Robotics & Automation News

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Warehouse robots

Opinion: Next-generation AGV powertrains – unlocking efficiency and sustainability in automated material handling

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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

Kollmorgen and ifm partner to improve pallet handling with smart automation

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Kollmorgen has announced a collaboration with sensor specialist ifm to tackle one of the persistent challenges in warehouses: misaligned pallets disrupting automated workflows.

In many logistics and production sites, manually placed pallets can be slightly off-coordinate, causing problems for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that depend on precise positioning.

These errors can result in failed docking attempts, delays, and reduced productivity. [Read more…] about Kollmorgen and ifm partner to improve pallet handling with smart automation

Top 20 Chinese warehouse robotics companies: Geekplus turns its attention to domestic competitors

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As the domestic logistics automation market explodes, a new generation of Chinese robotics companies is emerging, creating a fierce and innovative battleground that extends far beyond the initial two-horse race.

When RoboticsAndAutomationNews.com first reported about Geekplus, it was a relatively small Chinese startup that didn’t have a marketing department and its website didn’t have much content. But then it hired a whole load of new people, started growing quickly, and became defined by its ambitious global expansion.

As one of China’s first autonomous mobile robot (AMR) pioneers, Geekplus crossed oceans to compete with established players in Europe and North America. It became a national champion and a symbol of Chinese robotics innovation on the world stage. By some measures, it is now the world’s largest supplier of AMRs.

But back home, a different story was unfolding. The very market Geekplus helped create was growing at a staggering pace, attracting formidable new competitors.

The most prominent of these is Hai Robotics, a Shenzhen-based contender that has taken a different technological path with its pioneering box-level, case-handling robotic systems. [Read more…] about Top 20 Chinese warehouse robotics companies: Geekplus turns its attention to domestic competitors

Rockwool partners with Swisslog to build automated high-bay warehouse in Germany

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Rockwool, one of the world’s largest suppliers of stone wool insulation, has selected Swisslog to deliver a fully automated high-bay warehouse (HBW) at its production facility in Neuburg an der Donau, Germany.

This strategic investment marks a significant step in Rockwool’s global initiative to modernize its logistics infrastructure and reduce reliance on manual operations.

With 51 manufacturing facilities across 40 countries and more than 12,200 employees worldwide, Rockwool continues to experience strong growth. The Neuburg site, operating 24/7, required a high-capacity, automated storage solution to support its latest production line. [Read more…] about Rockwool partners with Swisslog to build automated high-bay warehouse in Germany

Geekplus reports record 31 percent revenue growth in first half of 2025

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Geekplus, the Hong Kong-listed warehouse robotics company, has reported record revenue growth for the first half of 2025, highlighting accelerating demand for automation in logistics and supply chains.

For the six months ended June 30, 2025, the company posted revenue of RMB 1.025 billion (approximately $144 million), up 31 percent year on year from RMB 782 million in the same period of 2024.

Gross profit rose 43.1 percent to RMB 360 million, lifting gross margin to 35.1 percent. Adjusted EBITDA turned positive for the first time at RMB 11.62 million, compared with a loss of RMB 169.8 million a year earlier. [Read more…] about Geekplus reports record 31 percent revenue growth in first half of 2025

Libiao Robotics opens US office in New Jersey

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Libiao Robotics, a provider of automated warehouse storage systems, has celebrated a significant landmark in its history with the official opening of its US office in Hillsborough, New Jersey.

The 800 sq m (approximately 8,500 sq ft) facility has been designed both to service Libiao’s growing US customer base, and to showcase its technologies in a state-of-the art demo area.

The premises are strategically located within the New York Metropolitan Area, where there is a concentration of warehousing serving the needs of the region’s approximately 20 million consumers. [Read more…] about Libiao Robotics opens US office in New Jersey

Bridging the gap: Integrating AMRs in brownfield manufacturing environments

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By Saurabh Chandra, founder and CEO at Ati Motors

Modernizing legacy spaces with infrastructure-free, autonomous material movement

In the race to automate, many manufacturers find themselves caught between the promise of cutting-edge robotics and the physical realities of their decades old facilities.

Brownfield manufacturing spaces, or factories built long before automation was commonplace, pose a unique challenge to modernization.

These facilities often have aging infrastructure, constrained space, variable lighting conditions, and deeply embedded workflows. Yet the demand for more agile, efficient, and scalable material movement solutions has never been higher. [Read more…] about Bridging the gap: Integrating AMRs in brownfield manufacturing environments

Logic unveils ‘Octopus’ overhead robot for warehouse operations

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Logic, a pioneer in autonomous, data-driven logistics solutions, has launched the Octopus robot, which the company describes as “a breakthrough in warehouse automation engineered to revolutionize picking and inspection operations”.

The Octopus is a fully customizable, overhead industrial robot designed with a transformative goal to maximize efficiency, flexibility, and intelligence for warehouses and logistics hubs everywhere.

At the core of Octopus’s innovation is its ability to deploy virtually unlimited, fully active tooling attachments at once, including suction, clamp, grip, and more, each mounted on independent arms operating in perfect sync. [Read more…] about Logic unveils ‘Octopus’ overhead robot for warehouse operations

Exotec and E80 Group agree strategic partnership

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Exotec, a warehouse robotics provider, and E80 Group, a supplier of automated and integrated end-to-end intralogistics solutions, have announced a strategic partnership.

The collaboration focuses on a joint offering that integrates Exotec’s signature Skypod AS/RS with E80 Group’s suite of pallet-handling systems.

This will enable customers to unify case, pallet and item handling within a single, scalable automation ecosystem, delivering end-to-end warehouse automation that minimises complexity by eliminating unnecessary equipment. [Read more…] about Exotec and E80 Group agree strategic partnership

Matthews Automation expands investment in Freespace Robotics with warehouse solution purchase

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Freespace Robotics, a provider of autonomous storage and order fulfillment systems, says Matthews Automation Solutions, a division of Matthews International, has expanded its strategic investment in the company and purchased a flagship Freespace ASRS (automated storage and retrieval system) for deployment and system integration in its newly launched Atlanta center.

The announcement follows a successful joint showing at ProMat 2025, where Freespace was spotlighted in Matthews Automation Solution’s exhibit.

The partnership drew significant interest from logistics professionals, integrators, and facility operators seeking next-generation, high-throughput order fulfillment automation. [Read more…] about Matthews Automation expands investment in Freespace Robotics with warehouse solution purchase