Robotics & Automation News

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robotics adoption

Interview with MTC’s Mike Wilson: ‘Automation is not optional if the UK wants to rebuild manufacturing’

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Readers not old enough to remember what are often referred to as the “Thatcher years” may not appreciate how dramatically the UK’s economy changed during the 1980s.

Like some other Western economies, particularly the US, the UK increasingly shifted its focus toward services, finance, retail, and consumer spending, while manufacturing became a smaller part of the national economy.

Before Margaret Thatcher became prime minister in 1979, manufacturing accounted for roughly 30 percent of UK national income and employed around 6.8 million people. [Read more…] about Interview with MTC’s Mike Wilson: ‘Automation is not optional if the UK wants to rebuild manufacturing’

MTC launches new Robot Experience Centre to accelerate UK automation adoption

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The UK’s Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has launched a new Robot Experience Centre (REC), designed to help UK manufacturers accelerate the adoption of robotics and automation technologies.

Located at MTC’s Ansty Park site in Coventry, the vendor-neutral facility will enable manufacturers to explore, test and validate robotics solutions before making investment decisions.

The REC comprises three dedicated areas: a modular automation and robotics sandpit for project development and experimentation; a demonstration space for applications including welding, palletising and machine tending; and a collaborative robot development area. [Read more…] about MTC launches new Robot Experience Centre to accelerate UK automation adoption

CES 2026 highlights shift from humanoid hardware to real-world behavior, says IntBot

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According to Intbot, CES 2026 made one thing clear: “Robots have mastered movement”. On the show floor, they danced, backflipped, played ping pong, and posed for selfies, solid proof that hardware capability is no longer limiting their development.

What’s still missing? How robots behave autonomously in the real world, outside scripted demos and controlled settings.

IntBot, a humanoid robotics company focused on social intelligence, says the industry is entering a new phase where differentiation will be defined less by mechanics and more by judgment, context, and presence. [Read more…] about CES 2026 highlights shift from humanoid hardware to real-world behavior, says IntBot

Why EVs and Robots Are Suddenly Everywhere

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Electric vehicles and robots did not appear overnight, but in the past few years they have moved from futuristic concepts to everyday sights.

This article looks at why both technologies are spreading so quickly, and what economic, cultural, and technological forces are pushing them into the mainstream at the same time. [Read more…] about Why EVs and Robots Are Suddenly Everywhere

Bain report: Humanoid robots still in pilot stage as industry prepares for waves of adoption

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Humanoid robots may be generating headlines and billions in investment, but most deployments remain in the pilot phase, according to Bain & Company’s newly released Global Technology Report 2025.

The consulting firm said humanoids attracted about $2.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024, driven in part by demographic pressures in advanced economies. Yet despite growing expectations, the reality is that today’s humanoids are “heavily dependent on human input for navigation, dexterity, or task switching”.

Bain’s report, in a chapter titled Humanoid Robots: From Demos to Deployment, highlights both rapid progress and persistent obstacles. Intelligence and perception are nearing human parity, thanks to advances in generative AI and vision systems, but battery performance and fine motor handling remain far behind. [Read more…] about Bain report: Humanoid robots still in pilot stage as industry prepares for waves of adoption