Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Mai Tao

thansen launches ‘world’s biggest’ self-service in-store AutoStore

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AutoStore, together with Element Logic, have launched what they say is “the world’s biggest” self-service in-store AutoStore system at thansen’s new store in Sofiemyr outside Oslo.

thansen is a large-scale retailer of car parts and bike components and so on. The company has annual sales of significantly more than $200 million.

The solution AutoStore and Element Logic have supplied integrates automation directly into the store environment, enabling thansen to combine the efficiency of e-commerce with the immediacy of physical retail. [Read more…] about thansen launches ‘world’s biggest’ self-service in-store AutoStore

European postal services stop sending parcels to the US as Washington ends $800 duty-free rule

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Postal services across Europe have temporarily stopped accepting many parcels bound for the United States, citing uncertainty over new US customs rules that abolish the long-standing duty-free threshold for low-value imports. 

The suspension comes ahead of 29 August, when an executive order signed by President Donald Trump takes effect, ending the de minimis exemption that allowed goods worth up to $800 to enter the US duty-free. From Friday, almost all commercial parcels will require full customs clearance, duties and additional data.

DHL Parcel Germany was among the first to announce a halt, telling business customers it would no longer accept US-bound postal parcels from 22 August. Gifts valued up to $100 and letters remain unaffected, while DHL Express, the company’s courier arm, continues to operate with its own customs channels. [Read more…] about European postal services stop sending parcels to the US as Washington ends $800 duty-free rule

Japanese scientists develop ‘quantum computer-based robot control’

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The researchers say the new system enables ‘smoother, more complex movements for next-generation robots’

Scientists in Japan, working in partnership with Fujitsu, say they have developed “an innovative method for efficiently controlling robot posture using quantum computing technology”.

The scientists involved are from the Shibaura Institute of Technology (Associate Professor Takuya Otani, Faculty of System Science and Engineering – Human Robot System Laboratory), and Waseda University (Professor Atsuo Takanishi, Faculty of Science and Engineering).

This new approach facilitates the efficient and accurate calculation of inverse kinematics; that is, determining joint angles from a target end-effector position, for multi-joint robots by leveraging qubit-based position representation and quantum entanglement. [Read more…] about Japanese scientists develop ‘quantum computer-based robot control’

Fanuc receives ‘major robot order’ from luxury automotive manufacturer

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Fanuc, the world’s largest industrial robot manufacturer, says it has received a “significant order” to supply a state-of-the-art paint system, including paint robots and advanced application technology.

Nearly 50 robots will be delivered to a “European luxury carmaker”, says Fanuc, which has more robots installed worldwide than any other robotics company.

Jan Kamenicky, head of paint at Fanuc Europe, says: “We are managing the entire project, including installation. The Fanuc robots will paint both car bodies and plastic add-on parts such as bumpers. [Read more…] about Fanuc receives ‘major robot order’ from luxury automotive manufacturer

Techman Robot unveils humanoid prototype, aims for 2026 launch

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Techman Robot, a maker of collaborative robotic arms and a subsidiary of Taiwan’s Quanta Computer, has unveiled its first humanoid robot prototype, the TM Xplore I, and plans to bring it to market in 2026.

The robot was introduced last week at the Taipei Automation Intelligence and Robot Show, where the company described it as a “next-generation humanoid platform” designed for industrial and service applications.

Unlike bipedal humanoids being developed by companies such as Tesla and Unitree, Techman’s robot uses a wheeled base for stability and efficiency in factory and warehouse environments. [Read more…] about Techman Robot unveils humanoid prototype, aims for 2026 launch

Robomart’s new autonomous vehicle challenges human delivery workers with $3 flat fee

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A new autonomous vehicle from startup Robomart is set to challenge food delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats with a flat $3 delivery fee, no hidden charges, and a multi-order capacity.

Unveiled this week, the new RM5 vehicle is a Level 4 autonomous, all-electric van with 10 individual climate-controlled lockers for customer orders, aiming to make on-demand delivery economically sustainable for both retailers and customers.

Unlike the small, sidewalk-based robots that are currently in use, Robomart’s RM5 is a larger, shuttle-sized vehicle with a 500-pound payload capacity. [Read more…] about Robomart’s new autonomous vehicle challenges human delivery workers with $3 flat fee

Unitree dominates inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games with four gold medals

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Unitree Robotics has emerged as the standout performer at the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games (WHRG) in Beijing, taking home four gold medals across some of the event’s most competitive categories. (See video below.)

The Chinese robotics company clinched victories in the 1500 m race, 400 m race, 100 m obstacle course, and 4×100 m relay, marking a historic sweep at the debut competition.

A highlight of the Games was the speed milestone achieved by Unitree’s humanoids, which clocked 4.78 m/s during competition, with the company noting that its latest internal tests have already surpassed 5 m/s – a benchmark that sets a new pace for humanoid robotics. [Read more…] about Unitree dominates inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games with four gold medals

Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute demonstrate humanoid robot powered by ‘large behaviour model’

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Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute (TRI) have released details of what they describe as “a big step forward in robotics and artificial intelligence research”: demonstrating a Large Behavior Model (LBM) powering the Atlas humanoid robot. 

In a video jointly released by the two organizations (see below), Atlas performs a long, continuous sequence of complex tasks that require combining object manipulation with locomotion.

By adopting LBMs, new capabilities that previously would have been laboriously hand-programmed can now be added quickly and without writing a single new line of code. [Read more…] about Boston Dynamics and Toyota Research Institute demonstrate humanoid robot powered by ‘large behaviour model’

Nvidia launches new developer kit for autonomous vehicle developers

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As autonomous vehicle systems rapidly grow in complexity, equipped with reasoning vision language action models, generative AI and advanced sensor technologies, developers need tools that are powerful, efficient and built to meet automotive-grade safety requirements.

The Nvidia Drive AGX Thor developer kit – now available for preorder, with delivery in September – provides developers and researchers worldwide an advanced platform to accelerate the design, testing and deployment of AVs and intelligent mobility solutions.

The developer kit is built on the Nvidia Blackwell architecture, next-generation Arm Neoverse V3AE CPUs and the Nvidia DriveOS 7 software stack. [Read more…] about Nvidia launches new developer kit for autonomous vehicle developers

Multiply Labs reduces costs by 74 percent using Universal Robots

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Multiply Labs, a robotics company, has developed a new robotic biomanufacturing cluster that achieves “a 74 percent cost reduction” for life-saving cell therapies.

This breakthrough, published in peer-reviewed studies with UCSF, leverages collaborative robot arms from Universal Robots (UR), promising to transform how these complex treatments are produced.

As UR’s first official partner in the cell and gene therapy sector, Multiply Labs’ robotically automated manufacturing processes will significantly expand patient access to therapies currently priced between $300,000 and $2 million per dose. [Read more…] about Multiply Labs reduces costs by 74 percent using Universal Robots