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Iván Hernández Dalas: NAU researchers release open-source exoskeleton framework

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Zach Lerner’s Biomechatronics Lab at NAU previously developed an exoskeleton to help children with cerebral palsy walk. | Source: Northern Arizona University Researchers at Northern Arizona University, or NAU, hope to enable a future where people with disabilities can walk on their own with the help of robotic legs. The university released an open-source robotic exoskeleton to help accelerate development. Developing these complex electromechanical systems is currently expensive and time-consuming, which likely stops a lot of research before it ever starts. But that may soon change: Years of research at NAU associate professor Zach Lerner’s Biomechatronics Lab has led to a comprehensive open-source exoskeleton framework. It could help overcome several huge obstacles for potential exoskeleton developers and researchers. “Our project is important to the research community because it significantly lowers the barriers to entry,” Lerner said. “In a time of diminishing federal grant f...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: A beginner’s guide to safe human-robot collaboration

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ADAR enables 3D 360-degree obstacle detection at a lower cost than conventional sensor packages. | Source: Sonair Killer drones. Terminator -type humanoids. A Murderbot on every corner. These dystopian visions of the future in which human-robot relations are in a state of constant conflict abound in books and movies. But in the real world, humans and robots peacefully coexist every single day in factories, warehouses, hospitals, and homes. This is thanks, in large part, to the robot safety standards developed over decades by global experts. So, while talk of peaceful human-robot coexistence might sound a little dramatic, it’s no exaggeration to say that without robot safety standards , there would be no effective human-robot coexistence or collaboration at all. There would, in fact, be chaos. Why robot safety standards matter Robot safety standards are guidelines and regulations developed to ensure robots operate safely around humans. Safety standards define requirements for th...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: UR Studio simulator validates cobot setups before deployment

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A screenshot from UR Studio, UR’s new online simulation tool, visualizing a palletizing cell with a UR12e cobot and a vacuum gripper end-effector. | Credit: Universal Robots Universal Robots (UR), a leading developer of collaborative robot (cobot) arms, today at Automatica in Germany released its UR Studio simulation tool. UR said UR Studio is built on PolyScope X, the company’s open and AI-ready software platform. UR Studio enables customers, partners and integrators to build 1:1 online simulations of workcells and simulate every key aspect of the setup. With UR Studio, users can test robot movements, simulate reach, speed and workflow, and calculate cycle time. “It’s all about confidence and ease of deployment,” said Tero Tolonen, Universal Robots’ chief product officer. “Whether you are new to automation or an experienced customer optimizing a complex cell, you want assurance and certainty before making the final decision on your solution. With UR Studio, we now provide an in...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: ABB Robotics launches large industrial robots, heavy duty AMR at Automatica

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ABB has introduced high-performance robots including the IRB 670S. Source: ABB Robotics ABB Robotics today said it is expanding its large robot portfolio, introduced a compact mobile robot, and announced new capabilities for the “era of Autonomous Versatile Robotics.” The Zurich-based company claimed that these new robots, as well as its wider portfolio of next-generation robots launched since 2022, is “the most comprehensive lineup of industrial robots and variants on the market.” ABB said its lineup of 11 robot families including 60 variants offers customers flexibility, performance, and sustainability benefits. “The launch of our new robots supports our vision that ‘versatility’ will be the defining factor for robotics in 2025,” stated Marc Segura, president of ABB’s Robotics Division. “This market-leading range of industrial robots and variants, coupled with our comprehensive portfolio of mechatronic platforms, cobots, and AMRs, ensures we are ideally placed to support our cu...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: NEURA Robotics launches latest cognitive robots, Neuraverse ecosystem

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The Gen3 4NE1 humanoid on display at Automatica 2025. Source: NEURA Robotics NEURA Robotics is presenting several innovations at Automatica 2025 this week in Munich, Germany. They include the world premiere of the third generation of its 4NE1 humanoid robot, the market launch of the MiPA cognitive household and service robot, and its Neuraverse open robotics ecosystem. The Metzingen, Germany-based company claimed that these releases mark “a milestone for all of cognitive robotics, making it suitable for the mass market for the first time.” “Cognitive robotics is the next technological revolution—and it is happening right here and now,” stated David Reger , founder and CEO of NEURA Robotics. “Cognitive robots will fundamentally change the way we live and work.” “At NEURA, we are not only pioneers on the hardware side, but [we] also develop the underlying software and AI,” he said. “Our goal is to deliver 5 million robots by 2030—for industry, services, and the home. NEURA is doin...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Inbolt to bring its real-time robot guidance systems to the U.S., Japan

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Inbolt’s GuideNOW is made up of a 3D camera mounted on the robot, real-time workpiece localization AI, and GuideNOW Studio. | Source: Inbolt Inbolt, a developer of real-time robot guidance systems, is expanding to the U.S. and Japan. The Paris-based company said it plans to replicate the footprint it has established in the European market. There, it powers computer vision-aided robots at major manufacturers, including Stellantis, Renault, Volkswagen, Ford, and Beko. “Manufacturers today don’t have the luxury of time,” stated Albane Dersey, co-founder and chief operating officer of Inbolt. “They need to launch new products quickly, respond to shifts in consumer demand overnight, and continue production without costly retooling.” “That level of agility starts with intelligent automation,” he added. “As we expand into the U.S. and Japan, we’re partnering with manufacturers that see the strategic advantage in 3D vision and AI powering systems that evolve with demand, switch models in ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: VC reflects on robotics trade show season

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Cambrian Robotics demonstrated vision-guided automotive assembly at Automate. Source: Oliver Mitchell May and June were big months for robotics in the U.S. As flowers bloomed outside, actuators rose in the convention halls of Boston, Detroit, Houston, and Atlanta. While there have been many good articles on each of these events, with numerous postings of new humanoids and cobots in action, I would like to share some observations as an insider with nearly a decade of attendance at two very different shows: Automate and Xponential. On a personal note, since starting this article, uncrewed systems that were demonstrated on the floors of these shows weeks earlier have now been deployed globally on battlefields and on parade grounds in Washington, D.C. Automate grows up In its heyday, Detroit was the fourth-largest city in the U.S., manufacturing 75% of the country’s automobiles. Today, its rank has fallen to 27, claiming one of the lowest per capita incomes in the count...
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