Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Festo introduces two-finger pneumatic gripper for cobot applications

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Collaborative robots operate within strict payload and mounting constraints. Pneumatic gripper installations that rely on external valves, sensors, and wiring add weight, increase footprint, and complicate routing along compact cobot arms.

To address these constraints, Festo has introduced the HPPH two-finger pneumatic parallel gripper, a compact, lightweight design that integrates control, sensing, and collaborative safety functions directly into the gripper body.

By reducing external components, the HPPH preserves payload capacity and simplifies mounting and wiring on collaborative robot platforms. The HPPH is available through Festo and the Universal Robotics Marketplace. [Read more…] about Festo introduces two-finger pneumatic gripper for cobot applications

The power of the open-source community in robotics: Collaboration and shared innovation

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For decades, robotics was viewed as a niche engineering discipline inhabited largely by researchers, academics, and highly specialized industrial automation companies.

Development was expensive, fragmented, and slow. Even simple mobile robots often required years of work and highly customized software stacks.

Today, robotics sits at the center of one of the largest technology investment waves in modern industrial history. [Read more…] about The power of the open-source community in robotics: Collaboration and shared innovation

NūMove surpasses 20 semi-automatic mixed palletizer deployments

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NūMove Robotics & Vision continues to play a strategic role in mixed palletizing, with more than 20 semi-automatic systems successfully deployed across the United States.

Since its first implementation in 2021, the solution has been steadily adopted by leading wholesale alcoholic beverage distributors. Today, 22 units are fully operational across nine states, with several facilities choosing to install multiple units to maximize throughput and flexibility.

Designed to address the growing demand for efficient order preparation, NūMove’s Semi-Automatic Mixed Load Palletizer combines automation and human collaboration in a highly optimized and scalable solution. [Read more…] about NūMove surpasses 20 semi-automatic mixed palletizer deployments

DARPA prepares robotic satellite servicing mission for launch in 2026

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Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and its industry partners are preparing for the launch of a robotic satellite servicing mission designed to demonstrate on-orbit maintenance and upgrade capabilities for spacecraft operating in geosynchronous orbit.

The mission, known as Robotic Servicing of Geosynchronous Satellites (RSGS), is scheduled for launch in summer 2026 and represents one of the most ambitious attempts so far to commercialize robotic satellite servicing technologies.

At the center of the mission is the Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV), a spacecraft equipped with a highly dexterous robotic servicing system capable of performing tasks such as satellite inspections, repairs, relocation, upgrades, and anomaly resolution while in orbit. [Read more…] about DARPA prepares robotic satellite servicing mission for launch in 2026

Redwire delivers lunar robotic arm prototype to European Space Agency

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Redwire has delivered a prototype lunar robotic manipulator to the European Space Agency as Europe continues developing its Argonaut lunar lander program for future Moon missions.

The robotic arm system, known as the Manipulator for Argonaut Payload Needs and Unloading Support (MANUS), was developed by Redwire in collaboration with Added Value Solutions and with support from ESA.

The project is being led by Redwire’s Luxembourg-based team, which recently completed several major milestones including preliminary design work and performance assessments. [Read more…] about Redwire delivers lunar robotic arm prototype to European Space Agency

AutoFlight advances heavy-lift eVTOL program with mixed-fleet formation flight

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AutoFlight has completed a mixed-fleet formation flight of three aircraft, comprising one V5000 Matrix and two V2000-series eVTOL aircraft.

The mission validated critical capabilities – communication links, route planning, flight coordination and safety control – across 5-ton and 2-ton platforms, demonstrating that different aircraft types can operate together at scale.

It marks a significant step forward in AutoFlight’s system integration capabilities and lays the operational groundwork for multi-aircraft coordination in low-altitude logistics, emergency response, maritime support and regional air transport, and represents a concrete step toward the commercial deployment of coordinated multi-aircraft networks in the low-altitude economy. [Read more…] about AutoFlight advances heavy-lift eVTOL program with mixed-fleet formation flight

How to Buy Bitcoin (BTC) with Euros (EUR): A Beginner’s Guide

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Buying bitcoin with euros is easier than most people expect. The process has changed a lot over the past few years, and European investors now have access to regulated apps that handle the technical side without requiring any prior knowledge.

This guide walks through what you need to know before your first purchase and how to go about it. [Read more…] about How to Buy Bitcoin (BTC) with Euros (EUR): A Beginner’s Guide

What solutions do retail lockers offer per sector?

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The lockers that many of us are familiar with are pretty low-tech. Essentially consisting of rows of simple boxes or cages that can only be secured with a padlock, it’s tricky to actually use these lockers effectively, especially in retail settings.

There are a number of recent technological innovations that have made to lockers in the retail sector that have resulted in them bring a whole lot more adaptable and, as a result, useful.

Below, we explore a range of different contexts in which these lockers can be of instrumental importance, from click-and-collect services to asset control. [Read more…] about What solutions do retail lockers offer per sector?

Top AI Field Reporting Apps for Contractors in 2026

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From producing projects with more clients than they can handle to maintaining compliance with growing regulations and communicating effectively in more complex job locations, construction companies are facing growing pressure to accomplish their projects more quickly than ever in 2026. Field reporting is one of the main difficulties for contractors that has persisted.

This article takes a deep dive into how AI field reporting apps function, such as Benetics AI, their value in 2026, and the leading solutions contractors can expect in the near future. [Read more…] about Top AI Field Reporting Apps for Contractors in 2026

Why Network Security is Critical in the Age of Robotics and Automation

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A few years ago, “network security” usually meant protecting laptops, servers, and the office Wi‑Fi (which somehow always died in the conference room).

In 2026, that definition feels too small. Networks don’t just carry email and video calls anymore; they carry instructions that move real machines.

Robots in warehouses, automated conveyor systems, industrial sensors, smart cameras, access control systems, autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), and even building management systems all of them rely on a network to coordinate what happens next. [Read more…] about Why Network Security is Critical in the Age of Robotics and Automation