From shelf-scanning robots to warehouse automation and AI-powered checkout systems, robots are transforming retail operations both in stores and behind the scenes. [Read more…] about Retail automation: Robots on the shop floor and behind the scenes
Features
Interview with Locus Robotics software leader: ‘AI delivers clear advantages over generic foundational models’
Locus Robotics has become one of the defining companies in warehouse automation, best known for its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that work alongside people in logistics centers around the world.
But increasingly, the company’s real differentiator may lie not in the hardware itself – which many would argue has reached near-optimal design for its purpose – but in the intelligence that drives it.
Hamid Montazeri, senior vice president of software and AI at Locus Robotics, leads the team responsible for that intelligence. His work focuses on developing what he calls “physical AI” – domain-specific artificial intelligence designed to operate in the unpredictable, fast-moving environment of a warehouse. [Read more…] about Interview with Locus Robotics software leader: ‘AI delivers clear advantages over generic foundational models’
Exotec celebrates 10 years and 10,000 warehouse robots worldwide
Automated warehouse robotics solutions provider Exotec is celebrating 10 years since its founding in Paris, France.
Over the past decade, Exotec’s technology has transformed the day-to-day operations of warehouses globally and has deployed over 10,000 of its cutting-edge Skypod robots.
Those robots have completed over 938 million cycles, billions of customer orders, and saved over 90 million kilometres of walking for warehouse operators, the same as 119 return trips to the moon. [Read more…] about Exotec celebrates 10 years and 10,000 warehouse robots worldwide
Interview with Spike Dynamics CEO: Developing muscle-like piezoelectric actuators
Spike Dynamics is a young robotics company with an unusually ambitious goal: to make machines move like living tissue.
Based in the United States and led by founder and CEO Alexander “Sasha” Sergeev, the company is developing ultra-compact, muscle-like piezoelectric actuators that can deliver high precision and force at microscopic scales.
Originally designed for intravascular medical robotics – devices small enough to navigate inside the human body – the technology is now finding potential applications far beyond medicine, from humanoid robots to space exploration. [Read more…] about Interview with Spike Dynamics CEO: Developing muscle-like piezoelectric actuators
Hong Kong’s Autumn Electronics Fair highlights AI, robotics, and next-generation technologies
The 45th Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) and the 28th electronicAsia are under way at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, drawing more than 3,200 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions.
The twin events, organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) and MMI Asia, run concurrently and continue to attract a global audience of technology companies, investors, and buyers.
This year’s fairs spotlight three major themes: artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, digital entertainment, and the silver economy. [Read more…] about Hong Kong’s Autumn Electronics Fair highlights AI, robotics, and next-generation technologies
Interview with NexCOBOT’s general manager: ‘Single control platform’
As humanoid robots move from research labs into production environments, one of the biggest challenges for developers is system integration.
Building a robot that can see, move, and interact safely with humans requires multiple layers of computing – AI inference, real-time motion control, and certified functional safety – traditionally managed on separate platforms.
Bridging those systems efficiently is becoming the defining test for the next wave of humanoid design. [Read more…] about Interview with NexCOBOT’s general manager: ‘Single control platform’
T2 emerges as Japan’s leading autonomous trucking contender
Until recently, the name T2 drew little attention outside niche circles in Japan.
Yet over the past few months, the firm has quietly triggered a series of announcements that suggest it may become a key player in Japan’s push toward driverless highway logistics. For a company founded in 2022, its rapid positioning is striking.
We first flagged T2 in September 2025 when it partnered with Toray Industries to trial autonomous trucks on a 440-km petrochemical route. [Read more…] about T2 emerges as Japan’s leading autonomous trucking contender
Engineering the future of robotics at Texas A&M
At Texas A&M University, a modest building on the Rellis campus houses one of the most ambitious robotics programs in the United States.
Inside, robots are being built to explore craters on the Moon, traverse flooded terrain on Earth, and maybe one day change the way humans and machines work together in extreme environments.
Leading it all is Dr Robert Ambrose, a NASA veteran who spent decades at the Johnson Space Center before joining Texas A&M in 2021. [Read more…] about Engineering the future of robotics at Texas A&M
Opinion: Next-generation AGV powertrains – unlocking efficiency and sustainability in automated material handling
By Luca Bandiera, business development AGV manager, ZAPI GROUP
Labor optimization is increasingly relying on automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and automated mobile robots (AMRs). Offloading material handling tasks allows leaders to reallocate workers toward higher-value, more complex processes.
However, for OEMs and machine engineers, challenges remain, particularly in powertrain design. As AGVs and AMRs advance in capability and complexity, so must the powertrains that propel them.
Achieving sustainable next-generation drivetrains requires OEMs to choose between fully integrated powertrain systems and modular, component-based ones. This choice impacts every link in the handling chain, from supplier logistics to final installation. [Read more…] about Opinion: Next-generation AGV powertrains – unlocking efficiency and sustainability in automated material handling
Interview with co-founder of ForSight Robotics: ‘Cataract prevalence is expected to double by 2050’
When most people think of robotic surgery, they picture large machines assisting with major operations, but ForSight Robotics is applying that same precision to one of the smallest and most delicate parts of the human body: the eye.
Founded in 2020 by Dr Joseph Nathan, Professor Moshe Shoham, and Dr Daniel Glozman, ForSight Robotics is developing Oryom, the world’s first robotic system designed specifically for eye surgery.
The platform aims to perform complex procedures such as cataract removal with micron-level precision, using robotic instruments controlled through AI and advanced computer vision. [Read more…] about Interview with co-founder of ForSight Robotics: ‘Cataract prevalence is expected to double by 2050’