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Iván Hernández Dalas: IFR highlights 10 women shaping robotics in 2025

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Ten women shaping the future of robotics in 2025. | Source: IFR To give women in robotics more visibility and acknowledgment, the International Federation of Robotics, or IFR, this week named 10 women who are shaping the robotics industry. The organization said it hopes the list will inspire girls and young women to pursue a career in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) or robotics and help companies to reach gender equality and overcome staffing shortages. Currently, women make up 48% of the total workforce and just 34% of the STEM workforce, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project . When it comes to engineering and robotics roles, the number is even smaller, with women only making up about 16% of the workforce. In times of demographic change and an increasing lack of skilled labor, economies around the globe cannot ignore a certain share of it, said the IFR. Moreover, a more diverse workforce has been proven to help companies increase producti...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: ABB plans to invest $120M to expand production capacity in the U.S.

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A rendering of ABB’s new 320,000-sq.-ft. facility to be built in Selmer, Tenn. | Source: ABB ABB this week said it plans to invest $120 million in the U.S. to expand the production capacity for its low-voltage electrification products. The company said this will enable it to meet increasing demand from customers in a wide range of key growth industries, including data centers, buildings, and utilities. Zurch, Switzerland-based ABB expects to create 50 new jobs at a new advanced manufacturing facility in Selmer, Tenn., and will double the size of its existing manufacturing site in Senatobia, Miss., creating 200 new jobs. “Demand is increasing steadily for advanced electrification technologies, driven by growth in key sectors including data centers and utilities,” said Morten Wierod, CEO of ABB. “Today’s announcement will support our future growth in the U.S., ABB’s largest global market. Our new facilities in Selmer and Senatobia will keep our U.S. customers at the cutting edge of ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Shield AI raises $250M to scale Hivemind Enterprise autonomy developer platform

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Hivemind Enterprise enables the development of autonomous operations in GPS-denied environments. Source: Shield AI Shield AI, a provider of autonomy software and defense aircraft, yesterday announced that it has completed an F-1 strategic funding round of $240 million, bringing the company’s valuation to $5.3 billion. San Diego, Calif.-based Shield AI said it plans to use the funds to expand the deployment of its Hivemind Enterprise platform to OEMs, governments, and companies so they can provide autonomy to the larger robotics and drone industrial base.  “Developing autonomy is both complex and costly,” noted Nathan Michael, chief technology officer of Shield AI. “Hivemind Enterprise solves this widely known problem and enables the rapid and efficient proliferation of resilient, high-performance autonomy for intelligent machines across industries. Hivemind Enterprise is about supercharging the industrial base to build and monetize autonomy, enabling a world of millions of au...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Robot Talk Episode 112 – Getting creative with robotics, with Vali Lalioti

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Claire chatted to Vali Lalioti from the University of the Arts London about how art, culture and robotics interact. Vali Lalioti is a pioneering designer, computer scientist and innovator. She has a PhD in Computer Science, an MRes in Design and an MBA, and extensive international leadership, research and innovation experience in Silicon Valley, Africa, China, Japan and Europe. Vali is passionate about how technology interacts with society and talks globally on women in tech, art and technology education and her research in societal applications for well-being, healthy ageing and art. She developed the first ever BBC Augmented Reality production in 2003 and has introduced the UK’s first Creative Robotics University Degrees. View Source
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Behind the scenes: Boston Dynamics’ Atlas humanoid learns to sequence auto parts

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Boston Dynamics released a new video of the electric Atlas humanoid. The video shows behind-the-scenes snippets of the Atlas engineering team and the robot in various states of assembly and repair. It’s a refreshing look at the complex systems that make up a humanoid robot, and it’s also an honest look under the hood at a time when many companies are guarded about the IP within their robots. Aaron Saunders, chief technology officer at Boston Dynamics, will deliver the opening keynote at Robotics Summit & Expo 2025 , where he will unpack the new, electric Atlas humanoid and share insights from being at the forefront of humanoid development for years. This keynote will explore the challenges and opportunities of building humanoids for real-world applications, offering a behind-the-scenes look at how Boston Dynamics continues to innovate and push the limit of robotics. The new video from previews many of the topics Aaron is likely to cover during his keynote. Here’s what I found ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: RightHand Robotics receives strategic investment from Rockwell Automation

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Simulation showing RightHand Robotics RightPick solution fulfilling orders from an AutoStore ASRS in collaboration with AMRs from OTTO Motors. | Credit: Rockwell Automation. RightHand Robotics, a leader in robotic piece-picking for logistics operations, has received a strategic investment from Rockwell Automation . Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. Rockwell Automation is one of the world’s leading industrial automation providers. Rockwell’s investment comes at a pivotal moment for RightHand Robotics. It right-sized its operation in 2024 and co-founder Yaro Tenzer stepped in as CEO to expand operations in Europe and North America. The backing from Rockwell provides both financial stability and industry credibility to help RightHand Robotics scale its RightPick 4 piece-picking technology. RightPick 4 leverages artificial intelligence, computer vision, and robotic grippers to autonomously pick individual items of varying shapes and sizes in different workflows. Duri...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Get ready for ROS 1 sunset and learn ROS 2 features at the Robotics Summit

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Source: OSRF The Robot Operating System, or ROS, has matured along with robotics research, development, and commercial use. The Open Source Robotics Foundation made the first public release of ROS 2 more than a decade ago, and ROS 1 is reaching its end of life on May 31, 2025. Attendees of the Robotics Summit & Expo , which will be on April 30 and May 1, can learn about how the operating system ‘s features continue to enable development and deployment. Geoffrey Biggs, chief technology officer of the Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF), will discuss how ROS 2 usage has grown for commercial products and services. He will examine ROS 2 successes across a wide range of fields, including warehouse robotics, in-factory transportation, long-term ocean research, delivery drones, hotel delivery, hospital automation, and even on the International Space Station. Biggs will also explain how the platform allows robot developers to receive the work of hundreds of engineers for much lowe...
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