Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

Opinion: Why robot dogs are leading the pack in factory floor efficiency

by

By Andrew Hamilton, head of the Digital Process Manufacturing Centre (DPMC) at the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS)

Manufacturing facilities today are sprawling, interconnected environments where equipment operates continuously and processes stretch across large physical footprints.

From factory floors and plant rooms to service corridors and external assets, engineering teams need clear visibility across areas that are not always easy, or safe, to access.

Maintaining performance in these conditions depends on accurate, timely information and the ability to respond before issues escalate. [Read more…] about Opinion: Why robot dogs are leading the pack in factory floor efficiency

ABB Robotics completes Visual SLAM AMR range with autonomous forklift launch

by

ABB Robotics is expanding its Autonomous Mobile Robotics (AMR) portfolio with the launch of the Flexley Stack F712, creating a complete interoperable ecosystem across all major Visual SLAM AMR types.

Combining autonomous forklifts, tugs and movers on one platform, ABB Robotics enables customers to automate a broader range of material-handling and intralogistics processes.

Offering market-leading accuracy, the F712 is designed for demanding material handling, end-of-line storage and warehouse operations across industries including automotive manufacturing, helping increase efficiency, flexibility and scalability. [Read more…] about ABB Robotics completes Visual SLAM AMR range with autonomous forklift launch

A3’s Automate 2026 breaks records as demand for robotics, AI and automation grows

by

Automate, North America’s largest robotics and automation event, celebrated its most successful show to date, drawing more than 50,000 registrants and 1,230 exhibitors to McCormick Place in Chicago from June 22-25.

Hosted by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), Automate 2026 filled 425,000 square feet of show floor space with the latest technologies in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, motion control and industrial automation.

The record-setting event reflected the continued growth of automation across industries as companies look for practical ways to improve productivity, address workforce challenges, strengthen supply chains and remain competitive. [Read more…] about A3’s Automate 2026 breaks records as demand for robotics, AI and automation grows

How to Build a Strong Insurance Strategy for Large Construction Firms

by

Large construction projects carry enormous financial exposure. A single uninsured incident, whether a structural collapse, a third-party injury, or a design error, can derail a project entirely and expose every party to crippling liability.

For project owners, developers, and general contractors, a well-built insurance strategy is not a formality; it is a financial foundation.

The following guide walks through the key steps to build that foundation, from selecting the right coverage mix to managing claims with confidence. Each step is designed to help teams protect their interests at every stage of the build. [Read more…] about How to Build a Strong Insurance Strategy for Large Construction Firms

ExRobotics launches UL-certified inspection robot for hazardous industrial sites in North America

by

ExRobotics has announced the North American launch of its UL Certified ExR-2.5 autonomous inspection robot at the recent Energy Drone & Robotics Summit in Houston.

This certification marks another industry first for ExRobotics. The ExR-2.5 is the only UL Certified inspection robot for potentially explosive industrial environments. This provides operators with a recognised pathway to deploy autonomous robotic inspections in hazardous locations.

Oil and gas operators face mounting pressure from ageing infrastructure, acute workforce shortages and the escalating cost of unplanned downtime. The UL Certified ExR-2.5 was developed to address a critical industry need. [Read more…] about ExRobotics launches UL-certified inspection robot for hazardous industrial sites in North America

HelloFresh expands chilled warehouse capacity fivefold with Locus Robotics automation

by

Locus Robotics, a warehouse automation company, has announced that a cold-storage hardware modification developed for HelloFresh has enabled the meal kit company to expand chilled fulfillment capacity from 100 SKUs to 500 SKUs – a fivefold increase that supports greater meal variety and new revenue opportunities across the HelloFresh brand portfolio.

Factor, a HelloFresh brand, first deployed 13 Locus Origin robots in July 2025 as part of an initial pilot. The deployment quickly demonstrated the execution consistency and reliability required for chilled fulfillment, with Locus Origin robots averaging a mission time of just 3 minutes and 36 seconds from order induction through box drop-off.

Following that strong early performance, HelloFresh expanded the deployment within three months with 26 additional Locus Origin robots, with plans to add EveryPlate fulfillment support later this year. [Read more…] about HelloFresh expands chilled warehouse capacity fivefold with Locus Robotics automation

RLWRLD launches open platform to benchmark dexterous robotic hands

by

RLWRLD, a physical AI company with a proprietary robotics foundation model, RLDX-1, has announced the launch of “All Hands Up!”, an open web platform that provides technical reports and visualization tools based on the company’s firsthand experience operating a wide range of commercially available dexterous robot hands.

All Hands Up! is designed to analyze and share the real-world operating performance and design trade-offs of robotic hands that are difficult to assess through manufacturer specification sheets alone.

RLWRLD developed the platform based on operational data collected from real-world use, aiming to address a question repeatedly raised across research and industrial settings: “Which robotic hands perform effectively in real-world environments?” [Read more…] about RLWRLD launches open platform to benchmark dexterous robotic hands

Flytrex scales shared drone traffic system with thousands of coordinated flights

by

Flytrex says it has reached a new milestone in commercial drone delivery after scaling shared airspace operations to thousands of coordinated flights per month without any reported airspace conflicts.

The company said the achievement comes less than a year after it became one of the first commercial drone operators in the United States to use an automated Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) service for coordinating flights in shared airspace.

The milestone was achieved as part of the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) UTM Operational Evaluation, which allows multiple drone operators to exchange real-time flight intent data and automatically adjust routes to avoid conflicts without manual coordination. [Read more…] about Flytrex scales shared drone traffic system with thousands of coordinated flights

Robust.AI selects Aptiv’s AI-powered perception system for next-generation Carter warehouse robot

by

Aptiv, an industrial technology company, has announced that Robust.AI, a developer of AI-driven warehouse automation, has selected Aptiv’s intelligent perception solutions, including AI and Machine Learning based sensor fusion powered by the Aptiv Pulse sensor for its Gen 3 Carter collaborative mobile robot.

This selection builds on the companies’ existing collaboration to combine Aptiv’s proven solutions with Robust.AI’s robotics expertise and human-centered design to accelerate scalable, AI-powered robotic workflows, while also establishing the foundation for Performance Level d – or PL(d) – certification across relevant industrial safety use cases.

Jay Bellissimo, senior VP and president, intelligent systems, software and services, Aptiv, says: “Scale adoption of robotics requires safety critical perception that spans the dynamic conditions experienced in the real world.” [Read more…] about Robust.AI selects Aptiv’s AI-powered perception system for next-generation Carter warehouse robot

Agility Robotics to go public through $2.5 billion SPAC merger

by

Agility Robotics has agreed to go public through a merger with special purpose acquisition company Churchill Capital Corp XI, in a deal that values the humanoid robotics developer at a pre-money equity value of $2.5 billion.

The transaction is expected to generate more than $620 million in gross proceeds, including approximately $200 million from a private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing led by Foxconn, alongside existing and new institutional investors.

Once the deal closes, the combined company is expected to operate as Agility and trade on a major North American stock exchange under the ticker symbol AGLT. [Read more…] about Agility Robotics to go public through $2.5 billion SPAC merger