Robotics & Automation News

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Robotics & Automation News launches in-depth AMRs vs AGVs trend analysis

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After more than a decade of covering robotics and automation long before the sector became a global talking point, Robotics & Automation News has published its first full-length market and technology report: “AMRs vs AGVs: A 2026-2030 trend analysis for mobile automation.”

The 44-page report examines one of the most persistent debates in modern warehouse and manufacturing automation – whether autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are replacing automated guided vehicles (AGVs), or whether the two technologies are evolving along fundamentally different economic paths.

Drawing on years of reporting, operator insight, and analysis of real-world deployments, the report moves beyond headline claims to focus on the underlying operational logic shaping mobile automation decisions. [Read more…] about Robotics & Automation News launches in-depth AMRs vs AGVs trend analysis

Opinion: Manufacturing’s future is high tech, and the workforce must adapt

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Modern manufacturing blends AI, automation, and sustainability to create meaningful careers and economic resilience, says Georgia Tech in this opinion piece

For decades, manufacturing has been synonymous with job creation, a pillar of economic growth and stability.

Today, the industry is evolving into something far more dynamic: a hub for innovation, sustainability, and purpose-driven careers. Experts say this transformation is reshaping not only what manufacturing looks like but why it matters. [Read more…] about Opinion: Manufacturing’s future is high tech, and the workforce must adapt

China set to lead global humanoid robot race as labour shortages accelerate adoption, report warns

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A new intelligence report forecasts a rapid acceleration in the global market for humanoid robots, driven by population decline, advances in artificial intelligence, and intensifying geopolitical competition.

The study – The Future of Humanoid Robots from Recorded Future’s Insikt Group – argues that humanoid robots are shifting from “speculative to attainable” as technological capabilities mature and labour pressures deepen.

The report finds that global demographic trends are now a primary driver of demand. “Global population decline is accelerating the demand for humanoid robots designed to operate within human environments and offset growing labor shortages across industries,” the authors write. [Read more…] about China set to lead global humanoid robot race as labour shortages accelerate adoption, report warns

Taming AI’s hunger for data: German-Taiwanese researchers show how to use ‘the smallest technology nodes for energy-efficient AI’

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Artificial intelligence works fast, but its energy consumption is growing rapidly. A German-Taiwanese research team is now developing a solution: new memory for leading chip technologies smaller than 3 nm.

These innovative nanosheet devices enable computing operations directly in memory, thereby drastically reducing energy consumption. They are based on ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeMFETs) made from hafnium oxide, which are particularly efficient.

With a joint research program, Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IMWS, and the Taiwanese research institute TSRI are laying the foundation for the next generation of energy-efficient AI chips – from smartphones and automobiles to medical devices. [Read more…] about Taming AI’s hunger for data: German-Taiwanese researchers show how to use ‘the smallest technology nodes for energy-efficient AI’

Trump reportedly considering robotics executive order as top scientists warn government is dismantling research funding

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The Trump administration is preparing a major push to accelerate the development of robotics technologies, according to a report on the Politico website.

Five months after unveiling a national plan for artificial intelligence, the administration is now shifting its attention to autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick has been meeting with robotics industry CEOs and is “all in” on accelerating the industry’s development, Politico reports, citing “three people familiar with the discussions who were granted anonymity to share details”.  [Read more…] about Trump reportedly considering robotics executive order as top scientists warn government is dismantling research funding

McKinsey warns AI and robots could automate 40 percent of US jobs by 2030

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A new report from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI) suggests that artificial intelligence and robotics could, in theory, automate more than half of all work currently done in the United States – and put around 40 percent of jobs in highly automatable categories – if companies fully redesign their workflows around intelligent machines.

In its study, Agents, robots, and us: Skill partnerships in the age of AI, MGI says that “today’s technologies could theoretically automate more than half of current US work hours”.

The authors stress that this is “not a forecast of job losses” but an indication of how profoundly work could change as “work in the future will be a partnership between people, agents, and robots – all powered by artificial intelligence”. [Read more…] about McKinsey warns AI and robots could automate 40 percent of US jobs by 2030

Robostore and OpenMind launch first full-scale education curriculum for humanoid robots

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OpenMind, a company unlocking “machine agency” at scale, in partnership with Robostore, the biggest US distributor of Unitree humanoids, has launched the world’s first full-scale university curriculum for humanoid robots.

Built on OpenMind’s OM1 platform and designed for the Unitree G1 humanoid, the program gives students, researchers, and educators a complete path to mastering hands-on humanoid robotics.

As adoption of the Unitree G1 accelerates on campuses and in labs, institutions need a standardized academic path that goes beyond papers and simulation. [Read more…] about Robostore and OpenMind launch first full-scale education curriculum for humanoid robots

Deloitte report says ‘physical AI’ era has begun as intelligent robots reshape industry

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Deloitte has published a new report arguing that the world is entering the era of “physical AI” – intelligent robots capable of perceiving, reasoning, and acting in the physical world – and says the technology is set to reshape manufacturing, construction, logistics, and other industrial sectors.

The report, How robotics and physical AI are reshaping industries and society, describes a “pivotal moment” driven by three converging forces: rapid advances in AI models, falling hardware costs, and deepening labour shortages.

Deloitte says physical AI systems represent the next step beyond traditional automation, enabling machines to “autonomously interact with, interpret, and make decisions within physical environments, often in real time and with real-world feedback loops”. [Read more…] about Deloitte report says ‘physical AI’ era has begun as intelligent robots reshape industry

Global robotics market set to more than double to ‘$205.5 billion by 2030’

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The global robotics industry is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 percent from $90.2 billion in 2024 to $205.5 billion in 2030, according to GlobalData, a data and analytics company.

One of the key reasons for this growth is that the robotics industry offers a “variety of applications” for a wide range of industries.

GlobalData’s latest Strategic Intelligence report, “Robotics”, reveals that exoskeletons, drones, logistics robots, and consumer robots will be the fastest-growing robotics segments between 2024 and 2030. [Read more…] about Global robotics market set to more than double to ‘$205.5 billion by 2030’

Swisslog Healthcare shows future engineers how automation advances hospitals

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Swisslog Healthcare, a leading supplier in transport and pharmacy automation solutions, invited University of Colorado Boulder students for an exclusive Reverse Interview Day tour at the company’s Technology Center.

Students interviewed Swisslog Healthcare professionals about their career journeys while touring facilities that showcase how robots and smart technology save lives in hospitals. The event took place on October 14, highlighting exciting technology careers students might not have considered.

Katherine Pickens McConnell, scholar in residence at CU Boulder Mechanical Engineering, says: “Visiting Swisslog Healthcare is a great opportunity to see engineering in action. [Read more…] about Swisslog Healthcare shows future engineers how automation advances hospitals