Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Interview: RealSense senior executive discusses life after Intel

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For more than a decade, Intel’s RealSense cameras have been synonymous with 3D perception – powering robots, drones, and biometric systems with the ability to sense and interpret the physical world.

Now, after spinning out from Intel, RealSense is charting its own course as an independent company focused squarely on what it calls “Physical AI”: equipping machines with vision that is not just human-like, but in many cases better than human.

At the centre of this transition is Mike Nielsen, chief marketing officer at RealSense, who is helping define the company’s identity beyond Intel’s shadow. [Read more…] about Interview: RealSense senior executive discusses life after Intel

Interview: Why Uber’s new drone delivery partnership could succeed where its earlier Uber Elevate project struggled

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The promise of drone delivery has hovered on the horizon for more than a decade, but only now is it beginning to look commercially viable.

Advances in regulation, autonomy, and cost-efficiency are transforming drones from experimental novelties into serious contenders for last-mile logistics.

At the centre of this shift is the broader field of uncrewed technology – a sector that encompasses everything from aerial drones to maritime systems and ground robots, and which is increasingly shaping how goods, data, and services move across modern economies. [Read more…] about Interview: Why Uber’s new drone delivery partnership could succeed where its earlier Uber Elevate project struggled

The secret weapon of fintech startups to compete with large banks

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The banking industry is arguably at its peak, and that makes competition between different companies fierce.

Market giants have an easy time staying ahead, which is why small startups need to take measures to stay afloat, but how do they do it? The answer is simple: IT Staff Augmentation service.

This service, used by Fintech companies worldwide, is simple but offers multiple benefits.

Basically, it consists of an external team fully dedicated to the project or projects for which they are hired, with flexible schedules and experts in the appropriate technologies and tools, previously defined in a consulting phase. [Read more…] about The secret weapon of fintech startups to compete with large banks

Kepler begins mass production of hybrid-architecture humanoid robot

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Shanghai-based Kepler Robotics has started mass production for its humanoid robot, the K2 “Bumblebee”, which the company describes as the world’s first commercially available humanoid built on a hybrid architecture.

The move signals a shift from research prototypes to large-scale deployment and is being billed as a milestone for the global humanoid robotics industry.

Kepler said it has already signed framework agreements covering several thousand units, with a total contract value in the hundreds of millions of yuan. [Read more…] about Kepler begins mass production of hybrid-architecture humanoid robot

Kubota unveils autonomous hydrogen fuel cell tractor at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai

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Kubota has unveiled a concept model of an autonomous hydrogen fuel cell tractor, marking what the company describes as the world’s first public showing of such a machine.

The tractor was exhibited at the “Hydrogen Energy Park” event during the recent Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai.

The concept combines two major trends in agriculture: decarbonization and automation. The tractor is powered by compressed hydrogen through a solid polymer fuel cell system, producing only water as a by-product. [Read more…] about Kubota unveils autonomous hydrogen fuel cell tractor at Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai

ABB Robotics adds generative AI assistant to RobotStudio

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ABB Robotics has enhanced its offline programming and simulation software RobotStudio Suite with the new RobotStudio AI Assistant, harnessing the power of generative Al to make robot programming faster, easier, and more accessible. 

Marc Segura, president, ABB Robotics, says: “This is the latest step in our decade-long journey to innovate and commercialize AI, extending value for our customers by enhancing robot versatility and encouraging their use beyond traditional manufacturing.

“The demand for AI in robotics is driven by the need for greater flexibility; faster commissioning cycles and a shortage of the specialist skills traditionally needed to program and operate robots. [Read more…] about ABB Robotics adds generative AI assistant to RobotStudio

How AI is Rewriting the Shopping Experience – Shopping Never Felt Stranger

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Imagine that you just click on your browser or phone, ask an AI to find clothes that match your mood and taste, take a picture, check out how those sneakers look on your feet, get suggestions for shirts that match your style and maybe even earn discounts for products you didn’t even know you needed.

Welcome to the strange – and actually kind of sweet – shopping future!

McKinsey found that 71% of consumers desire brands to give them personalized interactions. When they do not, 76% of consumers report becoming annoyed. That is a significant number. [Read more…] about How AI is Rewriting the Shopping Experience – Shopping Never Felt Stranger

Kroger and Ocado: A Turning Point for Automated Fulfillment – What it Means for Retailers

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By Ed Romaine,VP of marketing and business development, high-performance order fulfillment and manufacturing integrated solutions, at Integrated Systems Design

Kroger’s exclusive partnership with UK-based automated warehouse operator Ocado is under review – a development that could reshape the future of large-scale automated fulfillment and grocery fulfillment in the US.

Mark Hamstra recently reported on this story in Supermarket News, detailing how Kroger is conducting a site-by-site evaluation of its automated fulfillment centers (CFCs) and considering putting greater emphasis on using its 2,700+ store network to fulfill online orders.

This news rattled Ocado’s stock price and has sparked industry-wide discussion about the balance between centralized, highly automated fulfillment and store-based rapid delivery models. [Read more…] about Kroger and Ocado: A Turning Point for Automated Fulfillment – What it Means for Retailers

Hai Robotics expands global production to meet growing customer demand

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Hai Robotics, a provider of warehouse automation, has announced a major expansion of its global manufacturing capacity to serve growing customer demand.

The investment shortens lead times, strengthens supply chain resilience, and marks a strategic milestone as Hai Robotics accelerates global growth and continues delivering its advanced HaiPick Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS) to some of the world’s most dynamic businesses.

Richie Chen, founder and CEO of Hai Robotics, says: “As demand for warehouse automation continues to grow, our ability to scale rapidly while maintaining world-class standards in safety, quality, and operational excellence is critical to supporting our customers worldwide. [Read more…] about Hai Robotics expands global production to meet growing customer demand

Opinion: AI and robotics poised to transform scientific discovery, say global experts

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A globally connected ecosystem of autonomous laboratories could redefine how science is conducted, accelerating discovery while lowering barriers to participation, according to a new expert viewpoint published in Science Robotics, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The article titled, “Accelerating Discovery in Natural Science Laboratories with AI and Robotics: Perspectives and Challenges”, brings together leading voices from academia, industry, and government to explore how artificial intelligence, robotics, and laboratory automation can drive breakthroughs in chemistry, biology, and materials science.

With authors from Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), Technical University of Munich (TUM), University of Toronto and other world-leading organizations, it highlights both the transformative potential and the technical and societal challenges of these technologies. [Read more…] about Opinion: AI and robotics poised to transform scientific discovery, say global experts