Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Sam Francis

From Standards to the Shop Floor: Practical Robot Safety Steps Operators Can Apply

by

Robots make work faster, cleaner, and more consistent. They also change how risk shows up on the floor. The danger is not only the moving arm, but also the in-between moments, when a cell is paused, a jam is cleared, or a quick adjustment turns into hands inside the fence.

Operators sit closest to these moments, so practical safety habits matter as much as any policy. You do not need to quote standards from memory to work safely. Here are practical robot safety steps operators can apply. [Read more…] about From Standards to the Shop Floor: Practical Robot Safety Steps Operators Can Apply

Amazon acquires Fauna Robotics as it expands into home humanoid robots

by

Amazon has acquired New York-based startup Fauna Robotics, signaling a move beyond its traditional focus on warehouse automation into consumer-facing humanoid robots.

The deal, first reported by Bloomberg and covered by Silicon Republic and Euronews, involves Fauna’s team of roughly 50 employees joining Amazon’s Personal Robotics Group. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Fauna, founded in 2024, developed a humanoid robot called “Sprout”, designed to operate in shared human environments such as homes, schools and public spaces. The machine, approximately one meter tall and built with soft materials, is intended to be approachable and safe for interaction. [Read more…] about Amazon acquires Fauna Robotics as it expands into home humanoid robots

5 Best Servo Drives for Factory Automation Systems

by

A servo drive converts electrical commands into precise mechanical motion, influencing the speed, position and torque of every motor it powers. This capability makes it one of the most significant components of any production line.

When a drive falls short, the effects manifest instantly in positioning errors, lost cycles and unplanned downtime. Five solutions stand out for engineers designing factory automation systems. [Read more…] about 5 Best Servo Drives for Factory Automation Systems

Festo unveils new adaptive gripper for ‘faster, gentler and more hygienic picking’

by

Festo has introduced the HPSX Universal Adaptive Gripper, a pneumatic soft gripper engineered to improve speed, hygiene and flexibility in demanding food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics applications.

Combining robust design, food-safe materials and adaptive silicone fingers, the HPSX directly addresses long-standing automation challenges where rapid, precise and gentle product handling is essential.

Peter Potters, product manager at Festo, says: “In developing the HPSX, we refined the gripper’s shape, dimensions and internal geometry to maximise gripping force while minimising air volume. [Read more…] about Festo unveils new adaptive gripper for ‘faster, gentler and more hygienic picking’

Comau and Reis Robotics partner to deliver advanced automation systems across key industrial sectors

by

Comau and Reis Robotics have signed a cooperation agreement aimed at jointly developing and delivering advanced automation products and solutions for multiple industrial sectors through a coordinated technical and commercial approach.

The agreement signed today by Comau and Reis Robotics, respectively Italian and German companies, testifies to the strength of the European technology framework in advanced industrial development.

The initiative brings together the complementary expertise and experience of both companies to design and deliver integrated complex systems that improve efficiency, flexibility, and scalability, with the initial focus on sectors such as shipbuilding, intralogistics, giga casting, battery production, heavy industry and critical infrastructure, among others. [Read more…] about Comau and Reis Robotics partner to deliver advanced automation systems across key industrial sectors

From transport to handling: Neura demonstrates end-to-end mobile manipulation for intralogistics

by

Neura Mobile Robots has presented an application for mobile manipulation in intralogistics for the first time at LogiMAT. Under its ek Robotics brand, Neura demonstrated how mobile transport robotics and cognitive robotics can be combined into a seamless system, enabling a new level of automation.

At the heart of the application is the combination of the X Move 1200 automated guided vehicle platform from Neura Mobile Robots and the MAiRA M cognitive cobot from Neura Robotics. The integrated solution makes it possible not only to transport materials, but also to directly grasp, retrieve, and store or retrieve them.

For the first time, users can fully automate transport and handling processes without manual handovers. This reduces process times, lowers error rates, and significantly increases system availability. [Read more…] about From transport to handling: Neura demonstrates end-to-end mobile manipulation for intralogistics

Maximo completes 100 MW of robotic solar installation in California

by

Maximo, the solar robotics company incubated by the AES Corporation, has announced the successful installation of 100 megawatts (MW) of utility-scale solar capacity at AES’ Bellefield complex, located on former agricultural land near California City in Kern County.

Demand for electricity continues to grow rapidly, driven by data center expansion, electrification and industrial manufacturing. Solar construction faces increasing pressure from labor constraints, compressed project timelines and cost volatility.

Maximo’s robotic solar installation solution is helping close the gap between the need for faster time to power and construction capacity. The 100 MW achievement marks the transition of robotic module installation from early deployment validation to sustained commercial production. [Read more…] about Maximo completes 100 MW of robotic solar installation in California

Uber, Pony.ai, and Verne partner to launch ‘Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service’

by

Verne, Pony AI, a large-scale developer of autonomous driving technology, and Uber Technologies have announced a strategic partnership to launch what the companies say is “the first commercial robotaxi service in Europe”, beginning in Zagreb soon, with initial deployment work already under way, including public-road validation.

The three companies plan to collaborate on the deployment of a commercial robotaxi service, combining Pony.ai’s autonomous driving system, Uber’s global mobility platform, and Verne’s service ecosystem and operational framework.

Under this model, Pony.ai will provide its autonomous driving solution; Verne will act as fleet owner and service operator; and Uber will integrate the service into its global ride-hailing network, complementing Verne’s own customer-facing platform. [Read more…] about Uber, Pony.ai, and Verne partner to launch ‘Europe’s first commercial robotaxi service’

Sonair to debut ultrasonic 3D sensor at Modex event

by

Sonair, a pioneer in ultrasonic 3D sensing, is introducing its award-winning ADAR (Acoustic Detection and Ranging) sensor to the North American market with its official debut at Modex 2026, Booth #B15851, April 13-16.

The technology arrives in Atlanta following its first commercial deployment in serial production on Cleanfix’s new autonomous cleaning robots. [Read more…] about Sonair to debut ultrasonic 3D sensor at Modex event

Melania Trump presents humanoid robot at White House, highlights role of AI in education and careers

by

First Lady Melania Trump introduced an American-built humanoid robot at the White House this week, marking a rare moment where advanced robotics took center stage in a diplomatic setting.

The demonstration featured Figure 3, a humanoid system developed by Figure AI, and was presented during a global summit attended by representatives from 45 countries.

According to a White House press release, the event formed part of the “Fostering the Future Together” initiative, focused on artificial intelligence, education, and economic development. [Read more…] about Melania Trump presents humanoid robot at White House, highlights role of AI in education and careers