Robotics & Automation News

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robotic picking

Interview with Christina Gomez-Terry of Plus One Robotics: Why warehouse robotics succeeds or fails at scale

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Warehouse automation has entered a new phase. The question is no longer whether robotics can perform individual tasks such as parcel picking, depalletizing, sorting, or palletizing.

The technology has largely proven itself in pilot projects and controlled deployments. The bigger challenge facing the industry today is scale.

As logistics operators expand robotics systems across multiple facilities, they often discover that success depends less on peak performance and more on consistency, reliability, and operational resilience. [Read more…] about Interview with Christina Gomez-Terry of Plus One Robotics: Why warehouse robotics succeeds or fails at scale

Plus One Robotics streams eight hours of live warehouse automation performance

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Warehouse automation company Plus One Robotics has completed an eight-hour live stream demonstration of its AI-powered parcel induction system, offering what the company described as a transparent look at the realities of large-scale warehouse robotics operations.

The livestream, broadcast on the company’s YouTube and LinkedIn channels, showcased a robotic parcel induction system operating continuously in a real-world workflow environment while displaying live operational metrics throughout the event.

According to the company, the system completed 19,784 picks during the eight-hour session, achieving throughput of 2,488 picks per hour and an average pick time of 1.45 seconds per parcel. More than 950 viewers reportedly tuned in during the livestream. [Read more…] about Plus One Robotics streams eight hours of live warehouse automation performance

Geekplus Takes Fifth RBR50 Innovation Award With AI-Powered Picking Station

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The warehouse robotics firm’s latest win recognises a zero-shot learning system deployed at a Schneider Electric facility in Shanghai

Beijing-headquartered Geekplus (HKEX: 2590.HK) has won the 2026 RBR50 Innovation Award for its Robot Arm Picking Station, an intelligent system that automates item picking, which is widely regarded as the last major bottleneck in warehouse automation.

The award, presented annually by The Robot Report at the Robotics Summit & Expo, recognises the 50 most innovative companies in global robotics. It is the fifth time Geekplus has appeared on the list, placing it alongside ABB, Amazon, Boston Dynamics and Nvidia among repeat honourees. [Read more…] about Geekplus Takes Fifth RBR50 Innovation Award With AI-Powered Picking Station

Locus Robotics acquires Nexera Robotics

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Locus Robotics, a warehouse automation company, has announced the acquisition of Nexera Robotics, a Vancouver, Canada-based robotics company specializing in advanced robotic grasping.

The integration of Nexera’s proprietary NeuraGrasp end-effector technology into the Locus Robotics physical AI platform significantly expands the company’s autonomous mobile manipulation capabilities and broadens what Locus Array can handle across end-to-end fulfillment workflows.

Advanced mobile manipulation offers the most flexible and scalable path to fully autonomous fulfillment, eliminating the constraints of fixed infrastructure. Realizing that potential requires the ability to handle the full complexity of real inventory, in real warehouse conditions, across millions of SKU types. [Read more…] about Locus Robotics acquires Nexera Robotics

Festo introduces AI-based gripper for mixed-product robotic handling

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When robotic cells must handle a range of variable products within the same machine, mixed-product environments often require repeated programming, application-specific integration, and expensive 3D camera setups. These demands can slow deployment, increase integration cost, and make it difficult to scale automation across operations.

To address these challenges, Festo introduces GripperAI, a universal AI-based software that enables robots to handle a range of items without custom programming. The software operates locally at the cell on a standard industrial PC with a connected 3D camera and automatically adjusts for mixed products without programming or template loading between SKUs.

Deploying GripperAI involves standard integration steps: mounting and aligning the camera, verifying usable lighting, calibrating the robot base to the camera’s frame, and configuring the software’s pick parameters. [Read more…] about Festo introduces AI-based gripper for mixed-product robotic handling

ABB Robotics launches PickMaster Lite to ‘simplify and accelerate robotic picking’

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ABB Robotics has launched PickMaster Lite, a streamlined version of its PickMaster software suite designed to help packaging OEMs and system integrators deploy high-speed, vision-guided robotic picking applications more quickly and with less complexity.

Offering essential functionality for common picking tasks, PickMaster Lite reduces engineering effort and simplifies system setup, enabling faster commissioning and lower total cost of ownership.

Craig McDonnell, business line managing director industries at ABB Robotics, says: “Manufacturers are increasingly looking for automation that can be deployed quickly and reliably to keep pace with changing demand. [Read more…] about ABB Robotics launches PickMaster Lite to ‘simplify and accelerate robotic picking’

Sereact raises $110 million investment to advance its ‘world model’ for robotics and AI

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Sereact has raised a $110 million Series B round led by Headline, with participation from Bullhound Capital, Daphni, and Felix Capital.

Existing investors Air Street Capital, Creandum (who led the company’s 2025 Series A round), and Point Nine once again invested in Sereact.

The round funds two priorities: scaling Cortex 2 and entering the United States. Sereact will open its first US office in Boston this summer and hire commercial, application, and engineering staff locally. [Read more…] about Sereact raises $110 million investment to advance its ‘world model’ for robotics and AI

Plus One Robotics hits 2 billion picks as warehouse automation scales under labor pressure

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Plus One Robotics, a specialist in AI-powered robotic vision for material handling, says it has “surpassed 2 billion successful picks across its global fleet of parcel induction and depalletization robots”.

The milestone coincides with the company’s recent 10th anniversary, marking a decade of advancing intelligent automation for the world’s leading logistics and e-commerce operators.

Doubling its pick count in just two years, Plus One continues to demonstrate that AI-powered robotics can deliver measurable, repeatable results at scale. What began as a vision to combine artificial intelligence with practical warehouse applications has evolved into a proven platform driving speed, accuracy and resilience across modern supply chains. [Read more…] about Plus One Robotics hits 2 billion picks as warehouse automation scales under labor pressure

Logic introduces ‘Octopus’ overhead multi-arm robot to boost warehouse throughput

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High-speed, multi-arm goods-to-robot system pairs with Logic Pallets to turn every loading zone into a smart automation cell

Logic, a pioneer in autonomous, data-driven logistics solutions, highlights the Octopus, an overhead industrial picking robot that replaces static, floor-bound equipment with an agile, ceiling-mounted system for high-speed case handling.

Suspended above existing workflows, Octopus autonomously picks, lifts, and transfers cased goods without consuming aisle space, allowing warehouses and logistics hubs to reclaim the floor for storage density, people, and flow.

Rather than relying on a single arm with one dominant tool, Octopus is built as a configurable, multi-arm platform that can be populated with any combination of suction cups, clamps, grippers, and specialized end effectors. [Read more…] about Logic introduces ‘Octopus’ overhead multi-arm robot to boost warehouse throughput

Festo unveils new adaptive gripper for ‘faster, gentler and more hygienic picking’

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Festo has introduced the HPSX Universal Adaptive Gripper, a pneumatic soft gripper engineered to improve speed, hygiene and flexibility in demanding food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics applications.

Combining robust design, food-safe materials and adaptive silicone fingers, the HPSX directly addresses long-standing automation challenges where rapid, precise and gentle product handling is essential.

Peter Potters, product manager at Festo, says: “In developing the HPSX, we refined the gripper’s shape, dimensions and internal geometry to maximise gripping force while minimising air volume. [Read more…] about Festo unveils new adaptive gripper for ‘faster, gentler and more hygienic picking’