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Robotics and Automation News

Toyota launches ‘Swarm’ automated transport system for warehouse logistics

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Toyota Material Handling Europe has introduced a new automated guided vehicle (AGV) system designed to handle a range of warehouse transport tasks and pallet types.

Called Swarm Automation Transport, the system combines the company’s SAI125CB automated counterbalance stacker with its T-ONE control software platform, enabling coordination across automated and mixed fleets.

The company says the system is designed to support multiple warehouse flows, including pallet transport, stacking and replenishment, while integrating with existing automation and manual operations. [Read more…] about Toyota launches ‘Swarm’ automated transport system for warehouse logistics

Vecna Robotics adds voice control to case picking automation with CaseFlow Voice

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Vecna Robotics, a provider of flexible material handling automation, has announced CaseFlow Voice, which the company says is the only case picking automation solution with fully integrated voice technology.

CaseFlow Voice embeds Lucas Systems’ “Jennifer” voice capabilities directly into case picking workflows, enabling hands-free operations that improve worker productivity and accuracy while helping warehouses achieve up to 2x throughput improvements.

CaseFlow Voice addresses a critical challenge in operations like cold storage, where gloves, condensation, and limited dexterity make screens and scanners difficult to use. By supporting both voice and handheld interfaces, CaseFlow adapts to a wider range of warehouse conditions while maintaining ease of use and performance. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics adds voice control to case picking automation with CaseFlow Voice

Positronic Robotics launches ‘PhAIL’ benchmark to test real-world performance of physical AI systems

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Positronic Robotics has introduced a new benchmarking initiative aimed at evaluating how well AI-driven robots perform in real-world industrial tasks, as interest grows in so-called “physical AI” systems.

The benchmark, called PhAIL (Physical AI Leaderboard), measures robotic performance using operational metrics such as units per hour and mean time between failures, rather than traditional academic indicators like task success rates. According to the company, the goal is to align evaluation methods more closely with how automation is assessed in commercial environments.

Initial testing focuses on bin-to-bin picking – a common task in logistics and manufacturing – using a standardized robotic setup. The system runs repeated trials on physical hardware, with each run recorded and published alongside telemetry and performance data. [Read more…] about Positronic Robotics launches ‘PhAIL’ benchmark to test real-world performance of physical AI systems

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

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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

Dexterity says its physical AI world model ‘unlocks full potential on Nvidia hardware’

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Dexterity.ai, a specialist in industrial robotics and physical AI, has detailed how its production-proven world model, Foresight, is “unlocking new levels of performance” on Nvidia hardware as the company scales in enterprise environments.

Before any action or motion planning can begin, Foresight must build a complete picture of the scene from raw multi-modal sensor data.

Dexterity’s engineering team redesigned the perception pipeline to take full advantage of Nvidia L4 GPUs and TensorRT, reducing it from 1,508 ms to 90 ms per cycle, a 17x speedup across three stages: object decomposition, geometric reconstruction, and physics synthesis. [Read more…] about Dexterity says its physical AI world model ‘unlocks full potential on Nvidia hardware’

Flexiv secures investment from Invus to scale global deployment of adaptive robots

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Flexiv, a developer of general-purpose robotics, has secured new strategic investment.

Led by global investment firm Invus, with participation from several existing investors, this financing signals strong market confidence in Flexiv’s mission to automate complex tasks that once required a human touch.

Unlike traditional robots that rely on rigid, preprogrammed motion paths, Flexiv’s proprietary force-sensing technology and embodied AI enable robots to adapt to real-world environments. [Read more…] about Flexiv secures investment from Invus to scale global deployment of adaptive robots

OnRobot heads to Reno with automation solutions for northern Nevada’s manufacturing workforce challenge

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As Northern Nevada’s manufacturing sector continues its rapid expansion, the region’s employers are confronting a growing challenge: a labor market that has nearly run out of slack.

OnRobot will host the “Build your Automation Roadmap” event in Reno on April 9th, bringing practical automation solutions directly to the region’s manufacturing community.

The free, in-person event is designed for manufacturers in sectors such as metal fabrication, CNC machining, electronics, aerospace, food and beverage, and industrial equipment manufacturing – industries that form the backbone of the Reno manufacturing economy and are among the hardest hit by ongoing labor shortages. [Read more…] about OnRobot heads to Reno with automation solutions for northern Nevada’s manufacturing workforce challenge

Brightpick launches ‘highest-throughput robotic fulfillment system ever developed’

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Brightpick, a provider of robotic automation for warehouses, is unveiling Gridpicker, a high-throughput grid-based fulfillment system run by AI-powered mobile manipulators, built on the company’s widely deployed Autopicker technology. The company claims it is the “highest-throughput robotic fulfillment system ever developed”.

Brightpick will provide an exclusive first-hand look at Gridpicker and announce its European launch partners at LogiMAT 2026, the international trade show for intralogistics in Stuttgart, Germany, on March 24, at 13:00 CET in Hall 8, Stand 8B25. [Read more…] about Brightpick launches ‘highest-throughput robotic fulfillment system ever developed’

BlueBotics bridges the gap between AGVs and AMRs with the launch of SmartPass

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Autonomous navigation and fleet management leader BlueBotics has launched SmartPass, a new efficiency-driving innovation within its ANT software suite.

Available immediately for “ANT driven” AGVs and AMRs, SmartPass is a robust, safe, and highly configurable technology that meets the core efficiency goal of obstacle avoidance without the drawbacks of traditional AMRs. SmartPass suits all types of automated vehicles and industrial sites.

“No matter how clean a site, and how well trained its staff, the paths of mobile robots sometimes become blocked,” said BlueBotics’ CEO, Dr Nicola Tomatis. “AGVs typically manage this situation by sending an alarm to an operator, while AMRs take any route possible, without limitation. The first can lead to transport delays, the second to traffic deadlocks. SmartPass effectively bridges the gap between the two.” [Read more…] about BlueBotics bridges the gap between AGVs and AMRs with the launch of SmartPass

RoboForce raises $52 million to build physical AI robots for industrial work

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RoboForce, a pioneer in what is being called “physical AI-powered robo-labor”, has secured a $52 million oversubscribed funding round, bringing the total raised to $67 million.

The round was led by YZi Labs (a $10 billion fund) with participation from Jerry Yang (co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo!), who join existing investors Myron Scholes (Nobel Laureate economist), Gary Rieschel (founding partner of Qiming Ventures), Carnegie Mellon University, and beyond.

The new capital will accelerate the company’s next-generation robot foundation model, scale general-purpose physical AI robots, and drive manufacturing readiness for commercial deployment. [Read more…] about RoboForce raises $52 million to build physical AI robots for industrial work