Robotics & Automation News

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autonomous systems

Fort Robotics raises $18.9 million in new funding to bring total to $60.5 million

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Fort Robotics, a specialist provider of safety and security solutions for intelligent machines, has raised an additional $18.9 million in its Series B funding round. This capital raises the company’s total funding to $60.5 million to date.

The round was led by Tiger Global, with strong participation from both new and returning investors, underscoring confidence in Fort’s crucial role in the rapidly evolving robotics and physical AI landscape.

Fort’s growth is fueled by the robotics industry hitting a critical inflection point. As autonomous systems see large-scale deployments in sectors like autonomous vehicles, agriculture, construction, defense, factory automation, and humanoid robotics, they are increasingly relying on Fort’s solutions. [Read more…] about Fort Robotics raises $18.9 million in new funding to bring total to $60.5 million

Opinion: Edge AI is driving the next wave of robotic innovation

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By Paul Williamson, SVP and GM IoT line of business at Arm

The robotics revolution is accelerating. What began as rigid, programmed machines confined to factory floors, is evolving into more adaptive, intelligent systems now being piloted across a growing range of sectors.

The catalyst for this transformation isn’t just better hardware or more sophisticated software alone, but the convergence of multiple breakthrough technologies, with edge AI leading the charge. [Read more…] about Opinion: Edge AI is driving the next wave of robotic innovation

Custom chips are taking over: Why AI, autonomy, and communications can’t rely on general-purpose silicon anymore

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By Mike Kappes, founder and CSO of NEXT Semiconductor Technologies

The universal law of competitive engineering rewards any design that moves more data with less energy and cost. Every advancement in computing hardware has followed that path, and the next innovation now depends on application-specific silicon.

While general-purpose processors were sufficient for computing in the early decades of the digital age, the leading companies in AI, self-driving technology, and telecommunications now find that these readily available components can no longer meet their performance requirements. Custom chips now set the pace, cost, and capability. [Read more…] about Custom chips are taking over: Why AI, autonomy, and communications can’t rely on general-purpose silicon anymore

Diligent Robotics appoints former Cruise executives as CTO and COO

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Diligent Robotics, developers of AI-native humanoid robots, have appointed two former Cruise executives to its leadership team: Rashed Haq as chief technology officer (CTO) and Todd Brugger as chief operating officer (COO).

With deep technical and commercial go-to-market expertise in autonomous vehicles and AI, the pair will help fuel the company’s next phase of growth as it gears up for expansion beyond its initial application of US hospital logistics.

Haq most recently served as Cruise’s VP, head of AI and Robotics, where he built the foundation of end-to-end autonomy for self-driving vehicles and helped scale Cruise to 5+ million miles of fully driverless vehicles in 5+ cities. [Read more…] about Diligent Robotics appoints former Cruise executives as CTO and COO

Caltech unveils flying robot that transforms into road vehicle in mid-air

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The ‘morphorobot’ was ‘inspired by nature’, say its developers

Specialized robots that can both fly and drive typically touch down on land before attempting to transform and drive away. But when the landing terrain is rough, these robots sometimes get stuck and are unable to continue operating.

Now a team of Caltech engineers has developed a real-life Transformer that has the “brains” to morph in midair, allowing the dronelike robot to smoothly roll away and begin its ground operations without pause.

The increased agility and robustness of such robots could be particularly useful for commercial delivery systems and robotic explorers. [Read more…] about Caltech unveils flying robot that transforms into road vehicle in mid-air

What are AI agents and what do they do?

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Artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic fantasy; it’s a present-day reality, increasingly being woven into the fabric of our lives. 

But beyond the general understanding of AI as systems that can learn and make decisions, a more dynamic and autonomous form is rapidly emerging: AI agents.

These aren’t just passive algorithms; they are active participants, designed to perceive their environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals, often acting with a significant degree of autonomy on behalf of a user, an organization, or another system. [Read more…] about What are AI agents and what do they do?

IEEE ICRA 2025: Atlanta to host global gathering of robotics and automation pioneers

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The International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), recognized as one of the world’s largest and most influential international conferences in its field, is set to take place in Atlanta, USA, from May 19–23, 2025.

This premier event will draw together the foremost researchers, academics, and industry professionals in robotics and automation for a week of intensive knowledge sharing and collaboration.

The impressive scale and selectivity of ICRA 2025 are evident in the numbers: out of 4,153 submissions, 1,606 high-quality papers, representing an acceptance rate of approximately 38.67 percent, have been selected for presentation. [Read more…] about IEEE ICRA 2025: Atlanta to host global gathering of robotics and automation pioneers