From shelf-scanning robots to warehouse automation and AI-powered checkout systems, robots are transforming retail operations both in stores and behind the scenes. [Read more…] about Retail automation: Robots on the shop floor and behind the scenes
automation news
Jacobi Robotics wins DHL innovation award for its warehouse palletizing solution
DHL announced Jacobi Robotics as the winner of its Fast Forward Challenge Americas Edition on October 14.
Jacobi Robotics received a $20,000 cash prize to bring its vision to life by working jointly with DHL innovation experts to pilot its warehouse palletizing solution.
The Fast Forward Challenge is a competition inviting businesses, start-ups and innovators to showcase their game-changing solutions in logistics for a chance to test them in a real-world environment with DHL, join the DHL Innovation Ecosystem, and potentially exhibit their solutions to DHL customers in DHL Innovation Centers worldwide. [Read more…] about Jacobi Robotics wins DHL innovation award for its warehouse palletizing solution
ABB integrates Machine Automation division into Process Automation business area
Following the announcement of the divestment of its robotics division to SoftBank Group, ABB is transitioning the Machine Automation division – formerly part of the Robotics & Discrete Automation business area – into the Process Automation business area.
The transition will take effect in the fourth quarter of 2025.
As the division transitions into the Process Automation business area, customers in process and hybrid industries will benefit from deeper technology synergies – spanning automation, electrification and digitalization – delivered through a unified and comprehensive portfolio. [Read more…] about ABB integrates Machine Automation division into Process Automation business area
Kenco partners with GreyOrange to elevate fulfillment through AI-powered orchestration
Kenco, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, has agreed a long-term partnership with GreyOrange, the global leader in AI-driven warehouse orchestration software.
Over the next five years, Kenco will deploy GreyOrange’s GreyMatter Multi-Process Orchestration Platform (MPOP) across its network of fulfillment centers, supported by fleets of robotic solutions from GreyOrange’s Certified Ranger Network.
The collaboration underscores Kenco’s commitment to redefining fulfillment in the 3PL market by integrating orchestration technology that synchronizes people, processes, and robotic systems across complex and continuously evolving distribution environments. [Read more…] about Kenco partners with GreyOrange to elevate fulfillment through AI-powered orchestration
ODW Logistics expects to improve pick rates by 42 percent with Zebra Technologies
Zebra Technologies, a provider of warehouse automation technologies, says ODW Logistics has adopted Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment to optimize its e-commerce operations.
With this implementation, ODW Logistics anticipates realizing a 42 percent improvement in pick rates, enhancing its ability to scale while maintaining cost efficiency.
ODW Logistics selected Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment to enhance efficiency and flexibility across its fulfillment operations. [Read more…] about ODW Logistics expects to improve pick rates by 42 percent with Zebra Technologies
Best Technologies for Senior Safety at Home
Most household injuries for older adults happen in familiar rooms when routines slip. Small gaps in attention can turn into falls, burns, or missed pills.
Medical alert wearables remain the backbone for rapid help. Modern devices add GPS, fall detection, and two way voice so help is one press away.
Brands like Life Assure focus on simple setup, nationwide coverage in Canada, and no long contracts, which matters for families that want reliable support without a complex install. [Read more…] about Best Technologies for Senior Safety at Home
When customers see robots being mistreated, their reactions reveal something deeper about society
A new study from Hanyang University ERICA, in South Korea, has found that when people witness someone abusing a service robot, their response follows one of two psychological paths: some copy the aggressor’s behavior, while others feel empathy for the robot and act more kindly.
The research, led by Professor Taeshik Gong, offers one of the first empirical looks at a phenomenon that many people have noticed but few have studied – the discomfort that arises when robots are kicked, shoved, or insulted in public or online videos.
Such scenes, once intended to showcase a robot’s balance or durability, increasingly strike observers as needlessly cruel. [Read more…] about When customers see robots being mistreated, their reactions reveal something deeper about society
Interview with Locus Robotics software leader: ‘AI delivers clear advantages over generic foundational models’
Locus Robotics has become one of the defining companies in warehouse automation, best known for its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that work alongside people in logistics centers around the world.
But increasingly, the company’s real differentiator may lie not in the hardware itself – which many would argue has reached near-optimal design for its purpose – but in the intelligence that drives it.
Hamid Montazeri, senior vice president of software and AI at Locus Robotics, leads the team responsible for that intelligence. His work focuses on developing what he calls “physical AI” – domain-specific artificial intelligence designed to operate in the unpredictable, fast-moving environment of a warehouse. [Read more…] about Interview with Locus Robotics software leader: ‘AI delivers clear advantages over generic foundational models’
Epson Robots to demonstrate automation innovations at The Assembly Show 2025
Epson Robots says it will showcase a range of high-performance, cost-effective automation technologies at The Assembly Show 2025, taking place in Rosemont, Illinois, from October 21-23. The company will demonstrate its latest SCARA and 6-Axis robots and related automation systems at booth #319.
Epson, which describes itself as the world’s leading SCARA robot manufacturer, says its systems are designed to help manufacturers overcome challenges such as labor shortages, reshoring, and the demand for flexible production. The company says its solutions aim to simplify automation while improving speed, safety, and efficiency.
Scott Marsic, group product manager, Epson Robots, says: “From easy-to-integrate robots to user-friendly software tools, Epson makes automation simple, accessible and cost-effective. [Read more…] about Epson Robots to demonstrate automation innovations at The Assembly Show 2025
Truck maker Scania marks historic milestone with new €2 billion global industrial hub in China
Swedish truck maker Scania has taken what it describes as “a momentous step in its 134-year journey” by inaugurating its third global industrial hub, in China.
The company says that this investment not only strengthens Scania’s global footprint but positions the company “at the heart of the world’s largest truck market”.
The new industrial hub in Rugao, Jiangsu Province, represents one of Scania’s largest global investments to date.
Covering 800,000 square metres, the site has a licensed production capacity of 50,000 vehicles a year and will serve both the Chinese market and selected export markets in Asia and beyond. [Read more…] about Truck maker Scania marks historic milestone with new €2 billion global industrial hub in China