News: Industrial robotics
FollowIndustrial production robots: line arms, production cobots, factory and warehouse AGVs and AMRs.
In Shanghai, Unitree G1 humanoids drop the show to tighten screws and move parcels
At the industrial fair in Shanghai in October, humanoid robot makers showed repeated production tasks rather than spectacular demonstrations, Huxiu reports, as picked up by MyDrivers.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Agility Robotics promises a Digit 5 humanoid recharged in nine minutes for 90 minutes of work
Agility Robotics plans to fit the next generation of its humanoid, Digit 5, with batteries from the manufacturer Nyobolt, heise online reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
With Samsung patents, Power Auto Robotics wants to make its assembly machines mobile
On 19 October in Seoul, Samsung Electronics transferred mobile robot patents to Power Auto Robotics, which plans to use them to make its assembly machines mobile, Robot Newspaper reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
In Japan, humanoid “Miyazawa Noa” is due to join Kakuichi as a new recruit in April 2027
Japanese company Kakuichi unpacked the humanoid robot “Miyazawa Noa” and ran it in front of its employees, according to a company press release relayed by the site Robotstart.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Born of the end of ASIMO, Honda's avatar robot tightens engine casing bolts under remote control
Honda showed its Honda Avatar Robot, a remotely piloted, AI-assisted humanoid, at CEATEC 2026 at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo, Korean site Robot Newspaper reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Bitcoin Japan becomes exclusive distributor of UBTECH humanoids in Japan for 36 months
According to Mynavi News TECH+, Japan's Bitcoin Japan and China's UBTECH Robotics have signed an exclusive distribution contract for Japan. It covers six robot models, including the industrial humanoid Walker S2.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Ultra raises Series A for OP1 warehouse robots, sold by monthly subscription
Ultra, a US company that makes warehouse robots, has closed a Series A funding round, according to the Korean site Robot Newspaper, which cites Fortune.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
1,600 Geek+ robots in two warehouses of fashion group LPP in Poland
China's Geek+ has equipped two logistics centres run by the European fashion group LPP in Poland, according to the Korean site Robot Newspaper.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Amazon passes 1 million robots, against more than 1.5 million employees, according to Futurism
US site Futurism reports that Amazon has reached a million robots. It also relays criticism gathered by Ars Technica about the consequences for warehouse staff.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
AI writes the code for MicroFactory's robot, but for screws a 300-dollar feeder does better
Igor Kulakov, founder of MicroFactory, described on 16 October a customer deployment in which general-purpose AI models write the robot's programs instead of controlling it movement by movement.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
DexForce's humanoids train in simulation, then serve coffee in more than 15 Chinese cities
According to Reuters, the Chinese start-up DexForce trains robots in virtual environments, then transfers the skills they acquire to physical machines.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Astribot raises one billion yuan and is worth fifteen billion, despite more cautious investors
The Shenzhen robot maker announced a new funding round on 13 October, four months after the previous one, Chinese outlet TMTPost reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
After ASIMO, Honda shows a teleoperated avatar robot that tightens screws with AI help
Honda exhibited a remotely piloted robot with a multi-fingered hand and an AI assistance system, Japanese site Robotstart reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
In South Korea, T-Robotics joins a public project to make optical modules without operators
South Korean industrial and humanoid robot maker T-Robotics is taking part in a state-funded R&D programme on AI-driven autonomous production, Robot Newspaper reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
AGIBOT claims the top spot in humanoids, with more than 8,600 robots delivered in the first half
According to 36Kr Japan, Chinese manufacturer AGIBOT says it delivered more than 8,600 humanoid robots from January to June, citing data from the firm IDC.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
97% of humanoid robots shipped in the first half of 2026 came from Chinese companies
Spanish site Xataka pulls together figures from analyst firms, Bloomberg and China Daily on China's lead in humanoid robots, from components to factories.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
South Korea: 20 Robros humanoids cleared to work beside workers, from car plants to shipyards
South Korea's ministry of Industrie announced a trial on 13 October that relaxes the rules separating machines from workers for these robots, cnBeta reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Agility's Digit 5 promises more than 20 hours of work in 24, but it can no longer run or jump
In a statement issued on Thursday by PR Newswire, Agility Robotics named the British company Nyobolt as supplier of the battery technology for its next humanoid.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
In Japan, ZOZO NEXT and AVITA want to make clothes for humanoid robots
In Japan, ZOZO NEXT, the research arm of the fashion group ZOZO, is teaming up with the start-up AVITA to study fabrics and clothing suited to humanoid robots, Impress Watch reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
F-35: a cobot cuts a bolting job from hours to a few minutes, according to Northrop Grumman
According to Assembly Magazine, Northrop Grumman's plant in Palmdale, California, uses collaborative robots and AI to build parts of the F-35 fighter.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Three rounds a day instead of two a month: a robot watches over a Tokyo substation
Japanese rail operator Seibu is testing an autonomous inspection robot designed by ugo, permanently installed in a Tokyo substation, Robotstart reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
In Nagoya, Fujisoft makes robots from Fanuc, Yaskawa and other manufacturers work together
On 14 October 2026, Fujisoft opened its “Nagoya Lab” to the press. The site is used to test autonomous mobile robots (AMR) and collaborative arms from several manufacturers together.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Robotic hands: South Korea's Tesollo expects more than 1,000 units sold by end of 2026 and eyes the Bourse
The South Korean maker of robotic hands and multi-finger grippers is expanding production and preparing a Bourse listing in South Korea, Robotics Tomorrow reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Ant Group's robotics arm teams up with Chinese industrial firms for factory work and parcel sorting
Ant Group's embodied AI subsidiary has signed several strategic partnerships in recent days with Chinese manufacturers and logistics firms, Leiphone reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Oa takes 24% of PyBrain AI, a young packing robot maker, and plans to rename itself OATOX
Oa, which is listed on the Kosdaq, is taking a stake in the young company PyBrain AI to automate parcel picking and packing in its warehouses, Robot Newspaper reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Siemens opens 5 factories in China to its partners' humanoid trials, without building robots itself
At an industry trade fair in China, Siemens put a wheeled humanoid to work with machine tools on its stand, Chinese outlet TMTPost reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
NEURA promises to show its 4NE1 humanoid doing the laundry, from washing machine to dryer with no human help
The German manufacturer, based in Metzingen, has unveiled its physical AI model. It says it will demonstrate it on its 4NE1 humanoid at NVIDIA GTC in Berlin.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Digit humanoid heads for the Nasdaq: shareholders vote on the Agility Robotics merger on 2 November
Shareholders of the acquisition company Churchill Capital Corp XI will vote on 2 November on the merger with the US maker of the Digit humanoid, Korean site Robot Newspaper reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Korea's Yujin Robot to trial humanoids in a working logistics centre
Korean firm Yujin Robot, which has so far automated the transport of parts and products with autonomous mobile robots (AMR), is expanding into humanoids for manual tasks in factories and warehouses, Robot Newspaper (로봇신문) reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
BMW to evaluate Industrial Next robots, which promise to reconfigure a line in minutes
The San Francisco start-up showed its reconfigurable robotic workstations on stage at TechCrunch Disrupt, where it announced the partnership with the carmaker.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Optimus V3 almost frozen: Tesla reportedly aims for volume production before the end of 2026, supplier says
On the evening of 12 October, Chinese transmission parts maker Xinjian Chuandong replied to questions on its planned Bourse listing on the ChiNext market. It says Tesla's humanoid robot will soon enter volume production, Chinese site Kuai Keji (MyDrivers) reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Top US homebuilder signs with Promise Robotics for more than 1,250 robot-built homes
Promise Robotics, which applies AI and robotics to home building, has announced a multi-year commercial agreement with D.R. Horton, the largest homebuilder in the United States by volume.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Yunshenchu: Jueying X gross margin falls to 39.75% as the wheeled-legged Lynx M takes over
Chinese manufacturer Yunshenchu (云深处), a candidate for listing on the 科创板 market, saw prices and margins fall in the first half of 2026, according to figures reported by TMTPost.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Amazon passes a million robots: 40% fewer serious injuries, 77% more minor ones
According to Ars Technica, as picked up by the Chinese site IT之家, Amazon is still increasing production and deployment of its warehouse robots, as the debate over their effects on workers intensifies.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
South Korea: 20 humanoids on trial in factory and shipyard, one quadruped on patrol
The Ministry of Industrie has granted regulatory exemptions to test mobile humanoids at industrial sites and patrol quadrupeds on pedestrian paths, Robot Newspaper reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
UBTECH targets 10,000 humanoids sold by 2030 with C&D Inc, from warehouses to public spaces
According to the Global Times, Shenzhen-based UBTECH is teaming up with Xiamen-based C&D Inc in a joint venture that will run a technology centre in Fujian.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Losses more than fifteen times sales: Yinghe Robot, backed by Meituan and ByteDance, goes bankrupt
The Shenzhen Intermediate People's Court has placed Yinghe Robot (盈合机器人) into bankruptcy. The robotics company was incubated by the Infore group of He Jianfeng, son of Midea's founder.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
In Bologne, Comau opens a robotic teaching factory for ITS Maker Academy students
On 9 October 2026, Comau opened an automation laboratory in Bologne to train students and instructors of ITS Maker Academy, according to a statement from the manufacturer.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Tesla's Optimus 2: without China, its materials would cost nearly three times as much, according to Morgan Stanley
An investigation by the Washington Post, relayed by the Chinese site cnBeta, puts a figure on American robotics' reliance on Chinese subcontractors.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Gecko Robotics inspection robots to equip Anduril's submarine shipyard
Gecko Robotics' non-destructive testing robots are to equip Arsenal-2, the shipyard Anduril is building in Maryland, as well as its prototype site in California.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Universal Robots cobots: Teradyne and China's Elite Robots settle dispute out of court
The robotics arm of US group Teradyne and Chinese cobot maker Elite Robots have ended their legal dispute over robots and software, Korean site Robot Newspaper reports.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Torque wrench cobots to assemble machine tools: Robolution targets a 99% success rate
Robolution has announced it is taking part as a co-development body in a public research project on autonomous machine tool assembly, Robot Newspaper (로봇신문) reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
At a Caterpillar dealer in Texas, 20 AutoStore robots bring parts to operators
At its Midland site in Texas, Warren CAT has automated parts order picking with an AutoStore system backed by Kardex, according to the Korean site Robot Newspaper (로봇신문), citing Robotics247.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Teradyne, parent of Universal Robots, invests in Bright Machines to bring its robots into production
US company Teradyne, parent of Universal Robots, has made a strategic investment in Bright Machines, a California specialist in software-driven manufacturing, South Korea's Robot Newspaper reports, citing The Robot Report.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Germany's RobCo passes a billion-dollar valuation, doubled in 9 months according to the company
The German industrial robotics start-up is also preparing the commercial launch of its Alfie robot, planned in Munich.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
At Walmart, small warehouse robots can't get dog food bags out of their boxes
After approaching several robotics companies, Walmart has chosen small wheeled robots for more than a dozen of its warehouses, Futurism reports, citing the Wall Street Journal.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Danu Robotics raises 5 million dollars for its robot that sorts recyclables with a gripper
The Edinburgh-based start-up founded by Amy Ma sells a robot meant to sort recyclable waste faster and at lower cost, TechCrunch reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Near Milan, 58 Exotec robots will pick orders from racking more than 12 metres high
The distributor RS Italia has shown the press its future distribution centre in Pozzuolo Martesana, in Lombardie, Italian site Automazione Plus reports.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
Exotec's Skypod robots promise order picking 10 times faster at First Supply
Exotec has installed its Skypod robotic system in the warehouse of distributor First Supply in West Salem, Wisconsin, Robotics & Automation News reports.
· Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically
In Greece, eight robots sort 100,000 peaches an hour, but gripping peeled, slippery fruit was the hardest part
At Agrophoenix's fruit processing plant in Greece, the STAQ inspection system from Dutch start-up QING has finished its first harvest season, Robotics & Automation News reports.
· · Brief · Written with AI assistance, checked automatically