In this special episode of The Robot Report Podcast, Steve Crowe and I talk to author and illustrator Peter Brown to discuss his children’s books series The Wild Robot.

Peter takes us through his creative writing process, the background research he did about robotics, and how he pulled the plot together for a robot named Roz that finds itself shipwrecked on an island filled with wild animals. He describes why he chose the specific characteristics of the robot in the story.

Peter also describes the experience of seeing his story adapted into an animated movie by DreamWorks. The Wild Robot movie, which is based on the first book in the series, has seen tremendous box office success. It earned more than $320 million worldwide and is on the top 100 list of the high-grossing animated films of all time.

Peter describes the process of working with movie director Chris Sanders to bring Roz to life on the big screen. 

To learn more about Peter go to: https://www.peterbrownstudio.com/

Below is a sample of our conversation with Peter Brown. To hear the conversation in its entirety, please listen to the podcast audio.

The Robot Report: For those who may not have seen the movie or not read the first book, the first book in the series deals with the adventures of a shipwrecked robot named ROZZUM 7134, Roz for short. And I know there are some tie-ins to a very famous play about 100 years ago that we can get into. The story starts when the robot is shipwrecked on a deserted island and then builds relationships with the local animals on this island while helping them navigate all sorts of different ordeals.

What has this whole experience been like for you? Is it true that DreamWorks, the studio behind the movie, optioned the film rights to The Wild Robot before the first book was even published in 2016? You’ve been living with this story for quite some time. What’s that been like for you?

Peter Brown is the author and illustrator of The Wild Robot series of children’s books. | Credit: Peter Brown Studio

Peter Brown: Well, it’s pretty surreal. I started tinkering with this idea about a robot learning to survive in the wilderness by studying and mimicking the animals that she comes across. The idea came to me in like 2008 or 2007. I drew a robot in a tree, which is what got the whole thing started.

I just love the idea of a robot climbing a tree. And I just started thinking, why would a robot be in a tree and how would a real robot react to the wilderness? What would wild animals think about a robot?

I’d been writing and illustrating picture books for years this was my first novel for kids which is a very different type of book so I had to kind of learn how to write a novel and you know, it was this long process and the book finally got published in 2016. DreamWorks has a team of people who are in the business of keeping an eye on the publishing industry to see what ideas, and books are out there that might be interesting for adaptation to film. And, somebody there got wind of this Wild Robot book, which I was still working on. So I got contacted out of the blue by a rep from DreamWorks who was very eager to see whatever I had.

I was pretty excited and I didn’t want to send them something unfinished. I told them, “Sorry, but you have to wait until I feel like this is up to my standard and up to the level of what I want it to be”. So they had to wait until I finished writing and illustrating the book. And then as soon as I was done, I sent it to them and they immediately made me an offer to get the film rights before the book was in stores. 

The first book was an instant bestseller and the sequels have all been bestsellers and the series is just selling like crazy around the world, translated into 30 languages or something, maybe more by now. It’s a pretty phenomenally successful book, which has been amazing in its own right. But then you add on top of that all the movie stuff. Eventually, they (Dreamworks) found a director. They went into production, and just a couple of months ago, the finished The Wild Robot movie came out. So it’s been a long journey and every step of the way, it’s just kind of gotten more exciting.

How did you come up with this initial design for Roz? How did you determine what she should look like, and what capabilities she should have?

Peter Brown: One of the very first things I had to do was figure out what she looks like because obviously her design will tell us what her capabilities are. And I was thinking about real science and engineering. I was reading a lot of books about the future of robotics and AI. I was watching documentaries and also reading and watching documentaries about the natural world, too, because that was what was fascinating to me was the sort of combination of what seemed like almost opposites.

Take a robot, put it in the most natural place you could imagine, like this sort of rugged Pacific Northwest wilderness, and see what happens. It’s like a thought experiment. But one of the key components was Roz’s design. 

I thought Roz should not look exactly like a person. There’s no point. That’s a lot of wasted effort if all her purpose is to do manual labor, more or less. There’s no need for all the extra bells and whistles, right? So let’s just streamline this robot. And I was thinking about that in terms of robotics and how in a lot of sci-fi movies and books, the robots look just like people.

It’s fascinating, but you must’ve been a robotics engineer in another lifetime? Because so many of these things that you just talked about, intentional design and how the robot moves and battery life, there are so many synergies to real-life robotics. And those are some of the fundamental challenges that real-life roboticists are trying to solve. Did you talk to any actual engineers for feedback on the design?

Peter Brown: It was mostly from reading and my own research. However, I read all sorts of stuff. I spent a lot of time reading science fiction, authors like Isaac Asimov do a really great job of delving into the kind of nuts and bolts of robotics. He has a book called “The Complete Robot“, which is a collection of short stories, which I’ve read repeatedly over and over again because each short story explores a different type of robot.

And so I got a lot of inspiration from him and he really helped. Those stories helped me figure out the right questions to ask. But I did meet with some engineers, my dad is an engineer. He worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). He just retired. However, he introduced me to the robotics department at JPL.

And I got to tour that department, long before I was working on the wild robot. He had me in and gave me a tour of the Mars Rover program. And so I got to see the Rover prototypes up close. I got to see Rovers and the terrain that they mock-up to be like the lunar or Martian surface.

The story is full of heartwarming moments as well as humor. As a children’s book author, I’m curious about your approach to incorporating humor into your stories that don’t involve bodily functions?

Peter Brown: Well, there’s a little bit of that too, but a lot of the humor bubbled up naturally from the story. It’s a fish-out-of-water story. Roz is a robot who’s where she doesn’t belong and she’s time and again encountering stuff that she doesn’t know how to handle. It is as simple as walking away from the waves.

The story begins with her in a crate that washes onto the shore of the island. And she eventually pries herself out of this crate and she sees these waves coming and she doesn’t know she’s booting up. She started powering on for the very first time, looking at the world for the very first time. And these waves are tumbling towards her. And, you know, she sort of takes a step back, but doesn’t judge things properly. And all of a sudden, this wave crashes over her and slams her to the ground. And that’s sort of her introduction to the world. Then she has to climb the sea cliffs up, and climbing sea cliffs is a pretty tough thing to do for rock climbers, let alone for a robot who’s just waking up for the first time. And these moments end up being funny.

It’s hard to care about her because she seems an all-knowing, omnipotent, know, invincible character. And so I started thinking, well, what would she come pre-programmed with? She’s a factory-issued robot, like a laptop that you get, you know, delivered to your house. You have to install software for it to reach its full potential. I sort of thought, well, this robot probably needs software installed to reach her full potential. So what is the basic programming that she comes with? What if it doesn’t have all the information on the eating habits of geese? Maybe that’s believable. And so I had to sort of justify the gaps in Roz’s knowledge to make those scenes work for me.

What was it like to see Roz come to life on the big screen? What influence did you have  working with the team at DreamWorks to make that happen?

Peter Brown: Yes, well, I met regularly with the director, whose name is Chris Sanders, and the producer, who is Jeff Herman. And so we would meet on Zoom every couple of months. It takes like four years to make an animated film. So we had quite several meetings.

In the beginning, they were picking my brain, trying to understand why I made certain decisions, and asking questions about certain moments in the book and details. And then as the months went by. And their story started coming together. They would start running things by me and asking what I thought about this character design or this moment in the story.

I was never in the studio working on the movie but we had these Zoom calls pretty regularly so I got to see the evolution of the project over time which was pretty exciting. Yeah, they made some changes. I knew they were gonna make changes. The story needs to be streamlined. A movie seems like a big story but it’s a pretty short story you know.

It’s hard to cram a whole lot into an hour and a half. Compare that to a series on Netflix where maybe there are 10 one-hour episodes. You’ve got 10 hours to tell a story versus an hour and a half. And so I knew they were gonna be making lots of cuts and tweaking things. And so none of that surprised me. But they managed to keep the spirit of the story. The relationship between Roz and her son, Bright Bill, is the main component that drives the story. There’s a lot of emotional depth in the movie.

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]]> https://www.therobotreport.com/the-wild-robot-author-peter-brown-on-robots-nature-storytelling/feed/ 0 https://www.therobotreport.com/november-2024-top-10-robotics-developments/ https://www.therobotreport.com/november-2024-top-10-robotics-developments/#respond Mon, 02 Dec 2024 19:15:55 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=581806 In November 2024, stories about the future of robotics, big robot milestones, and new product unveilings grabbed our readers' attention.

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]]> The start of the holiday season hasn’t slowed down the robotics industry. In November 2024, stories about the future of robotics, big robot milestones, and new product unveilings grabbed our reader’s attention. 

Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in the past month. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter and listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay up to date on the robotics developments you need to know about.

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10. Europe has a key role to play in the development of robots, humanoids

While headlines often spotlight U.S. and Asian companies in the humanoid robotics race, startups in the tech hubs of Europe are making strides in developing human-like robots. From Norway to Switzerland, innovative European firms are pushing the boundaries of robotics technology, creating machines that can sense, feel, and interact with their environments in increasingly human-like ways. Read more.

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9. Moxi reaches milestone of 100,000 autonomous elevator rides in hospitals

As development continues on humanoid robots, one mobile robot is already at work in hospitals. Diligent Robotics announced that its Moxi robot has completed 110,000 autonomous elevator rides at health systems across the U.S. The mobile manipulator has a single arm for opening doors and pushing buttons to operate elevators. Read more.

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8. AeroVironment acquiring BlueHalo for $4.1B to boost defense tech

Defense contractor AeroVironment has agreed to acquire BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction worth approximately $4.1 billion. BlueHalo is best known for its drone swarm and counter-drone technology. The acquisition, which has been approved by both companies’ boards of directors, is expected to close in the first half of 2025. Read more.

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 7. Kassow Robots’ new cobots designed for mobile manipulation

Kassow Robots in November 2024 introduced a new line of compact collaborative robots designed to integrate with mobile robots. The new Edge Edition cobots are smaller robot arms designed for mobile manipulation applications. They feature a direct DC connection from battery power, enabling them to operate while mounted to a mobile robot. Read more.

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6. Collaborative Robotics unveils Proxie mobile manipulator

Collaborative Robotics Inc. unveiled its Proxie mobile manipulator publicly for the first time. The startup has been secretive about the design of the robot since Brad Porter founded the company in 2022. Porter has hinted at the design of the robot by alluding to the importance of a mobile manipulator for applications within the warehouse, with a kinematic that could be better suited for warehouse workflows than a humanoid. Read more.

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5. Physical Intelligence raises $400M for foundation models for robotics

Foundation models promise to give robots the ability to generalize actions from fewer examples than traditional artificial intelligence approaches. Physical Intelligence it has raised $400 million to continue its development of artificial intelligence for a range of robots. Read more.

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4. Schaeffler plans global use of Agility Robotics’ Digit humanoid

Schaeffler AG, a global leader in motion technology, is making a minority investment into Agility Robotics and buying Digit humanoid robots for use across its global plant network. The companies did not disclose the size of the November 2024 investment, the number of humanoids being purchased, or what they will be used for. Read more.

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3. Pickle Robot gets orders for over 30 unloading systems plus $50M in funding

Robotic truck unloading fits the classic definition of dull, dirty, or dangerous jobs worth automating. Pickle Robot has raised $50 million in Series B funding and said that six customers placed orders during the third quarter for more than 30 robots to deploy in the first half of 2025. The new orders include pilot conversions, existing customer expansions, and new customer adoption. Read more.

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2. Chicago’s South Suburbs see the future of manufacturing as American and robotic

For decades, the Chicagoland area has played a pivotal role in American manufacturing capability. Unfortunately, the once-strong bastion of manufacturing and fabrication has lost much of its fervor following years of economic stagnation, outmigration, and a declining tax base. However, as the global marketplace continues to evolve, U.S. manufacturers must contend with an aging ownership base, greater competition, and a severe labor shortage. Read more.

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1. Red Cat wins U.S. Army next-gen drone contract over Skydio

Red Cat Holdings Inc. announced that it won the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance, or SRR, program-of-record contract. The company replaced Skydio on this contract. The U.S. Army set an initial acquisition target of 5,880 systems over a five-year period. Read more.

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]]> https://www.therobotreport.com/november-2024-top-10-robotics-developments/feed/ 0 https://www.therobotreport.com/schaeffler-plans-global-use-agility-robotics-digit-humanoid/ https://www.therobotreport.com/schaeffler-plans-global-use-agility-robotics-digit-humanoid/#respond Wed, 13 Nov 2024 10:30:27 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=581568 Schaeffler, a global motion technology leader, said it sees 'the potential to deploy a significant number of humanoids in our global network of 100 plants by 2030.'

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The Digit humanoid transports totes at a Spanx facility run by GXO Logistics in Georgia. | Credit: Agility Robotics

Details are scarce at the moment, but Agility Robotics has a new strategic partnership. Schaeffler AG, a global leader in motion technology, is making a minority investment into Agility and buying Digit humanoid robots for use across its global plant network.

The companies did not disclose the size of the investment, the number of humanoids being purchased, or what they will be used for. The Robot Report reached out to Agility Robotics and Schaeffler for more details, but both companies declined to comment.

“In disruptive times, implementing innovative manufacturing solutions is crucial to be successful,” said Andreas Schick, chief operating officer of Schaeffler. “Here, humanoids play an important role. We, at Schaeffler, will integrate this technology into our operations and see the potential to deploy a significant number of humanoids in our global network of 100 plants by 2030. We look forward to the collaboration with Agility Robotics which will accelerate our activities in this field.”

Agility Robotics won the inaugural RBR50 Robot of the Year Award from The Robot Report earlier in 2024. It was recognized for showcasing Digit’s ability to perform real-world work in pilots with Amazon and GXO Logistics.

While the pilot with Amazon has been relatively quiet, GXO officially deployed a “small fleet” of Digit humanoids at a Spanx facility in Georgia. The Digit humanoids pick up totes from 6 River Systems‘ Chuck autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and place the totes onto conveyors.

Agility claimed that it was the first company to commercially deploy humanoids. It also asserted that the GXO deal was the first robots-as-a-service (RaaS) implementation of such robots.

Humanoid development marches on

Many other companies are also developing humanoids for commercial use, including Apptronik, Boston Dynamics, Figure, and Sanctuary AI, to name a few. None of them, however, appear to have deployed their humanoids with customers beyond small trials.

“We are excited to welcome Schaeffler as a customer and investor, and look forward to delivering value in their operations with Digit,” said Peggy Johnson, who took over as Agility Robotics’ CEO in March 2024. “While our technology is helping companies like Schaeffler transform their manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing businesses, scaling the use of humanoid robots will require them to work cooperatively with humans and outside of the safety cages they are in today.”

“I am confident that in the next 24 months, Agility will be the first company to deliver a safe humanoid robot that will be able to work alongside people,” she stated.

There currently are no safety standards for humanoids. However, various efforts are under way to explore a path forward for relevant standards. The IEEE Humanoids Study Group just released a survey to better understand how human-robot interaction might affect the development of standards for humanoids.

Late last month, Boston Dynamics released an impressive video of its new electric Atlas humanoid. The video shows the robot handling large automotive parts autonomously. The company said Atlas uses machine learning to execute its tasks and 3D vision to perceive the world around it.

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]]> https://www.therobotreport.com/schaeffler-plans-global-use-agility-robotics-digit-humanoid/feed/ 0 https://www.therobotreport.com/humanoid-study-group-launches-survey-on-human-robot-interaction/ https://www.therobotreport.com/humanoid-study-group-launches-survey-on-human-robot-interaction/#respond Tue, 12 Nov 2024 19:55:27 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=581541 The study group needs to determine what aspects of human-robot interaction might impact the development of standards for humanoids.

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Product teams need to consider how to safely shut down humanoids in the case of an error or emergency. | Credit: This image was created by Adobe Firefly AI and modified by The Robot Report

The IEEE Humanoids Study Group was formed in June 2024 and initiated the process of evaluating the current safety standards that might impact the safe design and deployment of humanoid robots. The group’s goal is not to develop any standards, but rather to do the homework that will tee up the development of new standards, or the revision of existing standards, to cover the needs of humanoids.

Many companies are currently developing humanoids for commercial use, including Agility Robotics, Apptronik, Boston Dynamics, Figure, and many others. Agility Robotics’ Digit is widely seen as the leader in the clubhouse at the moment because actually deployed commercially with Spanx in a tote-moving application.

The group aims to complete its market research and final report within a year. Subsequently, Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) will require an additional 1-2 years to develop and ratify any new standards. Consequently, it will take a minimum of 18 to 30 months before humanoid robots can adhere to the necessary safety standards, a crucial step towards mitigating risks in their deployment. This report is planned for release in May 2025.

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The Study Group is split into two subgroups: one subgroup is actively reviewing all existing robot safety standards, while the second human-robot interaction (HRI) subgroup is evaluating all of the various use cases for humanoids.

The HRI subgroup has been tasked with determining what aspects of HRI might impact the development and application of standards when it comes to humanoids. To help the team achieve this goal, they have put together a 12-question survey, divided into three thematic sections. If you would like to contribute to the initiative, please answer as many of the questions below as possible to help determine what aspects of HRI will impact the development of robotic standards with respect to the real-world applications of humanoid robots.

Take the survey below or here.

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]]> https://www.therobotreport.com/humanoid-study-group-launches-survey-on-human-robot-interaction/feed/ 0 https://www.therobotreport.com/europe-has-key-role-play-development-robots-humanoids/ https://www.therobotreport.com/europe-has-key-role-play-development-robots-humanoids/#comments Mon, 11 Nov 2024 19:59:03 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=581520 Europe is more fragmented a market than the U.S. or China, but it hosts numerous innovators, from industrial automation to humanoids.

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Europe is a major center of robotics development and use, according to Humanoid. Source: Adobe Stock

While headlines often spotlight U.S. and Asian companies in the humanoid robotics race, a silent revolution is brewing in the tech hubs of Europe, where cutting-edge startups are making remarkable strides in developing human-like robots.

From Norway to Switzerland, innovative European firms are pushing the boundaries of robotics technology, creating machines that can sense, feel, and interact with their environment in increasingly human-like ways.

These advancements are not just technological marvels; they’re also potential solutions to global labor shortages and catalysts for a societal shift in how we work and live.

Robotics innovation is happening across Europe

Europe offers a favorable market for development, a solid talent pool, and no shortage of innovative ideas and research labs. Its diverse cultures and languages also encourage the development of robots that can navigate complex social interactions.

The continent has a long history of robotics innovation, with a wide range of research conducted across diverse fields such as service, industrial, and cognitive robotics. Examples include PAL Robotics in Spain, which claimed that it developed the first autonomous bipedal robot in Europe, to Swiss companies like ANYbotics and Swiss-Mile leading advances in quadrupedal robots and embodied AI. The continent offers a rich environment for robotics development.

Europe has a diverse and innovative robotics sector. In the realm of autonomous vehicle, the U.K.-based Oxa develops low-compute software, while Sweden’s Einride produces autonomous, electric road transport vehicles. U.K.-based ECARX offers turnkey solutions for next-generation smart vehicles.

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Startups in Europe take on robotics challenges

Several companies in Europe have been working on promising robotics projects that deserve attention:

1X (Norway): This AI robotics company recently unveiled NEO Beta, a humanoid robot designed for home use. With an impressive $100 million funding round in January 2024, 1X has now raised a total of $137 million.

ABB (Switzerland), a global leader in electrification and automation, is based in Zurich and has more than 105,000 employees worldwide. With over 140 years of experience, the company integrates software and engineering to optimize manufacturing, energy, and automation processes.

ABB Robotics in June launched its next-generation control platform, OmniCore, designed to enhance precision, speed, and sustainability in automation. Resulting from a $170 million investment, OmniCore integrates AI, sensor, cloud, and edge computing systems into a unified control architecture, offering faster and more efficient robotics solutions across industries.

The platform can improve robot motion accuracy to less than 0.6mm and enables up to 25% faster operations while reducing energy consumption by 20%, said the company.

Jointly with Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute, ABB Robotics developed an automated fruit-fly transfer system using ABB’s YuMi robot. This eliminated the need for anesthesia, which can affect fly behavior and study accuracy in neurological disease research.

Agile Robots (Germany), founded in 2018 by Dr. Zhaopeng Chen and Peter Meusel, former researchers at DLR’s Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics, has rapidly grown to employ over 2,300 people across multiple global production sites and R&D centers in Germany and China.

The Munich-based company specializes in combining AI with robotics for user-friendly solutions to complex manufacturing challenges. Agile Robots said its ability to rely on both “Chinese market dynamics and German engineering precision” sets it apart.

ANYbotics (Switzerland) emerged from pioneering work at ETH Zurich in 2009 and was officially founded in 2016. It has made strides in autonomous robots for industrial applications. It developed ANYmal, a four-legged robot capable of navigating complex terrains and performing inspection tasks in challenging environments.

Over the past 14 years, ANYbotics has demonstrated its ability to enhance worker safety, improve operational efficiency, and support sustainability goals. The company has a partnership with Energy Robotics, a developer of hardware-agnostic fleet management and data analytics platforms, to transform asset monitoring in the energy industry through integrated, autonomous inspections.

KUKA (Germany), founded in 1898 in Augsburg, has evolved from a local acetylene gas plant to one of the world’s leading suppliers of industrial automation. The company said it developed Europe’s first robot-operated welding transfer line in 1971 and the world’s first industrial robot with six electric motor-driven axes in 1973.

KUKA’s sales have exceeded €4 billion ($4.2 billion U.S.) and it employs around 15,000 people across more than 50 countries. The company’s portfolio includes LBR iiwa cobot introduced in 2013, and it is expanding into new markets and regions beyond its traditional stronghold in the automotive industry.

In 2023, the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award winner introduced three new autonomous mobile robots (AMRs): the KMR iisy, a mobile manipulator with a collaborative arm and a 200 kg (440.9 lb.) payload capacity; the KMP 1500P, designed for heavy-duty tasks carrying up to 1.5 tons; and the KMP 600-S, capable of transporting 600 kg (1,322.7 lb.).

Neura Robotics (Germany), founded in 2019, said it is a player in the cognitive robotics field. The Metzingen-based company has grown to more than 170 employees from over 30 countries, attracting diverse talent in a competitive tech landscape. NEURA’s product lineup, including the MAiRA cognitive cobot and 4NE-1 humanoid robot, showcases its focus on advancing human-robot collaboration.

The company’s recent partnership with NVIDIA to use the Isaac platform suggests NEURA is positioning itself strategically in the AI-driven robotics market. However, the real-world impact and market adoption of these technologies remain to be seen in the coming years.

PAL Robotics (Spain) has been at the forefront of service robotics since 2004, gaining significant traction with its autonomous robots across various sectors including industry, healthcare, retail, agriculture, and food. With more than two decades of experience, the company has established itself as a leader in the field, continuing to inspire roboticists worldwide through its customizable robotic platforms and modular components designed for integration into daily life and industrial settings.

Shadow Robot (U.K.), founded in the late 1990s by a non-tech entrepreneur and a group of hobbyists, has become Britain’s longest-running robotics company. The London-based company is best known for developing the Shadow Dexterous Hand, described as the most advanced five-fingered robotic hand in the world. It features 20 motors, 24 degrees of freedom, and over 100 sensors.

Shadow Robot said its technology is being used in both academic and commercial settings. The company’s ethical stance, including a “robots for good” policy and refusal to sell for military use, shows its commitment to responsible innovation.

Swiss-Mile (Switzerland), incorporated in April 2023 as a spin-off from ETH Zurich‘s Robotic Systems Lab. In its first year, the company achieved early traction with pilot deployments for last-mile delivery in smart cities and security for critical infrastructure.

Swiss-Mile raised $22 million in seed funding round in August 2024, led by Jeff Bezos and HongShan. This substantial early-stage funding and the involvement of high-profile investors demonstrated market confidence in Swiss-Mile’s approach to creating autonomous robots that integrate AI with the physical world.

Universal Robots (Denmark), founded in 2005 in Odense, has established itself as a pioneer in collaborative robotics. The company first sold the UR5 cobot in 2008, followed by the launches of UR10 in 2012 and UR3 in 2015.

Universal Robots’ growth is evidenced by its acquisition by Teradyne Inc. for $285 million in 2015, the introduction of the e-Series in 2018, and reaching the industry milestone of 50,000 cobots sold worldwide in 2020. It also launched the UR20, a 20kg payload cobot, in 2022, and opened its 100th training center, showcasing its commitment to education and global expansion.

What’s driving the robotics boom in Europe?

The explosion in robotics research is not happening in a vacuum. It’s driven by pressing global needs, particularly labor shortages.

“Labor shortages have appeared across a diverse group of countries that have no apparent common features other than their stage of development,” said a recent McKinsey report. “Tightness is particularly acute in seven countries—the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, and the United States—that have more vacancies than unemployed workers.”

McKinsey noted that these countries account for 53% of the total labor supply of the 30 advanced economies in our research, and 64% of collective GDP.

Japan, often considered the front runner in aging population, is projected to have 38% of its population aged 65 or older by 2050, up from 28% in 2020. In Germany, the proportion of people aged 65 and older is expected to rise from 21.7% in 2020 to 31% by 2050, according to the latest data compiled by the United Nations.

The U.S. is aging more slowly than Europe or East Asia but still expects to see its 65+ population increase from 16.9% in 2020 to 22% by 2050. While China and Western markets have vastly different labor and living costs, these economic contrasts directly shape the focus areas and use cases pursued by robotics startups in each region.

These demographic shifts contribute significantly to labor shortages, as the working-age population shrinks relative to the overall population. This trend is likely to continue and potentially intensify in the coming decades, presenting challenges for economic growth and social systems in these countries.

Cobots are part of the solution

Despite perceptions that European factories might lag in robotic innovation, a wave of collaborative robotics is sweeping across the continent’s manufacturing sector. The Sharework and SHERLOCK programs, funded through the European Commission’s Factories of the Future initiative, have developed and implemented systems that work safely alongside human operators without the need for protective barriers.

These intelligent robots, equipped with AI-driven perception and decision-making capabilities, could revolutionize assembly lines from automotive to renewable energy. By focusing on human-centered design and worker well-being, these projects are not only boosting productivity but also improving job quality, potentially opening up manufacturing to a more diverse workforce.

A future with humanoids approaches

Humanoid robots offer another solution to labor shortages, and the market is responding to their potential to reshape industries and society. The global market for humanoid robots was valued at approximately $1.5 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $9.4 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.2%.

While there are numerous commercial trials, there have been no successful mass deployments or proven business cases in the humanoid robotic space, making it an exciting moment for the industry. Goldman Sachs research predicts that by 2035, the total addressable market for humanoid robots will reach $38 billion—more than six times their previous projection of $6 billion.

Robotics startups such as Neura Robotics and 1x Technologies are focusing more on household applications, setting Europe apart from industrial-focused competitors in the U.S. or China.

At Humanoid, we believe in a more gradual approach, and we think that humanoid robotic technology should first become essential at factories and warehouses before eventually integrating it into our homes.

Three major technical challenges currently limit humanoid robotics development: AI capabilities and training, battery life, and actuator technologies for safe, efficient movement. Social aspects and regulatory concerns are also challenges.

The cost of building these robots varies widely based on their intended use, with our estimates ranging from $10,000 to $300,000 per unit. The investment landscape is dominated by U.S.-based humanoid startups, which attract 80-90% of total funding, followed by Chinese companies.

The U.S. also leads in commercial pilot programs, while stricter labor regulations and the presence of strong labor unions in Europe and the U.K. have limited deployment opportunities in these regions.

Humanoid shares vision and positioning

At Humanoid, we focus on building versatile robots with a modular, human-like design that can integrate into existing environments. These humanoids are intended to be compatible with current tools and automation systems, easily repurposed for different tasks, and capable of automating medium- to high-precision tasks that standard industrial robots cannot handle, all while maintaining safety.

The company‘s vision aligns with those of companies like 1X, which see automation not as a means to maximize efficiency at all costs, but as a way to enhance human potential. By taking on the physically demanding and repetitive tasks, Humanoid’s robots could free up humans to engage in work that is more fulfilling, creative, and aligned with their personal growth.

Imagine a world where former warehouse workers, freed from physical strain and monotony, have the time and energy to pursue education, start businesses, or simply spend more quality time with their families. This is the future we’re working towards — one where technology serves humanity by giving people more time to be truly human.

About the author

Dmitrii Rudnitckii is chief technology officer at Humanoid (SKL Robotics Ltd.). He has extensive international experience and a proven track record in robotics, AI, and autonomous systems across multiple industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, and banking.

At Humanoid, Rudnitckii leads the development of next-generation humanoid robots with cutting-edge AI integration to reshape human-robot collaboration and push the boundaries of automation. He previously spearheaded the creation of a fully flexible autonomous electric vehicle factory at ARRIVAL, a company focused on creating zero-emission transportation through advanced manufacturing processes.

The post Europe has a key role to play in the development of robots, humanoids appeared first on The Robot Report.

]]> https://www.therobotreport.com/europe-has-key-role-play-development-robots-humanoids/feed/ 2 https://www.therobotreport.com/who-let-the-robodogs-out-meet-swiss-mile-wheeled-quadruped/ https://www.therobotreport.com/who-let-the-robodogs-out-meet-swiss-mile-wheeled-quadruped/#respond Sat, 09 Nov 2024 00:07:21 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=581490 Swiss-Mile is productizing a robot that puts wheels onto a four legged robot, and XPENG released a video of of its humanoid at work.

The post Who let the robodogs out? Meet Swiss-Mile’s wheeled quadruped appeared first on The Robot Report.

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The Robot Report Podcast · Who Let the Robodogs Out? Meet Swiss-Mile’s wheeled quadruped

 

In Episode 171 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman examine the latest video from XPENG, showing the Iron humanoid robot operating on the floor of the company‘s automation manufacturing plant.

Featured interview with Swiss-Mile

In the featured interview this week, Oitzman and Eugene Demaitre interview Marko Bjelonic, co-founder and CEO of Swiss-Mile, discussing its quadruped robot that combines wheels and legs for enhanced mobility. They explore the evolution of the robot from academic research to a commercial product, the engineering challenges faced, and the unique functionalities that set it apart.

The discussion also covers potential applications in security and logistics, the importance of autonomy in robotics, and the future direction of Swiss-Mile as a technology-focused company.

Show timeline

• 1:13 – Boston Dynamics humanoid video discussion
• 9:27 – News
• 25:37 – Interview with Marko Bjelonic, co-founder and CEO of Swiss-Mile

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Register now

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News of the week

2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open for nominations

You can now submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. They will recognize technology and business innovations in calendar year 2024, and the awards are open to any company worldwide that produces robotics or automation.

The categories include:

1. Technologies, products, and services: This category includes primary or applied research focusing on robotics and supporting technologies such as motion control, vision, or machine learning. It also includes new products and business, engineering, or technology services.
2. Business and management: This category covers initiatives positioning a company as a market leader or an organization as an important thought leader in the robotics ecosystem. Significant mergers and acquisitions are relevant, as are supplier, partner, and integrator relationships.
3. Applications and markets: The RBR50 will also recognize innovations that improve productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, as well as those that automate new tasks.

In addition, the 2025 RBR50 awards will celebrate the following:

• Startup of the Year
• Application of the Year
• Robot of the Year
• Robots for Good Award

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

iRobot lays off another 105 employees

iRobot, maker of the popular Roomba robot vacuum, has layed off another 105 employees as part of its restructuring plans. The number of employees being let go represents 16% of iRobot’s global workforce as of Sept. 28. Since the start of 2024, iRobot has reduced its global workforce by nearly 50%.

There are several reasons iRobot, which has sold more than 50 million robots worldwide, is struggling. One of the main reasons is the failed acquisition from Amazon, which was called off earlier in 2024. Amazon wanted to acquire iRobot for $1.7 billion, but the deal was ultimately called off because regulators said the deal would restrict competition. Amazon paid iRobot $94 million to terminate the deal.

Physical Intelligence raises $400M for foundation models for robotics

Physical Intelligence has raised $400 million to continue its development of AI for a range of robots. The company acknowledged that foundation models that can control any robot to perform any task “are still in their infancy.” It said it is working on the data and partnerships to pretrain these models and enable new levels of dexterity and physical capability.

Physical Intelligence raised $70 million in seed financing earlier this year, and the company told The Robot Report that its valuation has risen to $2.4 billion. Jeff Bezos, executive chairman of Amazon, led the company’s latest funding round, along with Thrive Capital and Lux Capital.

Pipedream Labs deploys underground delivery system in Texas drive-thru

Pipedream’s robot operates through pipes to move prepared meals from a quick service restaurant (QSR) to end users in, say, a commercial building. The pipe is like two to three feet in diameter with a track, and the automated shuttles can carry a tote from the restaurant out to various pickup locations. It’s fixed infrastructure, but it’s completely underground and out of the weather. 

The company’s stated vision is that this infrastructure would be put in place in an urban setting, and support the logistics of delivery between the QSR location and various corporate campuses.Pipedream said it can drastically reduce delivery times and streamline restaurant operations. Strong financial backing has fueled rapid growth, it said.

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Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics

The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics 

Is your autonomous mobile robot (AMR) struggling in dynamic environments? Is your business stuck because it takes months to commission a new site?

RGo Robotics’ Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, The company’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler.

Leading AMR companies are enhancing their fleets with RGo’s AI-powered perception, enabling their teams to accelerate use of advanced AI capabilities like foundation models and digital twins.

Don’t let outdated navigation hold your business back.

To learn more about RGO’s solutions, go to: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/

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The post Who let the robodogs out? Meet Swiss-Mile’s wheeled quadruped appeared first on The Robot Report.

]]> https://www.therobotreport.com/who-let-the-robodogs-out-meet-swiss-mile-wheeled-quadruped/feed/ 0 https://www.therobotreport.com/how-agility-robotics-crosses-the-sim2real-gap-with-nvidia-isaac-lab/ https://www.therobotreport.com/how-agility-robotics-crosses-the-sim2real-gap-with-nvidia-isaac-lab/#respond Fri, 08 Nov 2024 22:13:27 +0000 https://www.therobotreport.com/?p=581478 Agility Robotics gives insight into how it trains its humanoid robot Digit in simulation using NVIDIA's robotics tools.

The post How Agility Robotics crosses the Sim2Real gap with NVIDIA Isaac Lab appeared first on The Robot Report.

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At Agility Robotics, we are working with our humanoid robot Digit, which balances actively at all times, can recover from unexpected bumps, and can lift and move heavy things. There are 28 degrees of freedom and quite a few sensors. That’s a lot of information to take in, and a lot of actuators to coordinate, for complex actions that need to be decided in real time.

Every action or contact with the environment, like grasping a doorknob, can be felt at every joint of the robot and affects how the legs should balance the entire thing. 

So let’s start by talking about the two major approaches to controlling a dynamic robot like this:

1. Using a model-based controller
2. Using a learned controller

In many cases. the company uses model-based control and inverse dynamics to solve this problem. The model is a simplified physics model of Digit, running online on the computer inside the robot, calculating things like where to place a foot to balance the robot, based on measurements from the onboard inertial measurement unit and all of the position sensors.

We then use inverse dynamics, which uses a model of the humanoid’s link masses, inertias, actuators, and so on, to calculate the torques we need at each joint to get to the action we want from the model-based controller (i.e., how to get the foot to a certain place). This set of calculations must happen reliably in real time, hundreds or thousands of times per second.

But building up this kind of model and making the computation efficient can be quite challenging, since it requires us to enumerate all the details of physics that might be relevant, from the possible friction models of the terrain, to the possible types of errors in our joint sensors. It’s incredibly powerful, but it requires us to know a lot about the world.

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a totally different way of solving the same problem. Instead of using the robot and world models onboard in real-time to calculate the motor torques that we think will lead to the physics we want, we simulate worlds to learn a control policy for the robot ahead of time, on off-board computers that are much more powerful than the on-board robot computers.

We model the simulated robot in as much detail as possible, in a simulated world that has the expected obstacles and bumps, and try millions of possible sets of motor torque commands, and observe all of the possible responses. We use cost functions to judge whether a command achieves a more or less useful response

Over the course of significant simulation time — but only hours in real time — we learn a control policy that will achieve the goals we want, like walk around without falling, even if there’s an unexpected pothole in the ground. This means that we don’t need to exactly know what will happen in the real world; we just need to have found a controller that works well across a bunch of different worlds that are similar enough to the real one.

It trades off modeling effort for computational effort.  And it means that we can learn controllers that explore the limits of what might be physically possible with the robot, even if we don’t know exactly what those boundaries are ourselves.

Training Digit in simulation through NVIDIA’s tools designed for robotics. | Source: NVIDIA

Comparing performance of model-based controller (left) against a controller trained with reinforcement-learning (right). | Source: Agility Robotics

An example of a revised toe/foot concept (left), using four contact points, instead of the traditional shoe-style tread (right). | Source: Agility Robotics

The post How Agility Robotics crosses the Sim2Real gap with NVIDIA Isaac Lab appeared first on The Robot Report.

New Project GR00T workflows and AI world model tools are intended to help developers of robot dexterity, control, manipulation, and mobility. Source: NVIDIA

NVIDIA Corp. today announced new artificial intelligence and simulation tools to accelerate development of robots including humanoids. Also at the Conference for Robotic Learning, Hugging Face Inc. and NVIDIA said they are combining their open-source AI and robotics efforts to accelerate research and development.

The tools include the generally available NVIDIA Isaac Lab robot learning framework and six new robot learning workflows for the Project GR00T initiative to accelerate humanoid development. They also include new world-model development tools for video data curation and processing, including the NVIDIA Cosmos tokenizer and NVIDIA NeMo Curator for video processing.

Hugging Face said its LeRobot open AI platform combined with NVIDIA AI, Omniverse and Isaac robotics technology will enable advances across industries including manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics.

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NVIDIA Isaac Lab to help train humanoids

Isaac Lab is an open-source robot learning framework built on NVIDIA Omniverse, a platform for developing OpenUSD applications for industrial digitalization and physical AI simulation. Developers can use Isaac Lab to train policies at scale for all types of robot movement, from collaborative robots and quadrupeds to humanoids, said NVIDIA.

The company said leading research entities, robotics manufacturers, and application developers around the world are using Isaac Lab. They include 1X, Agility Robotics, The AI Institute, Berkeley Humanoid, Boston Dynamics, Field AI, Fourier, Galbot, Mentee Robotics, Skild AI, Swiss-Mile, Unitree Robotics, and XPENG Robotics.

A guide to migrating from Isaac Gym is available online, and NVIDIA Isaac Lab 1. is available now on GitHub.

Project GR00T offers blueprints for general-purpose robots

Announced at the Graphics Processing Unit Technology Conference (GTC) in March, Project GR00T aims to develop libraries, foundation models, and data pipelines to help the global developer ecosystem for humanoid robots. NVIDIA has added six new workflows coming soon to help robots perceive, move, and interact with people and their environments:

1. GR00T-Gen for building generative AI-powered, OpenUSD-based 3D environments
2. GR00T-Mimic for robot motion and trajectory generation
3. GR00T-Dexterity for robot dexterous manipulation
4. GR00T-Control for whole-body control
5. GR00T-Mobility for robot locomotion and navigation
6. GR00T-Perception for multimodal sensing

“Humanoid robots are the next wave of embodied AI,” said Jim Fan, senior research manager of embodied AI at NVIDIA. “NVIDIA research and engineering teams are collaborating across the company and our developer ecosystem to build Project GR00T to help advance the progress and development of global humanoid robot developers.”

Project GR00T now includes six new workflows to accelerate humanoid development. Source: NVIDIA

Cosmos tokenizers minimize distortion

As developers build world models, or AI representations of how objects and environments might respond to a robot’s actions, they need thousands of hours of real-world image or video data. NVIDIA said its Cosmos tokenizers provide high quality encoding and decoding to simplify the development of these world models with minimal distortion and temporal instability.

The company said the open-source Cosmos tokenizer runs up to 12x faster than current tokenizers. It is available now on GitHub and Hugging Face. XPENG Robotics, Hillbot, and 1X Technologies are using the tokenizer.

“NVIDIA Cosmos tokenizer achieves really high temporal and spatial compression of our data while still retaining visual fidelity,” said Eric Jang, vice president of AI at 1X Technologies, which has updated the 1X World Model dataset. “This allows us to train world models with long horizon video generation in an even more compute-efficient manner.”

NeMo Curator handles video data

Curating video data poses challenges due to its massive size, requiring scalable pipelines and efficient orchestration for load balancing across GPUs. In addition, models for filtering, captioning and embedding need optimization to maximize throughput, noted NVIDIA.

NeMo Curator streamlines data curation with automatic pipeline orchestration, reducing video processing time. The company said this pipeline enables robot developers to improve their world-model accuracy by processing large-scale text, image and video data.

The system supports linear scaling across multi-node, multi-GPU systems, efficiently handling more than 100 petabytes of data. This can simplify AI development, reduce costs, and accelerate time to market, NVIDIA claimed.

NeMo Curator for video processing will be available at the end of the month.

Hugging Face, NVIDIA share tools for data and simulation

Hugging Face and NVIDIA announced at the Conference for Robotic Learning (CoRL) in Munich, Germany, that they’re collaborating to accelerate open-source robotics research with LeRobot, NVIDIA Isaac Lab, and NVIDIA Jetson. They said their open-source frameworks will enable “the era of physical AI,” in which robots understand their environments and transform industry.

More than 5 million machine-learning researchers use New York-based Hugging Face’s AI platform, which includes APIs with more than 1.5 million models, datasets, and applications. LeRobot offers tools for sharing data collection, model training, and simulation environments, as well as low-cost manipulator kits.

Those tools now work with Isaac Lab on Isaac Sim, enabling robot training by demonstration or trial and error in realistic simulation. The planned collaborative workflow involves collecting data through teleoperation and simulation in Isaac Lab, storing it in the standard LeRobotDataset format.

Data generated using GR00T-Mimic will then be used to train a robot policy with imitation learning, which is subsequently evaluated in simulation. Finally, the validated policy is deployed on real-world robots with NVIDIA Jetson for real-time inference.

Initial steps in this collaboration have shown a physical picking setup with LeRobot software running on NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nano, providing a compact compute platform for deployment.

“Combining Hugging Face open-source community with NVIDIA’s hardware and Isaac Lab simulation has the potential to accelerate innovation in AI for robotics,” said Remi Cadene, principal research scientist at LeRobot.

Also at CoRL, NVIDIA released 23 papers and presented nine workshops related to advances in robot learning. The papers cover integrating vision language models (VLMs) for improved environmental understanding and task execution, temporal robot navigation, developing long-horizon planning strategies for complex multistep tasks, and using human demonstrations for skill acquisition.

Papers for humanoid robot control and synthetic data generation include SkillGen, a system based on synthetic data generation for training robots with minimal human demonstrations, and HOVER, a robot foundation model for controlling humanoid locomotion and manipulation.

NVIDIA and Hugging Face, which are collaborating on open-source AI and robotics R&D. Source: NVIDIA

The post NVIDIA adds open AI and simulation tools for robot learning, humanoid development appeared first on The Robot Report.

In Episode 170 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman examine the latest video from Boston Dynamics showing Atlas electric humanoid autonomously moving materials. The video shows Atlas moving automotive parts from one storage bin to another. They discuss how Atlas appears to move differently from competing humanoids.

Featured interview with BionicHive

In our feature interview this week, Oitzman and fellow editor Eugene Demaitre sit down with Gili Ovadia, vice president of business development at BionicHive, to learn more about the company‘s warehouse automation.

The BionicHive Squid mobile robot can drive along the floor of the warehouse and climb into the warehouse racking to put or get boxes/totes from storage locations on higher shelves. Ovadia explains how the system works and where BionicHive is deploying these automated storage systems.

Show timeline

• 1:20 – Boston Dynamics humanoid video discussion
• 16:55 – News
• 27:05 – Interview with Gili Ovadia from BionicHive

News of the week

2025 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open for nominations

You can now submit nominations for the 2025 RBR50 innovation awards. They will recognize technology and business innovations in calendar year 2024, and the awards are open to any company worldwide that produces robotics or automation.

The categories include:

1. Technologies, products, and services: This category includes primary or applied research focusing on robotics and supporting technologies such as motion control, vision, or machine learning. It also includes new products and business, engineering, or technology services.
2. Business and management: This category covers initiatives positioning a company as a market leader or an organization as an important thought leader in the robotics ecosystem. Significant mergers and acquisitions are relevant, as are supplier, partner, and integrator relationships.
3. Applications and markets: The RBR50 will also recognize innovations that improve productivity, quality, and cost-effectiveness, as well as those that automate new tasks.

In addition, the 2025 RBR50 awards will celebrate the following:

• Startup of the Year
• Application of the Year
• Robot of the Year
• Robots for Good Award

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Dec. 20, 2024.

Locus Robotics systems reach 4B picks as warehouse automation accelerates

Locus Robotics Corp. announced that its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have assisted in 4 billion picks across its customer deployments worldwide. The company noted that this milestone came just six months after passing the 3 billion pick mark and reflects its leadership in the warehouse automation industry.

“This is a truly momentous moment for everyone associated with Locus Robotics – from our global team of employees around the world to our expanding base of customers,” stated CEO Rick Faulk. “Reaching the 4 billion milestone in record time demonstrates the incredible momentum we’re generating in warehouse automation.”

In addition to the 4 billion-pick milestone, Locus recently celebrated the grand opening of Locus Park, its new global headquarters in Wilmington, Mass. It is now fully operational and home to hundreds of New England-based employees.

Register now

China launches data-sharing initiative for humanoid developers

China has launched a data-sharing initiative for domestic humanoid companies to accelerate innovation. The project is being spearheaded by the National Local Joint Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (NLJIC) and various Chinese humanoid companies.

The NLJIC, China’s first public platform dedicated to this type of robot, is also building a training ground for manufacturers to collect high-quality data and promote industry-wide standards.

Xu Bin, general manager of the state-backed center, told Chinese media outlet Yicai Global that like autonomous vehicles, “humanoid robots require large volumes of high-quality data for development, and advanced models demand even stricter data standards.”

Bear Robotics expands from restaurants to warehouses with Carti AMRs

Bear Robotics Inc., which has previously created robots for the hospitality, healthcare, and retail sectors, announced its foray into logistics. The company unveiled the Carti 100 robot for material handling tasks in warehouses and distribution centers.

Bear Robotics said it built the Carti 100 to handleup to 220 lb. (99.79 kg). It said this ensures automated efficiency and precision while reducing overtime.

The AMR’s features include multi-robot orchestration and an adaptable design suitable for a range of environments, including brownfield and greenfield sites, multi-level spaces, and mezzanines. The customizable robot includes adjustable shelves, smart conveyor belts, and advanced lighting to meet operational needs.

Podcast sponsored by RGO Robotics

The show this week is sponsored by RGO Robotics 

Is your autonomous mobile robot struggling in dynamic environments? Is your business stuck because it takes months to commission a new site?

RGo Robotics’ Perception Engine is revolutionizing the AMR business through advanced Vision AI perception technology. Unlike traditional solutions, RGo’s software enables AMRs to adapt to changing environments and navigate complex spaces with unprecedented accuracy and the commissioning process is shorter and simpler.

Leading AMR companies are enhancing their fleets with RGo’s AI-powered perception, enabling their teams to accelerate use of advanced AI capabilities like foundation models and digital twins.

Don’t let outdated navigation hold your business back.

To learn more about RGO’s solutions goto: https://www.rgorobotics.ai/

The post New Atlas video; climbing to new heights in warehouse automation with BionicHive appeared first on The Robot Report.

Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in October 2024. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay up to date on the robotics developments you need to know about.

10. Relay Robotics proposes levels of autonomous navigation for indoor robots

When we think of autonomous navigation, the first thing that usually comes to mind is self-driving cars. Although their development has spanned decades, recent years have seen significant advancements. One important framework that is used ubiquitously in the self-driving car industry is the classification of levels of driving automation. Defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in 2014, this framework remains a standard reference in the field. Read More

9. Robot Utility Models: the coolest thing you never heard about (yet)

Robot Utility Models (RUMs) are a new area of research and development for the advancement of AI training for robotics. Lerrel Pinto, an assistant professor of computer science, and a team at at New York University created RUM. This open-source research project is trying to generalize training for robots so that one doesn’t have to train thousands of examples of a task. Read More

8. Innovative motion solutions are supporting the latest trends in robotics

Rapidly growing markets for robot innovation include applications that enhance human health and wellbeing, such as bionics and robotic surgery. Robots in these fields rely on miniature DC motion technology, which require state-of-the-art motion control. Motors with increasing torque density and dynamics are helping robot designers improve precision and control. Read More

7. Atlas humanoid robot shows increasing competence in latest Boston Dynamics video

Boston Dynamics Inc. released a new video of its Atlas humanoid robot. The video shows the electric robot handling large automotive parts autonomously. According to the company, the robot uses machine learning to execute its tasks and 3D vision to perceive the world around it. Read More

6. Robotics investments near $1B in August

Fifty producers of robots and robotics-enabling technologies received funding in August 2024, pulling in a total of approximately $1 billion. This figure is on par with the $1.2 billion average The Robot Report has tracked each of the previous 12 months. Investment targeted to robotics companies for the first eight months of 2024 equals about $10.86 billion.  Read More

5. Fourier launches GR-2 humanoid, software platform

Shanghai-based Fourier launched GR-2, the latest generation of its GRx humanoid robot series. It has upgraded its hardware, design, and software. This announcement followed the company‘s rebranding from Fourier Intelligence to Fourier earlier this year, and the GR-2 release builds on the production release of the first-generation GR-1 in late 2023. Read More

4. PULS acquires Wiferion’s wireless charging business

DIN rail power supply provider PULS has acquired Wiferion from Tesla. This deal comes after Tesla acquired Wiferion for an undisclosed amount in June 2023. PULS said it plans to continue manufacturing, marketing and selling the company‘s wireless charging products worldwide. Read More

3. Renishaw and RLS help to drive a robot revolution

A revolution in collaborative robots promises to change how assistive care is delivered to the elderly, how people interact with their work environment, and even how surgeons perform heart surgery. RLS d.o.o. has over many years cultivated a value-added partnership with the German company, TQ-RoboDrive, part of the TQ-Group. Read More

2. Universal Robots AI Accelerator offers to ease development of cobot applications

The latest advances in artificial intelligence promise to improve robot capabilities, but engineers need to bring the technologies together. Universal Robots announced its UR AI Accelerator, a hardware and software toolkit to enable the development of AI-powered collaborative robot applications. Read More

1. Corvus Robotics soars to new heights with Series A round for drone inventory

Corvus Robotics Inc. has closed an $18 million Series A round and seed funding led by S2G Ventures and Spero Ventures. The Mountain View, Calif.-based company has been engineering and validating its inventory drone system since it was founded in 2017. Read More

The post Top 10 robotics developments of October 2024 appeared first on The Robot Report.

Boston Dynamics Inc. released a new video of its Atlas humanoid robot today. The video shows the electric robot handling large automotive parts autonomously. According to the company, the robot uses machine learning to execute its tasks and 3D vision to perceive the world around it.

There are no prescribed or teleoperated movements; all motions are generated autonomously online, said Boston Dynamics. The Atlas humanoid is able to detect and react to changes in the environment using a combination of vision, force, and proprioceptive sensors, the company explained.

For example, it could detect moving fixtures and react to actions like failure to insert the cover, tripping, and environment collisions (1:24). 

In the video, Atlas demonstrates some unique motions including turning its head with a range of motion beyond that of a human and walking backward with its hip joint turned 180 degrees, while the torso rotates mid-motion to orient itself for the next operation.

This design provides mobility and joint rotations that are larger than the range of the human body. The video demonstrates some of the possibilities for Atlas to take advantage of its joint motion.

The electric model is following in the very big footsteps of its larger sibling, Atlas hydraulic, which handled heavy automotive parts in an industrial setting.

Atlas humanoid grasps with three-fingered hand

This close-up shows how Atlas’ three-fingered gripper operates to pull parts off of shelves. Source: Boston Dynamics

In the video, you can also watch how the Atlas humanoid uses its three-fingered hand, with a rotating digit, to pull items off a shelf and then grip the item for transfer. The gripper appears to be designed to handle large and heavy items.

It’s likely that the end effector deployed with the electric robot will be dependent on the types of work that it will do and the characteristics of the parts. This release follows another video in which the Atlas humanoid performed various calisthenics.

Boston Dynamics also announced this week the first deployment in Europe of its Stretch and Spot robots at Otto Group. The company recently discussed its partnership with the Toyota Research Institute on The Robot Report Podcast.

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The post Atlas humanoid robot shows increasing competence in latest Boston Dynamics video appeared first on The Robot Report.

China has launched a data-sharing initiative for its domestic humanoid companies to accelerate innovation. The project is being spearheaded by the National Local Joint Humanoid Robot Innovation Center and various Chinese humanoid companies.

As humanoids mature, they will require vast amounts of training data to enable the intelligence to autonomously execute everyday tasks. Every developer has the same problem: how do you generate the training data for these systems? China recognizes this issue and is looking to bring its robotics industry together to overcome this challenge.

Chinese guidelines released

The National Local Joint Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (NLJIC), China’s first public platform dedicated to this type of robot, is also building a training ground for manufacturers to collect high-quality data and promote industry-wide standards. Xu Bin, general manager of the state-backed center, told Chinese media outlet Yicai Global that like autonomous vehicles, “humanoid robots require large volumes of high-quality data for development, and advanced models demand even stricter data standards.”

China has also already released two standards documents for humanoids:

• • Guidelines for the Classification and Application of Humanoid Robots
  • Guidelines for the Classification of Embodied Intelligence Smart Development Stages

At press time, The Robot Report was still attempting to locate a copy of these documents.

A team led by the NLJIC released industry standards for China’s humanoids. These standards classify robots across four technical levels (L1 to L4) and five intelligence levels (G1 to G5), assessing capabilities such as perception, cognition, decision-making, and autonomy.

The NLJIC was established in May 2024 in Shanghai. The center also announced Qinglong, its first full-sized humanoid robot, at the 2024 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC). Qinglong is designed to be an open-source platform for advancing the field of humanoids globally.

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NLJIC aims to train 1,000 humanoids by 2027. Multiple Shanghai-based companies, including Fourier Intelligence and Kepler, are developing humanoids that will benefit from the data-sharing initiative. Fourier Intelligence launched the second-generation GR-2 in September 2024.

IEEE Humanoid Study Group

A similar initiative is happening under the mentorship of Aaron Prather, director of robotics & autonomous systems program at ASTM International. The IEEE Humanoid Study Group is a yearlong project aimed at evaluating all of the current robotic safety standards, determining which (if any) cover humanoids, and identifying the gaps for future SDOs to begin the process of creating new, applicable standards.

“China has clearly made humanoids a national priority,” Prather said. “This should be a wake-up call to other nations. It also justifies the work of IEEE Humanoid Study Group and its work to develop humanoid standards at the international level to help accelerate humanoid adoption everywhere and not just in a single country.”

The post China launches data-sharing initiative for humanoid developers appeared first on The Robot Report.

In Episode 169 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman recap the 2024 FIRA event with several interviews from vendors attending the show.

In this week’s featured interview, editor Eugene Demaitre speaks with Dr. Russ Tedrake, vice president of robotics research at Toyota Research Institute (TRI), and Scott Kuindersma, director of robotics research at Boston Dynamics. They discuss their collaboration on humanoid robotics and the integration of artificial intelligence through large behavior models.

The researchers also explore the challenges and opportunities in developing general-purpose robots, the importance of human involvement in learning processes, and the role of data in enhancing robot capabilities. In addition, the discussion touches on practical applications, deployment strategies, and the significance of rigorous research in advancing robotics technology.

Show timeline

• 6:30 – Advanced Farm Interview
• 15:52 – Reservoir Farms Interview
• 24:27 – Twisted Fields/Rotate8 Interview
• 31:58 – Bluewhite Interview
• 43:02 – Featured interview with Russ Tedrake of TRI and Scott Kuindersma of Boston Dynamics
  

FIRA 2024 recap

Oitzman attended the 2025 FIRA event for agricultural robotics in Woodland, Calif. It featured outdoor demonstrations in a specially cultivated field in the parking lot of the Yolo County fairgrounds.

The new Amiga-Max mobile robotic platform from Farm-ng. | Credit: The Robot Report

On the show’s first night, Advanced Farm Technologies hosted an apple harvester demo at its headquarters in Davis, Calif.

For the past two decades, apple growers have begun planting new orchards similar to vineyards, using a trellis planting method. The trees are planted closer together, and then all of the branches are trained into a 2D trellis form, where the trees are only about a 1 ft. wide by 4 ft. long by 15 ft. tall.

This creates a “flat canyon” between rows easier to drive down and the fruit gets more sunlight. It’s also perfect for automation like the Advanced Farm robots. The Advanced Farm test trellis uses 3D-printed apples on magnets attached to fake trees, but it works well for simulating an actual orchard. The podcast features an interview with Advanced Farms CEO Kyle Cobb.

Advanced Farms is testing its autonomous apple-picking robot in Washington this fall. | Credit: Mike Oitzman, The Robot Report

Reservoir Farms announced a new agtech incubator that will open in the first half of 2025 with two sites, one in Salinas and the other in the Central Valley. It provides a maker space for building, with shared machine tools plus secure storage onsite in the form of a storage container. Each site will also feature onsite cultivated fields for testing of the robots.

The company will plant whatever crop is key to the startups onsite. It is also developing partnerships with UC Merced and other local colleges and universities to provide facilities for senior projects or research labs on campus access to fields. The podcast features an interview with Reservoir Farms CEO Danny Bernstein.

At FIRA, we ran into friend of the show Daniel Theobald. He was at the expo with his Twisted Fields farm, which is also an agtech incubator. On display was a prototype robot being developed at Twisted Farms by the new company Rotate8. I met CEO Katie Bradford to learn more about the new venture. The company will be launching officially in early 2025.

Finally, we caught up with Bluewhite‘s CEO Ben Alfi, to learn more about a new partnership with CNH tractors. Bluewhite has completely productized its automation package to retrofit CNH tractors with full autonomy, and it is now training CNH local distributors to perform the retrofits in the fields or equip a brand new CNH tractor as it’s sold.

The result is that Bluewhite should begin to see full-scale deployments anywhere around the world where CNH tractors are being sold and supported.

Podcast sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation

This week’s show is sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation.

Are you tired of overpriced, underutilized autonomous mobile robot fulfillment solutions that drain your profits? It’s time to switch to Zebra Robotics Automation.

The company’s cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you that unbeatable competitive edge. 

Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra Robotics Automation.

To learn more, goto: https://www.zebra.com/fulfillment

The post FIRA update; Practical Applications of Embodied AI and Humanoid Robots appeared first on The Robot Report.

Organization: igus
Country: Germany
Website: https://www.igus.com
Year Founded: 1964
Number of Employees: 500+
Innovation Class: Technology, Product & Services

For all of the strides made in humanoid locomotion over the past year or so, there are still numerous applications for robotic manipulation to address. igus GmbH offers a finger gripper for its ReBeL collaborative robot arm to help developers.

The company designed ReBeL with its self-lubricating iglide plastics to be low-cost and easy to integrate so that innovators could focus on building the next generation of robots. End-of-arm tooling is already available for tasks such as assembly or inspection through the RBTX.com marketplace.

“As the ReBeL is very light and inexpensive with a weight of around 8 kg [17.6 lb.] and a price starting at $6,899, it is often used in humanoid applications,” said Alexander Mühlens, head of the low-cost automation business unit at igus. “For this reason, we have received several customer requests for a robot hand that can be easily connected to the ReBeL via plug and play.”

igus, whose U.S. headquarters are in Rumford, R.I., added that extensive testing has proved the longevity and flexibility of its hand. The ReBeL finger gripper can be controlled via various interfaces, including USB, TTL (5V) serial, and internal scripting.

The new end effector is compatible with all ReBeL models and is controlled by digital I/O at the tool center point. It can also copy human motion in teleoperation or imitation-learning applications, noted igus.

Mühlens added that the humanoid hand could be useful in university research, food service, and entertainment industry. Small and midsize enterprises, which are already adopting collaborative robots for their ease of programming, can try to automate new tasks with low risk.

Following igus’ policy of openly listing its prices, the ReBeL finger gripper is available for $2,760.

Register now

Explore the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024.

RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024

The post RBR50 Spotlight: igus gives ReBeL cobot a low-cost, human-like hand appeared first on The Robot Report.

In Episode 166 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Mike Oitzman and Steve Crowe discuss the latest robotics news from the past week.

On the show this week, we feature a recent conversation with Berndt Børnich, CEO and founder of 1X (formerly Halodi) Robotics. 1X recently launched NEO Beta, its second generation of a humanoid robot, and the company’s first legged platform. 1X has always had the mission to develop an abundance of labor and scale the population of humanoid robots.

In this conversation, Bernt discusses the launch of 1X’s humanoid robot, NEO, and the mission to address labor shortages through robotics. He emphasizes the importance of designing robots for home environments to gather diverse data for AI training, ensuring safety and compliance, and navigating regulatory challenges. The discussion also touches on the public perception of robots and the future of humanoid robotics in society.

The company deployed its first generation of EVE robots in enterprise and is now focused on deploying NEO into the home. “Our priority is safety,” said Bernt Børnich, CEO of 1X. “Safety is the cornerstone that allows us to confidently introduce NEO Beta into homes, where it will gather essential feedback and demonstrate its capabilities in real-world settings.”

If you want to sponsor a future episode of The Robot Report Podcast, contact Courtney Nagle at cnagle@wtwhmedia.com.

Show timeline

• 7:07 – News of the week
• 36:28 – Interview with Berndt Børnich, CEO and founder of 1X

Sponsor

The show this week is sponsored by Zebra Robotics Automation.

Are you tired of overpriced, underutilized autonomous mobile robot fulfillment solutions that drain your profits? It’s time to switch to Zebra Robotics Automation.

The company’s cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you that unbeatable competitive edge. 

Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra Robotics Automation.

To learn more, goto: https://www.zebra.com/fulfillment

News of the week

The post Inside 1X’s plan to test humanoids in homes appeared first on The Robot Report.