Robotics & Automation News

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future of work

MicroFactory raises $1.5 million to scale ‘general-purpose robot’ for manufacturing

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MicroFactory, a robotics startup specializing in how manual labor gets automated, has raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding from a set of visionary backers.

The backers include Clement Delangue, the founder of Hugging Face, and Naval Ravikant, early investor in Uber and Twitter. This gives the company a post-money cap of $30 million.

The company is leveraging the funds for its flagship product: an AI-powered general-purpose robotic system enclosed in a compact, box-shaped frame with two robotic arms and interchangeable tools. [Read more…] about MicroFactory raises $1.5 million to scale ‘general-purpose robot’ for manufacturing

Beyond manufacturing: Cobots in healthcare, labs, and food service

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When you hear the word “robot”, you probably picture a massive, unmoving arm on an assembly line, precisely welding car parts or lifting heavy machinery. And for good reason – industrial robots have revolutionized manufacturing for decades. 

But a new breed of robotic assistants, collaborative robots or cobots, are breaking free from the factory floor, proving their versatility and value in an array of surprising environments.

Designed to work safely alongside humans, cobots are now making significant inroads into fields like healthcare, laboratory research, and even food service, transforming how we approach tasks in these diverse sectors. [Read more…] about Beyond manufacturing: Cobots in healthcare, labs, and food service

The evolving role of the human worker alongside cobots: Upskilling and new job creation

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In the early days of industrial automation, the arrival of machines on the factory floor was often seen as a threat to human employment.

Entire roles were mechanized, displacing workers and forcing industries to re-evaluate the relationship between people and machines.

Today, as collaborative robots – or “cobots” – become more common in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and beyond, the conversation is shifting.

Rather than replacing humans, cobots are increasingly seen as tools that augment human capabilities, reshaping the modern workforce through upskilling and creating entirely new job categories in the process. [Read more…] about The evolving role of the human worker alongside cobots: Upskilling and new job creation

Gartner predicts one in 20 supply chain managers will manage robots, not humans, by 2030

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Eighty percent of humans will engage with smart robots on a daily basis, and one in 20 supply chain managers will manage robots, rather than humans, by 2030, according to business management consultancy Gartner.

Organizations are placing greater emphasis on enhancing the capabilities of their existing workforce by supplementing with robotics due to factors like labor scarcity and rising costs.

Smart robots have been identified by chief supply chain officers (CSCOs) as an important investment area, though many acknowledge their organization lacks internal robotics expertise to maximally leverage these innovative technologies. [Read more…] about Gartner predicts one in 20 supply chain managers will manage robots, not humans, by 2030

The creation of new AI careers: 4 high-paying jobs that didn’t even exist five years ago

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As artificial intelligence continues to transform nearly every sector of the economy, it’s not just machines that are evolving – job markets are too.

While fears of AI replacing workers still dominate headlines, a quieter revolution is under way: the rapid emergence of entirely new, high-paying roles built around leveraging, managing, and guiding AI systems.

Experts at software development firm Azumo have identified four distinct AI-powered professions that didn’t exist just five years ago. These roles offer six-figure salaries and represent the cutting edge of human–AI collaboration – not competition. [Read more…] about The creation of new AI careers: 4 high-paying jobs that didn’t even exist five years ago

Amazon reportedly preparing to test humanoid robots for package deliveries

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The world’s largest online retailer, Amazon, is exploring the use of humanoid robots to automate package deliveries, a move that could significantly reshape its fulfillment and delivery network.

According to reports, the e-commerce giant is in the process of testing these advanced robots for handling tasks currently performed by human workers.

The story, which appears to have been first reported by the subscription-based tech publication The Information, has been widely circulated by other news outlets. [Read more…] about Amazon reportedly preparing to test humanoid robots for package deliveries

Event preview: European Humanoid Robots Summit to address labour shortages and technological frontiers in Germany

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Germany is set to host the European Humanoid Robots Summit on November 17-18, 2025, an event poised to explore the burgeoning field of humanoid robotics and its potential to alleviate critical labour shortages across Europe and redefine industries.

Organised by ACG Events, a professional event organiser focused on industry-relevant sectors, the summit aims to create a highly efficient collaborative platform for the global humanoid robotics and embodied intelligence industries.

The event comes at a crucial time, as Europe grapples with an intensifying dual crisis of an ageing population and systemic labour deficits. [Read more…] about Event preview: European Humanoid Robots Summit to address labour shortages and technological frontiers in Germany

Clerical Automation Steps Up A Gear With Agent-Based Systems

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The era of the office might be about to change yet again. Recent advances in clerical processing and software automation have upped the ante, and now many businesses are wondering whether there is any limit to productivity.

Part of this excitement is being driven by so-called “agents” – the next step is autonomous system development. Rather than merely responding to queries, these are being designed to be proactive in the world, helping their owners (i.e., businesses) complete real tasks based on initial instructions.

Experts like to explain this concept as making autonomous systems more human. Agency implies that these solutions can do things by themselves to complete the broader objectives set for them. For example, agents might be able to set up online businesses, including payment systems, without human oversight. [Read more…] about Clerical Automation Steps Up A Gear With Agent-Based Systems

The quiet race to build America’s first fully automated factory

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In anonymous industrial parks across the United States, a new kind of race is quietly under way – one that could redefine the future of American manufacturing.

Major companies and ambitious startups are investing billions in a dream once thought decades away: the fully automated, human-free factory.

Driven by rising labor costs, supply chain nationalism, and the accelerating power of AI and robotics, organizations like Tesla, Foxconn, and a growing list of automation startups are pushing toward a once-unimaginable goal – factories that run 24/7 with little or no human presence. [Read more…] about The quiet race to build America’s first fully automated factory

Lenovo envisions humans working with bots to create the future

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Technology company Lenovo has partnered with IDC to examine the fundamental shifts that will change the concept of work and how it will be done in the next few years.

The IDC InfoBrief, Powering Intelligent Enterprise Transformation, commissioned by Lenovo, reinforces the vision that humans and bots will work together to drive a digital transformation (DX) in the Industry 4.0 era.

In the InfoBrief, IDC and Lenovo set out recommendations on how Asia Pacific enterprises can navigate this workplace transformation seamlessly and take advantage of the new opportunities.

[Read more…] about Lenovo envisions humans working with bots to create the future