Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News – Details, episodes & analysis

This is your Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Robotics is moving from pilot projects to production floors at scale, and this week the story is all about intelligent automation becoming core infrastructure, not an experiment. The International Federation of Robotics reports that global industrial robot installations are on track to exceed seven hundred thousand units annually by 2028, growing around seven percent per year, with automotive, electronics, and logistics still leading demand. According to the State of Robotics 2026 report from Roboticscenter dot ai, the broader robotics market has reached roughly thirty eight billion dollars this year, up more than thirty percent year over year, making it one of the fastest growing segments in enterprise technology. On the technology front, humanoid and collaborative robots are quietly getting real jobs. Automate Show’s 2026 preview highlights industrial humanoids designed for palletizing, machine tending, and intralogistics, with major manufacturers preparing limited but revenue generating deployments in factories and warehouses. In parallel, China’s state media reports accelerated rollout of humanoid robots in “real scenarios” such as manufacturing, logistics, and services, signaling a national push to make humanoids a new export “calling card.” Artificial intelligence is the real force multiplier. Roboticscenter dot ai notes that vision language action models are now embedded in about forty percent of new commercial robots, tripling adoption in a year and allowing systems to understand verbal instructions, scene context, and task goals in one model. UiPath’s 2026 automation trends report and qBotica’s 2026 brief both emphasize that autonomous software agents are being linked to physical robots, orchestrating fleets of arms and mobile bases across entire workflows, from order intake to packed shipment. Capital is following that shift. Plus One Robotics recently announced a fifty million dollar funding round to expand artificial intelligence powered vision systems for warehouse robots, targeting a one hundred twenty eight billion dollar fulfillment and logistics automation opportunity, a strong signal that investors still see headroom in industrial use cases. For listeners, three practical takeaways stand out. First, treat robots plus artificial intelligence as a single architecture: when evaluating new systems, ask vendors how their models are trained, monitored, and updated across fleets. Second, prioritize collaborative and modular platforms so you can reconfigure cells as products and labor conditions change. Third, start building governance now; as IBM and others warn in their artificial intelligence trends for 2026, verifiable and auditable artificial intelligence is becoming a regulatory and competitive requirement, especially in high risk industrial environments. Looking ahead, expect more general purpose factory workers: agile humanoids, fleets of mobile manipulators, and edge reasoning models that run on device for low latency, safe autonomy. The winners will be operations teams that learn to design work around human robot collaboration, not just bolt a robot onto old processes. Thank you for tuning in, and come back next week for more Robotics Industry Insider. This has been a Quiet Please production, and to learn more about me, check out QuietPlease dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This is your Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Industrial robotics is moving from incremental upgrades to a full scale reset, as intelligent automation systems quietly become the core infrastructure of modern industry. The International Federation of Robotics reports that the global market value of industrial robot installations has reached a record 16.7 billion dollars, driven by demand for more versatile, software defined machines that merge information technology and operational technology on the factory floor. According to the federation, this convergence allows robots to tap real time data, analytics, and cloud connectivity, making even traditional six axis arms behave more like adaptive cyber physical systems than fixed equipment. On the technology front, industry experts at the Consumer Electronics Show 2026 highlighted three breakthroughs listeners should watch closely: vision first picking robots for warehouses, mobile manipulators for flexible intralogistics, and the rapid march of humanoid robots from lab pilots to controlled factory deployments, a shift also underscored by the new humanoid benchmarking initiatives covered by multiple industry outlets. In logistics, Plus One Robotics recently raised 50 million dollars to pursue what it calls a 128 billion dollar opportunity in computer vision powered parcel handling, a sign that specialized, task focused robots are scaling fast in real world operations. Artificial intelligence is the new control stack. UiPath’s twenty twenty six Agentic Automation Trends report and analysis by Deloitte both describe a shift from simple scripted automation to “agentic” systems that can perceive, decide, and execute across workflows with minimal human intervention. Tom Snyder, writing for WRAL TechWire, notes that the real prize is not historical data but streaming sensor and machine data that lets robots adapt on the fly, turning factories and warehouses into living data systems. National University’s artificial intelligence statistics roundup suggests that economies fully leveraging artificial intelligence driven automation could see growth nearly twenty five percent higher than those relying on traditional automation alone, raising the stakes for manufacturers, logistics providers, and even small and mid sized enterprises. Strategically, listeners should focus on three action items. First, treat automation projects as data projects: invest in clean, connected operational data so robots and artificial intelligence systems can learn and improve. Second, pilot collaborative robots and vision systems in narrow, high value use cases such as palletizing, machine tending, or order picking, then scale once the metrics are proven. Third, watch the emerging “automation divide” Snyder describes, and benchmark your operations not against manual peers but against the most automated plants in your sector. Looking ahead, expect tighter integration between industrial robots, collaborative robots, and cloud artificial intelligence; more industry specific humanoid deployments in logistics and light manufacturing; and an accelerating wave of acquisitions, like Amazon’s recent purchase of humanoid startup Phonak Robotics, as major platforms race to own the robotics intelligence layer. Thank you for tuning in, and come back next week for more Robotics Industry Insider. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for more from me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This is your Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. The robotics and automation world is shifting from pilot projects to large scale deployment, and the next week will be all about turning artificial intelligence from something on a screen into a force in the physical world. At Nvidia’s recent G T C keynote, company leaders described an inflection point where general purpose robots powered by foundation models move from research labs into factories, warehouses, and even hospitals, signaling that the next wave of automation is embodied intelligence rather than just chat interfaces, as summarized by Wisdom Tree’s analysis of the event. On the industrial floor, collaborative robots continue their march into mainstream production. The Robotics Industry Insider podcast reports that more than half of automakers plan to expand collaborative robot deployments for flexible final assembly, taking advantage of safer designs, integrated force sensing, and low code programming that lets line engineers, not just specialists, retask robots in hours instead of weeks. For listeners, the practical takeaway is clear: if your plant still treats robots as fixed, caged assets, it is time to pilot at least one collaborative cell and build internal skills around quick reconfiguration. In corporate strategy, G M E X Robotics Corporation recently outlined an aggressive 2026 roadmap, pivoting from fitness equipment to a dual terminal and brain model in which physical robots connect to a cloud intelligence platform. According to the company’s May shareholder letter, it plans to launch new robotic hardware in late June, followed by a beta of its robot brain platform in July and acquisitions to accelerate logistics and industrial automation capabilities, including a culinary artificial intelligence robot for fulfillment and food service. The lesson here is that value is rapidly concentrating in platforms that combine hardware, proprietary data, and large language models tuned for real world control. Looking ahead, the Association for Advancing Automation is positioning its 2026 Automate event as a showcase for artificial intelligence native robots and autonomous systems, with keynotes focused on the future of work and reskilling. Expect more robots that can be taught by demonstration, richer human robot collaboration, and new business models such as robots as a service that move capital expense to operating expense. For action this week, leaders should identify one process that is repetitive, high volume, and data rich, and begin scoping how a collaborative robot plus an artificial intelligence vision system could address it over the next twelve months. Thanks for tuning in, and come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and to find me, check out Quiet Please dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Welcome back to Robotics Industry Insider. The industrial automation landscape is experiencing a pivotal moment as we enter 2026, with renewed growth momentum after two years of stagnation in robot installations. The global industrial automation market is witnessing remarkable expansion. Research Nester reports the market reached 215.2 billion dollars in 2025 and is projected to hit 233.6 billion dollars this year, with expectations to exceed 533 billion dollars by 2035. This represents a compound annual growth rate of 9.5 percent through the end of the decade. Meanwhile, a separate analysis from Roland Berger indicates this marks the first year with genuine growth recovery, potentially sustaining a nine percent compound annual growth rate through 2030. The biggest driver of this momentum is domestic manufacturing reshoring. According to Brightpick's analysis, the shift toward rebuilding United States manufacturing is accelerating due to supply chain fragility and persistent labor shortages exceeding one million open positions. Manufacturers are turning to automation as the only viable path to productivity competitiveness against lower-cost Asian economies. Artificial intelligence is fundamentally transforming how robots operate. Controls, Drives and Automation reports that AI is making robots smarter and faster to deploy through voice-controlled operation, adaptive motion control, and virtual commissioning using digital twins. FANUC is actively collaborating with NVIDIA to unlock physical AI potential while supporting the open-source robotics platform ROS 2, enabling Python programming to lower entry barriers for developers. A significant trend gaining momentum is Robots-as-a-Service. Rather than committing to large upfront capital purchases, manufacturers increasingly opt for monthly fees bundling hardware, software, and maintenance. This model is accelerating fastest among smaller manufacturers and third-party logistics providers with constrained capital budgets, making automation accessible during uncertain economic periods. Supply chain resilience remains critical. With approximately 90 percent of key components sourced from China, Western manufacturers face pressure to localize production. A gradual divide between United States-aligned and China-aligned robotics ecosystems is emerging, raising short-term costs but improving long-term resilience through dual sourcing strategies. The practical takeaway for manufacturers is clear: automation is no longer optional but essential for competitiveness. Companies should evaluate Robots-as-a-Service models to reduce financial risk while validating automation investments through pilot deployments. Looking ahead, collaborative robots will continue advancing in safety and capability, while humanoid robots remain in demonstration phases despite capturing headlines. Thank you for tuning in to Robotics Industry Insider. Join us n This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Welcome to Robotics Industry Insider: AI and Automation News. As we kick off February 2026, the industrial automation market surges forward, valued at 233.6 billion dollars this year according to Research Nester, with projections hitting 533 billion by 2035 at a 9.5 percent compound annual growth rate. Controls Drives and Automation highlights three pivotal trends: AI-driven robotics enabling voice control and safety-aware collaboration, smart scalable systems tackling labor shortages through easier deployment, and open ecosystems like FANUCs partnership with NVIDIA for physical AI on ROS 2 platforms. Recent headlines underscore this momentum. OnRobot hosts a free Build Your Automation Roadmap event on February 19 in Dallas, featuring FANUC robot demos for North Texas manufacturers facing hiring woes. Universal Robots and NVIDIA follow on February 18 with live physical AI demos transforming industrial automation. Meanwhile, the International Federation of Robotics reports 542,000 new industrial robots installed globally in 2024, doubling from a decade ago, led by Asias 74 percent share. Industrial robots now claim over 56 percent market share by 2035 per Research Nester, slashing waste and boosting precision in manufacturing. Brightpick predicts manufacturing as automations main driver amid US nearshoring, with Robots-as-a-Service gaining traction to cut upfront costs for smaller firms. For insiders, dive into AI integration: adaptive motion control via digital twins speeds deployment while force sensing enhances collaborative robots for human-safe picking and palletizing. Practical takeaway: Assess total cost of ownership now, prioritizing flexible Robots-as-a-Service models to future-proof against skills gaps. Looking ahead, expect split supply chains, lights-out warehouses, and Industry 4.0 dominance with AI optimization and IoT, per Roland Berger forecasting up to 9 percent growth through 2030. Thank you for tuning in, listeners. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production—for me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Welcome to Robotics Industry Insider: AI and Automation News. As we kick off 2026, manufacturing is surging as the primary driver of automation, fueled by United States re-shoring efforts amid supply chain woes and over one million open jobs, according to Brightpick CEO Jan Zizka. The industrial automation market hits USD 238.37 billion this year, projected to reach USD 343.14 billion by 2031 at a 7.55 percent compound annual growth rate, with Asia-Pacific leading at 43.10 percent share and 12.3 percent growth, per Mordor Intelligence. Breakthroughs in physical AI are accelerating, as Nvidia's Jensen Huang declared at CES the ChatGPT moment for robotics has arrived, enabling robots to perceive, reason, and act in real-world settings. Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its Atlas humanoid for production lines, while cost-effective AI agents and Internet of Things sensors now predict maintenance and optimize supply chains, notes Manufacturing Dive. Robots-as-a-Service models are booming, slashing upfront costs via monthly fees bundling hardware, software, and support. Recent highlights include Locus Robotics hitting 25 million coordinated picks with Radial warehouses via Locusbot, and Automated Industrial Robotics acquiring KAON to enhance medical manufacturing, as reported in January recaps by Robotics 247. Novus Hi-Tech advances indigenous autonomous mobile robots and vision-guided collaborative robots in India’s automotive hubs. For technical depth, AI-native teach-less robotics cut changeover times by 1.2 percent impact on growth, extending to flexible lines with 11.8 percent compound annual growth rate in field devices. Listeners, practical takeaway: Evaluate Robots-as-a-Service for your operations to scale without capex risks, and pilot AI sensors for predictive upkeep. Looking ahead, expect humanoid proliferation, lights-out factories, and Industry 4.0 dominance, reshaping productivity globally. Thank you for tuning in. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. The robotics and automation industry is experiencing a pivotal moment as we head into the latter half of 2026. According to research from Mordor Intelligence, the industrial automation market reached 238 billion dollars in 2026 and is forecast to climb to 343 billion dollars by 2031, growing at a 7.55 percent compound annual growth rate. This momentum reflects a fundamental shift in how manufacturers approach productivity and competitiveness. Physical artificial intelligence has emerged as the defining trend. Nvidia's Jensen Huang declared that the ChatGPT moment for physical AI has arrived, marking an inflection point where breakthroughs in how robots understand the real world and reason about actions are moving from research labs into real-world production. This transition is accelerating commercial deployment across multiple sectors, with manufacturers increasingly turning to AI-driven robotics that feature voice-controlled operation, adaptive motion control, and safety-aware human collaboration capabilities. One major development reshaping the industry is the rise of Robots-as-a-Service, where companies opt for monthly fees bundling hardware, software, and maintenance rather than large upfront capital purchases. This approach lowers financial risk and makes automation accessible to businesses cautious about heavy capital expenditures during uncertain economic periods. Manufacturing is becoming the main driver of automation growth. The shift toward rebuilding domestic production in the United States, driven by supply chain fragility and geopolitical uncertainty, means manufacturers designing new plants have no flexibility but to automate. With more than one million open manufacturing jobs in the United States and persistent labor shortages, automation represents the only reliable path to achieving the productivity needed for competitive domestic production. Humanoid robots continue capturing headlines, but according to industry analysis, real deployments remain limited to demonstrations and pilot tests. Companies are still identifying practical roles for them, and high costs combined with limited capabilities make return on investment challenging to achieve at this stage. Cost-effective sensor technologies and artificial intelligence agents are surging as manufacturers lay groundwork for digital transformation. These tools autonomously monitor equipment, anticipate maintenance needs, and manage supply chains at relatively inexpensive price points with improved capabilities. For industry professionals, the practical takeaway is clear: prioritize adaptable automation solutions that can evolve with your business needs while exploring service-based models that reduce financial barriers to implementation. The convergence of artificial intelligence, scalable robotics, and supportive market conditions suggests those who move decisively now will gain significant competitive ad This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. The robotics and automation industry is hitting a pivotal inflection point as we move deeper into 2026. Manufacturing is emerging as the primary driver of automation adoption, particularly in the United States where persistent labor shortages and supply chain vulnerabilities are forcing manufacturers to embrace robotics at unprecedented scale. With over one million open manufacturing jobs in the country, companies are recognizing automation as the only viable path to maintaining domestic competitiveness against lower-cost Asian economies. According to Mordor Intelligence, the industrial automation market is valued at 238 billion dollars this year and is projected to reach 343 billion dollars by 2031, growing at a 7.55 percent compound annual rate. This growth is being fueled by a fundamental shift in how companies approach automation investments. The rise of Robots-as-a-Service models is particularly significant, allowing smaller manufacturers and third-party logistics providers to access automation without committing to massive capital expenditures. This financing flexibility is lowering barriers to entry and accelerating adoption among risk-averse organizations navigating economic uncertainty. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming robotics capabilities. Through voice-controlled operations, adaptive motion control, and virtual commissioning via digital twins, AI is making robots smarter and faster to deploy. The software component of automation is expanding at a 12.9 percent annual rate, significantly outpacing hardware growth, indicating that analytics and AI models are increasingly dictating where value creation occurs in this space. Recent industry developments underscore this momentum. Locus Robotics announced it has coordinated 25 million warehouse picks through its platform deployment with Radial, demonstrating the scale at which autonomous mobile robot orchestration is operating. Meanwhile, Simbi Robotics unveiled its Tally 4.0 autonomous retail robot, expanding automation into new commercial segments beyond traditional manufacturing. However, humanoid robots, while dominating headlines, remain far from production-grade deployment. According to Brightpick's analysis, activity remains concentrated on demonstrations and pilot tests rather than real-world manufacturing applications, with high costs and limited reliability making return on investment challenging for most organizations. The geopolitical dimension cannot be overlooked. With roughly 90 percent of key robotics components still sourced from China, Western manufacturers are facing mounting pressure to localize production, creating a gradual divide between United States-aligned and China-aligned robotics ecosystems. For organizations evaluating automation strategies, the practical takeaway is clear: the convergence of artificial intelligence, financing flexibility through service models, and persis This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Welcome to Robotics Industry Insider: AI and Automation News. The robotics hardware market is surging, more than doubling from 50 billion dollars in 2025 to nearly 111 billion by 2030, according to ABI Research, with 13 million robots worldwide powering this boom. Mobile robots lead the charge, exploding from 30 billion dollars to 75 billion by 2030, revolutionizing logistics through autonomous pallet transport and truck unloading amid labor shortages. Industrial automation hits 233.6 billion dollars this year, per Research Nester, climbing to over 533 billion by 2035 at a 9.5 percent compound annual growth rate, driven by Industry 4.0 and AI integration. Collaborative robots, or cobots, skyrocket from 1.3 billion in 2024 to 7 billion by 2030, featuring closed-loop AI for real-time adaptation in welding and inspection tasks. The International Federation of Robotics highlights AI autonomy as the top 2026 trend, with agentic AI blending analytical and generative models for self-evolving systems in smart factories. Fresh news: ABB showcases AI-powered lab robots at SLAS 2026 for autonomous workflows, while warehouse robotics faces a reliability reckoning this year, pushing modular designs for scalable manufacturing, as noted by Robotics and Automation News. Humanoids emerge fast, hitting 6.5 billion by 2030 with 137 percent growth, targeting flexible factory roles. For insiders, dive into Nvidia Cosmos for perception-planning bridges and Google DeepMind's world models simulating environments. Practical takeaway: Audit your lines for IT-OT convergence to boost versatility; upskill teams on AI safety per ISO standards now. Looking ahead, AI-physical fusion promises Industry 5.0, filling labor gaps and reshaping productivity. Thank you for tuning in, listeners—come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production; for me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.

This is you Robotics Industry Insider: AI & Automation News podcast. Welcome to Robotics Industry Insider: AI and Automation News. The global robotics hardware market is surging, projected by ABI Research to more than double from 50 billion dollars in 2025 to 111 billion by 2030, fueled by AI integration and labor shortages. Mobile robots lead the charge, growing from 30 billion to 75 billion dollars, powering logistics with autonomous pallet transport and goods-to-person systems. This week, the International Federation of Robotics highlights top 2026 trends: AI-driven autonomy, where analytical and generative AI enable robots to learn tasks independently and predict failures in smart factories. XELA Robotics just announced breakthroughs in enhanced automation for humanoid and industrial bots, while ABB unveiled AI-powered lab robots at SLAS 2026 for versatile workflows. Industrial automation hits 233.6 billion dollars this year per Research Nester, with robots capturing over 56 percent share by 2035 thanks to precision in manufacturing. Collaborative robots, or cobots, explode from 1.3 billion in 2024 to 7 billion by 2030, featuring closed-loop AI for safe human teamwork in welding and inspection. China dominates with 42 percent of industrial robot revenue, as reshoring boosts demand in the US and Europe. AI acts as the central nervous system, with foundation models from Nvidia and Google DeepMind allowing robots to simulate environments and adapt dynamically. Humanoids promise a 138 percent growth spurt to 6.5 billion dollars, targeting warehouses amid IT-OT convergence. Listeners, practical takeaway: Invest in AI-upskilled cobots now to cut downtime 20 to 30 percent via predictive maintenance. Looking ahead, expect humanoid scalability and agentic AI to redefine Industry 4.0 productivity by 2030. Thank you for tuning in. Come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production, and for me, check out Quiet Please Dot A I. For more http://www.quietplease.ai Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.