# industrial automation

Ati Robotics assembles robots in India and says it uses very few Chinese parts.
WIRED reported the FCC blocked new models of Chinese humanoid robots and other advanced devices.
Ati says it has several hundred robots deployed and more than 50 customers.

DT Editorial Team·Aug 4, 2026·via wired.com

Pratt & Whitney Puts Assembly Robot on Jet Engine Line

BARB now performs bearing assembly processes on Pratt & Whitney’s 1100G commercial engine line.
The robot entered service only after extended validation of its cameras, sensors, and operational consistency.
The deployment suggests aerospace automation will expand through narrow, proven tasks rather than rapid full-line replacement.

DT Editorial Team·Jul 27, 2026·via twz.com

Industrial robotics is growing, but adoption remains uneven

IFR data cited in the source says 229,000 industrial robots were sold in 2024.
Seventy percent of global industrial robot sales came from five countries.
Service robotics is also expanding, with strong growth in military and personal-use segments.

DT Editorial Team·Jun 15, 2026·via therobotreport.com

New humanoid robot brings human-like dexterity for industrial roles

Innovation

Vietnamese firm unveils VR-H3 humanoid robot for industrial work

A Vietnamese technology company unveiled the VR-H3 humanoid robot.
The launch took place at an IEEE event.
The robot is positioned for industrial use.
Advanced perception and manipulation are the headline capabilities.

DT Editorial Team·Jun 4, 2026·via interestingengineering.com

Industrial Automation Is Moving Toward Tighter PLC-Robot Integration, Not Away From It

Yamaha Robotics Group’s Chris Elston discussed integrating robots into PLC-driven manufacturing environments.
The conversation reflects a broader push to make automation easier to deploy and scale.
PLC compatibility remains important because many factories extend existing controls rather than replace them.

DT Editorial Team·May 23, 2026·via therobotreport.com

Molly Lynch and Brenda Courim will speak at an upcoming webinar about engineering robot tracks.

Robotics Integrators Are Relearning a Basic Lesson: Harsh Environments Break Clean-Room Assumptions

The webinar focuses on how harsh environments damage robot tracks and long-axis systems.
Expected topics include contamination-driven failures such as seal bypass, corrosion, and bearing damage.
The discussion emphasizes designing preventive maintenance and protection into the system early.

DT Editorial Team·May 10, 2026·via therobotreport.com

ABB launches PoWa cobots to target heavier, faster industrial automation jobs

ABB launched six PoWa cobot categories with payloads from 7 kg to 30 kg.
The robots can reach speeds up to 5.8 m/s.
ABB says the line targets jobs like machine tending, palletizing, screwdriving and arc welding.
The company is pitching industrial-grade performance with no-code programming and compact deployment.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 27, 2026·via therobotreport.com

Siemens unveils an AI engineering agent aimed at industrial automation workflows

Siemens introduced the Eigen Engineering Agent for automation engineering tasks.
The company says the system uses multi-step reasoning and self-correction.
The announcement reflects a shift toward domain-specific AI for industrial workflows.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 24, 2026·via artificialintelligence-news.com

Energy

Mining Connectivity Push Centers on Private 4G and 5G Networks

Ericsson and Epiroc say they have worked since 2016 on private cellular solutions for mining.
The networks are aimed at telematics, automation, monitoring, and safer site operations.
The approach reflects a broader industrial move toward treating connectivity as core infrastructure.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 16, 2026·via energymonitor.ai

A Wrist-Mounted Vision Camera Targets Tight-Space Robotics

Ouster released the Stereolabs ZED X Nano camera.
The camera is designed to mount directly on robotic wrists and end-of-arm tooling.
Its main selling point is compactness in tight integration spaces.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 14, 2026·via therobotreport.com

Hyundai’s push into robotics signals a bigger race to build ‘physical AI’

The supplied excerpt says Hyundai Motor Group is expanding into robotics and physical AI systems.
Physical AI is framed as AI embedded in machines that move and respond in the real world.
The shift suggests industrial firms see embodied AI as a major next-stage competitive arena.

DT Editorial Team·Apr 14, 2026·via artificialintelligence-news.com

Unitree's IPO Shows Humanoid Robots Earn Money — Barely

Unitree filed for a $610M IPO after posting $248M in 2025 revenue, 674% net profit growth, and 32.4% global humanoid market share
But 50-70% of enterprise humanoid revenue comes from reception and tour-guide bots — not demanding industrial work
As a proven hardware manufacturer shipping 5,500+ units with 96% sell-through, Unitree has credibility most Western humanoid startups lack

DT Editorial Team·Mar 26, 2026·via therobotreport.com

Oxa’s systems tow and carry goods in ports, airports, or manufacturing facilities, as well as monitor assets and perimeters in solar farms or industrial plants.

Oxa Raises Series D to Deploy Self-Driving Tech on 20-Plus Vehicle Types

Oxa closed a Series D round to scale its configurable autonomous vehicle software across 20+ industrial vehicle types
The platform targets structured industrial environments—ports, airports, factories, solar farms—where controlled settings enable more reliable autonomous operation
Oxa's configurable architecture allows one software platform to address multiple vehicle types, reducing development cost and accelerating new market entry

DT Editorial Team·Mar 14, 2026·4 min read·via therobotreport.com

Why physical AI is becoming manufacturing’s next advantage

Innovation

Physical AI Is Manufacturing's Next Competitive Advantage

Physical AI—embodied systems that perceive, reason, and act in factory environments—is replacing conventional fixed-program automation
Labor shortages in precision manufacturing are making physical AI adoption a strategic necessity rather than a cost optimization choice
Early adopters are reporting 40-60% defect reductions and 20-30% labor productivity gains, creating compounding competitive advantages

DT Editorial Team·Mar 14, 2026·4 min read·via technologyreview.com

Humanoid Robot Leaders Chart the Industry's Next Chapter

Industry transitioning from research demos to factory floor deployments at Amazon and auto plants
No comprehensive safety standards exist yet for mobile humanoid robots in workplaces
Economic viability remains the key question as units cost hundreds of thousands of dollars each

DT Editorial Team·Mar 11, 2026·4 min read·via therobotreport.com

Different types of robots, such as this cobot arm, rely on different motors for precise motion.

How Advances in Motor Design Are Shaping the Next Generation of Robots

Permanent-magnet brushless servomotors now dominate industrial six-axis robots with frameless direct-drive designs
SCARA systems prioritize high-torque AC servomotors for rapid pick-and-place cycle times
Collaborative robots increasingly share motor architecture with industrial arms through frameless motor convergence
Axial-flux and pancake motors are gaining traction for lightweight surgical and inspection applications
Machine learning integration with motor control enables real-time compensation for wear and environmental changes

DT Editorial Team·Feb 17, 2026·4 min read·via therobotreport.com

Trener Robotics Raises $32M for Natural Language Robot Platform

Trener closed a $32M Series A led by Engine Ventures and IAG Capital Partners, bringing total funding past $38M
Acteris integrates with ABB, Universal Robots, and FANUC, with 15+ systems integration partners across Europe and the U.S.
Flexible automation market growing at 14.3% CAGR as labor shortages drive demand for easier robot programming

DT Editorial Team·Feb 14, 2026·2 min read·via therobotreport.com

$Gantry systems using ServoBelt technology can provide the automotive industry with flexibility at a fraction of the cost of rack-and-pinion systems, says Bell-Everman.$

ServoBelt Drives Cost-Effective Automation for Auto Gantry Systems

ServoBelt delivers quarter-millimeter positioning accuracy at 3 m/s while eliminating belt stretch across extended distances
Deployed for Tier 1 automotive camshaft line handling 80 kg payloads through grinding and lathing operations
Lead times are often less than half those of larger gantry suppliers, with cost savings from avoiding over-engineered solutions

DT Editorial Team·Feb 14, 2026·2 min read·via therobotreport.com