Robotics & Automation News

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Interview with Columbia professor and co-founder of SceniX Yunzhu Li: ‘Simulation is central’

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The robotics industry is enjoying a surge of investment, media attention, and ambitious promises about the future of humanoid machines.

Companies are announcing plans to manufacture thousands of robots, while advances in artificial intelligence have fueled expectations that general-purpose robots may soon become commonplace in factories, warehouses, workplaces, and even homes.

Yet beneath the excitement lies a fundamental technical challenge that many researchers believe remains far from solved. [Read more…] about Interview with Columbia professor and co-founder of SceniX Yunzhu Li: ‘Simulation is central’

Interview with Jun Wu of GMEX Robotics: ‘We provide an integrated terminal + brain closed-loop system’

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Artificial intelligence may dominate the headlines, but the future of robotics will depend on much more than software alone.

While many companies are racing to develop foundation models and increasingly capable AI systems, others argue that the real challenge lies in combining intelligence with hardware that can operate reliably in the physical world.

One company taking that approach is GMEX Robotics, a Nasdaq-listed developer of AI-enabled robotic systems for industrial, commercial, and consumer applications. [Read more…] about Interview with Jun Wu of GMEX Robotics: ‘We provide an integrated terminal + brain closed-loop system’

AWR standardizes CNC machine tending with OnRobot electric grippers to speed changeovers

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In the fast-paced world of high-mix, low-volume manufacturing, the ability to pivot between different part sizes is the difference between profitability and stagnation.

For many years, machine shops have been tethered to pneumatic systems that, while functional, lacked the intelligence and adaptability required for modern automation.

Automation Within Reach (AWR, formerly Gosiger Automation), a specialist in accessible CNC automation, recognized that to truly empower their customers, they needed to move beyond the mechanical limitations of the past. [Read more…] about AWR standardizes CNC machine tending with OnRobot electric grippers to speed changeovers

Misumi launches Misumi Americas as part of $1 billion global manufacturing investment

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Japanese industrial components supplier Misumi Group has launched Misumi Americas and announced a $1 billion (¥150 billion) global investment program aimed at expanding its digital manufacturing and supply chain capabilities.

The initiative combines Misumi’s industrial components business with the AI-powered manufacturing platform acquired through Fictiv, positioning the company as a broader manufacturing and supply chain partner rather than solely a parts supplier.

The expansion includes significant investment in the United States and marks the appointment of Dave Evans as the first American CEO of Misumi Americas. [Read more…] about Misumi launches Misumi Americas as part of $1 billion global manufacturing investment

Why Factory Automation Now Depends on Software-Savvy Workers

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Automation is becoming a software problem. The deeper robots move into production, the more workers need to be confident handling dashboards, updates, alerts and data-driven decisions.

The old image of factory automation was a robot arm behind a safety cage, doing one repetitive task faster than a human being ever could. But whilst robots weld, lift, assemble and pack at speeds fast enough to warrant their own keepers and still save thousands of man-hours, the knowledge of that robot engineer is increasingly software-based.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Robotics said that, worldwide, more than half a million industrial robots were installed in 2024 alone, topping up a figure approaching 5 million robots in operational use. [Read more…] about Why Factory Automation Now Depends on Software-Savvy Workers

Fanuc-powered robotic cell automates one of furniture manufacturing’s toughest jobs

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A Canadian furniture manufacturer has automated a traditionally labor-intensive upholstery process using a robotic work cell built around a Fanuc M-710iC industrial robot.

Developed by Fanuc Authorized System Integrator Dvolu, the automated upholstery cell performs a series of tasks that have historically required skilled human workers, including fabric stretching, stapling, trimming, and palletizing chair seat linings.

The project highlights how robotics is increasingly moving beyond traditional manufacturing applications such as welding, machine tending, and material handling into tasks that require a greater degree of dexterity and adaptability. [Read more…] about Fanuc-powered robotic cell automates one of furniture manufacturing’s toughest jobs

Generalist AI raises $400 million to scale robot intelligence platform

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Generalist AI, a startup developing foundation models for robotics, has raised $400 million in new funding as it seeks to accelerate the development of what it calls “physical AGI” – artificial general intelligence capable of operating in the physical world through robots.

The funding round values the company at approximately $2 billion and brings its total capital raised to more than $500 million.

The round was led by Radical Ventures, with participation from 8VC, Union Square Ventures, Hanabi Capital and Norwest. Existing investors including Nvidia’s NVentures, Boldstart Ventures, Spark Capital, Bezos Expeditions and NFDG also participated. [Read more…] about Generalist AI raises $400 million to scale robot intelligence platform

Eternal.ag scales fully-autonomous harvesting robots with first customer Van Noord Growers

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The German agritech startup eternal.ag has deployed its fully-autonomous greenhouse harvesting robot, Harvester, to the Dutch grower, Van Noord Growers, as part of a long-term agreement.

Van Noord Growers, located in Zeeland in the Netherlands, produces both tomatoes and cucumbers across a total 8.5-hectare site. It has been operating the Harvester robot, specialized in truss tomatoes, since September 2025 and is now set to expand its fleet to a total of three this summer following a successful initial period.

With eternal.ag’s plug and play approach, the Harvester has been integrated into Van Noord’s operations from day one. The fully-autonomous Harvester is designed to operate for up to 22 hours per day, 7 days a week, and harvests trusses using an AI layer to ensure ripeness, consistency and clean cutting. [Read more…] about Eternal.ag scales fully-autonomous harvesting robots with first customer Van Noord Growers

Méca-Précis utilizes robotic measurement cell to eliminate inspection bottlenecks

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French precision engineering company Méca-Précis has automated part inspection using a robotic measurement cell that combines a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) from Mitutoyo with automation technology from a company called Engineering Data.

The system was introduced after inspection processes became a bottleneck as production volumes increased, particularly for aerospace and space-sector customers that require 100 percent dimensional inspection of every part before and after surface treatment.

Founded in 1975 and based in Châtillon-sur-Indre, Méca-Précis employs 45 people and operates 25 machine tools, including 18 CNC machines. [Read more…] about Méca-Précis utilizes robotic measurement cell to eliminate inspection bottlenecks

Kirisense wins funding to develop robotic fingertips that can sense touch and slip

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UK robotics startup Kirisense has secured funding from the Henry Royce Institute to develop advanced tactile sensing technology designed to give robots a more human-like sense of touch.

The project, supported through the Henry Royce Institute’s Industrial Collaboration Programme and delivered in partnership with the University of Sheffield, will focus on creating robotic fingertips capable of detecting shear forces and slip in real time.

The funding comes as the robotics industry increasingly turns its attention from perception to manipulation. While advances in artificial intelligence and machine vision have significantly improved what robots can see and understand, handling objects reliably remains one of the sector’s biggest challenges. [Read more…] about Kirisense wins funding to develop robotic fingertips that can sense touch and slip