Robotics & Automation News

Where Innovation Meets Imagination

Industry

Siemens launches AI engineering agent to automate PLC coding and industrial workflows

by

Siemens has launched the Eigen Engineering Agent, its purpose-built AI for automation engineering, now generally available.

The Eigen Engineering Agent represents a new class of industrial AI product: one that no longer just generates suggestions but instead uses multi-step reasoning and self-correction to carry out tasks autonomously.

Unlike generic AI tools, the Eigen Engineering Agent operates inside real engineering systems, with full awareness of each project’s context and constraints. [Read more…] about Siemens launches AI engineering agent to automate PLC coding and industrial workflows

What is AI Sales Enablement for Industrial Automation?

by

Companies in industrial automation are experiencing AI’s impact on lengthy sales cycles. Customers expect immediate, technical responses and personalized recommendations, which can be challenging due to the complexity of products and traditional tools.

AI sales enablement addresses existing weaknesses by integrating them within a unified platform that encompasses data, insights, and automation. The following are the essential components that characterize AI sales enablement in the context of industrial automation. [Read more…] about What is AI Sales Enablement for Industrial Automation?

PASCO Marks 50 Years in Industrial Automation

by

In 1976, two engineers at Monsanto Corporation saw a problem on the plant floor that needed to be solved. Workers were manually handling heavy 55-gallon drums Their people were handling 400- to 500-pound drums and sustaining frequent injuries. So, the idea was simple. Build a modular palletizer that takes the lifting out of it.

The hydraulic palletizing system that followed used an overhead wiper with cam followers and a stripper plate to efficiently place drums onto pallets automatically placed from a dispenser. And on top of that, it paid for itself within a year or two. These workhorses could last 20 years or more – an obvious good ROI.

From this, the engineers saw a larger market. If Monsanto needed this solution, it was likely that every other manufacturer moving heavy products would need their variation of the solution, too. They quit their jobs and started a company with one fabricator in a garage. [Read more…] about PASCO Marks 50 Years in Industrial Automation

Why Manufacturers Are Struggling to Find Obsolete PLC Parts in 2026

by

Manufacturers in 2026 face a clear problem. Finding obsolete PLC parts is slow, expensive, and uncertain. What used to be a sourcing issue is now an operational risk. 

Even a minor PLC failure can stop production. Delays now impact output, timelines, and revenue. [Read more…] about Why Manufacturers Are Struggling to Find Obsolete PLC Parts in 2026

Emerging trends in robotics and AI for high-risk industries: Construction, oil and gas, and mining

by

By Gary Ng, CEO and co-founder of viAct

There is a major shift occurring at some of the most hazardous workplaces on the planet: oil refineries, large construction projects, and underground mines, as new and improving technologies are being used for the initial line of defence.

Technologies, like Artificial Intelligence (AI), robotics, and IoT wearables, especially smartwatches, have replaced the hard hat and safety supervisor as the last line of defence against workplace hazards by providing a first layer of protection against them.

Over the past few years, world has witnessed a rapid increase in both quantity and variety of robotic and automated systems being deployed to monitor, detect, and respond to workplace hazards in real-time, and there has probably never been a more opportune time for these technologies to evolve from being part of pilot programmes to permanent fixtures of the industrial workplace. [Read more…] about Emerging trends in robotics and AI for high-risk industries: Construction, oil and gas, and mining

How Explosion-Proof Visual Monitoring is Transforming Safety in Hazardous Industrial Automation

by

Picture this. You’re standing on an offshore oil platform, surrounded by the constant hum of machinery and the salty bite of sea air. Everywhere you look, there are pipes hissing with pressurized gas, tanks holding volatile chemicals, and automated systems running operations that would have required dozens of workers just a decade ago. It’s impressive, honestly.

But here’s the thing that keeps safety managers awake at night: someone still needs to check on these systems. Someone has to verify that the valves are sealing properly, that the pressure readings match reality, that nothing is leaking or overheating in places where a single spark could spell disaster.

That’s where explosion proof camera systems come into the picture. Companies have spent years developing certified visual monitoring equipment specifically for these unforgiving environments. [Read more…] about How Explosion-Proof Visual Monitoring is Transforming Safety in Hazardous Industrial Automation

China creates first national standards for humanoid robots to support industry scale-up

by

China has introduced its first comprehensive national standard framework for humanoid robots, marking a significant step toward scaling the industry from early experimentation to large-scale commercialization.

The framework – titled the “Humanoid Robot and Embodied Intelligence Standard System” (2026 Edition) – was presented at a technical committee meeting in Beijing on February 28, 2026, bringing together more than 120 researchers, executives, and policymakers. [Read more…] about China creates first national standards for humanoid robots to support industry scale-up

Technical perspective: From freeze to flow – new EU regulation redefines robotics software qualification 

by

By Sjoerd van der Zwaan, chief product officer, Solid Sands

The new EU Regulation 2023/1230 is set to enter force on 20 January 2027, replacing the long-standing Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

The implications for machinery manufacturers are profound because the regulation extends the scope of machine safety to include software-driven, autonomous, and AI-enabled systems.

As a result, the need to qualify machine software and its toolchain as part of a continuous, lifecycle-based process comes into sharp regulatory focus. [Read more…] about Technical perspective: From freeze to flow – new EU regulation redefines robotics software qualification 

UAE’s Metal Park forms alliance with World Steel Association and Steel University to build Middle East’s first integrated metals education ecosystem

by

The UAE’s Metal Park has signed a strategic agreement with the World Steel Association and the Belgium-headquartered Steel University, establishing a national-level alliance to develop a fully integrated metals education and capability ecosystem for the Middle East.

Witnessed by H.E. Dr. Sultan Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, managing director and group CEO of AD Ports Group; and Mr. Vahid Fouladkar, CEO of Metal Park and signed by Navid Fouladkar, head of strategic partnerships at Metal Park, and Jorge Muract, director of Steel University.

This milestone partnership directly supports the UAE’s industrial vision under Make it in the Emirates and Operation 300bn, reinforcing the country’s ambition to build globally competitive, value-added metal production capabilities from within the UAE. [Read more…] about UAE’s Metal Park forms alliance with World Steel Association and Steel University to build Middle East’s first integrated metals education ecosystem

Industrial IoT in Manufacturing: Driving Smart Factory Efficiency and Sustainability

by

The manufacturing industry is at the forefront of a technological revolution, driven by the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). As factories become smarter and more connected, IIoT is enabling organizations to optimize production, reduce operational costs, and enhance sustainability.

Smart factories powered by IIoT are no longer a concept of the future they are a reality that is reshaping how manufacturers operate, compete, and grow in the era of Industry 4.0. [Read more…] about Industrial IoT in Manufacturing: Driving Smart Factory Efficiency and Sustainability