that provides polyolefins solutions, is collaborating with Honeywell to conduct a proof of concept for AI-powered autonomous operations, which has the potential to “revolutionise” Borouge’s UAE plant operations.

The collaboration between Borouge and Honeywell is set to deliver the petrochemical industry’s first AI-driven control room designed for full-scale, real-time operation, establishing a new standard for the future of AI in petrochemicals.

Hazeem Sultan Al Suwaidi, CEO of Borouge, says: “Borouge’s AI, Digitalisation, and Technology (AIDT) transformation programme is setting new standards in operations, innovation and business performance. [Read more…] about Borouge to test AI-powered autonomous petrochemicals operations in UAE

Torc plans new Michigan engineering center for autonomous vehicle innovation

by

Torc, a specialist in commercializing self-driving class 8 trucks, says it plans to establish a new engineering center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

As Torc continues its path toward commercialization in 2027, this strategic expansion will further accelerate the company’s productization efforts and tap into the region’s rich automotive and technology talent pool.

As part of its effort to open the Ann Arbor location, Torc worked closely with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to secure incentives to support the expansion into Michigan, as Torc plans significant hiring in this region to grow its team and technical talent capabilities. [Read more…] about Torc plans new Michigan engineering center for autonomous vehicle innovation