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Iván Hernández Dalas: Robot integration brings high-precision production to midmarket manufacturers

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High-precision manufacturing was once considered something exclusive to large corporations. However, advances in robotic integration and automated manufacturing have changed this perception. Sophisticated capabilities are becoming accessible to midmarket and smaller operations. This shift has led to a more even competitive landscape. Smaller manufacturers have an opportunity to reach new levels of accuracy and efficiency. Today’s robotic systems can help these producers modernize targeted workflows without overhauling their entire production operations. Robotic innovations drive efficiency for manufacturers The evolution of robotics has led to more democratized precision manufacturing processes. This is evident across industrial robots and agile collaborative robots . Key benefits of these innovations can include: Cost and footprint: The potential for lower investment costs and compact designs can make robotic systems economically viable. It can also simplify integration in...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Boston Dynamics built Stretch Gen 2 for reliable, consistent performance

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The new Stretch features an updated modular design that enables “plug and play” part swaps. | Source: Boston Dynamics Boston Dynamics Inc. this week unveiled Stretch Gen 2, the latest generation of its autonomous mobile trailer unloading robot. With over 100,000 operating hours and tens of millions of boxes handled under its belt, the company built the updated robot to maximize uptime and streamline maintenance. Brian Donnelly, the vice president and general manager of logistics robotics at Boston Dynamics, told  The Robot Report that the company has been working on the new version of Stretch for around two and a half years. “When we made the first generation of Stretch, we were focused on trying to get a product out into the market as fast as possible and really get it in customers’ hands and get it operational,” he said. “It was not the easiest to manufacture; there were a lot of components.” “[With Stretch 2], we really were focused on simplification, h...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Industry experts discuss China blocking SoftBank acquisition of ABB Robotics

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ABB Robotics has integrated NVIDIA Omniverse libraries into RobotStudio. Source: ABB Robotics Yesterday, ABB Robotics confirmed to  The Robot Report that China’s Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review has blocked SoftBank Group Corp.’s planned acquisition of ABB Robotics. Regulators had expressed concern that data for training artificial intelligence models could be transferred overseas. ABB Robotics is already a significant manufacturer and provider of robotics in China . The Zurich-based company stated that it and SoftBank are “in close dialogue and are working constructively on the transaction.” Other countries are moving to protect what they view as sovereign physical AI . For instance, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ( FCC ) recently banned new models of certain connected advanced devices, including legged robots and autonomous mobile robots ( AMRs ). Companies such as Intel and Husqvarna have already received condi...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: How did Agility Robotics perform on its first day on the stock market?

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Agility says its Digit 5 humanoids can lift up to 50 lb. | Source: Agility Robotics Earlier today, Agility Robotics began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the ticker “AGLT.” The company claimed that it is “the first pure-play legged humanoid company to go public.” Agility started the day trading at $11.26 per share, above the initial $10 per share price used in the SPAC deal. It was a day of ups and downs, as it was for many tech stocks. It hit its lowest price at $8.40, and its highest at $12.15. The company ended up closing the day trading slightly above (2%) where it had started, at $11.49. Other pure-play robotics providers did not fare so well. Serve Robotics , another publicly traded robotics company that offers sidewalk delivery robots, ended down 12.45%. Surgical robotics leader Intuitive Surgical ended down 2.82%. Symbotic , which provides end-to-end warehouse automation, ended down 2.47%. In addition, PROCEPT BioRobotics Corp. , which provides roboti...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: How Ambi Robotics helps its customers prepare for peak season

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The AmbiSort B Series can streamline final-mile deliver operations with automated induction, scanning, and ‘end-to-end’ sortation. | Source: Ambi Robotics As Black Friday and the start of peak season draw near, logistics providers across the country are getting ready for the rush. Each year, these providers could see a 25% to 40% increase in throughput, according to Stephen McKinley, co-founder and chief operating officer at Ambi Robotics. This year, Ambi is expecting its customers to experience a 9% to 10% increase compared with peak season last year. “Despite anything that might be going on in the economy, volume continues to ramp and e-commerce spending remains high,” McKinley told  The Robot Report . “That puts familiar pressures on our clients to perform in all of their individual sites, and we’re feeling that pressure also, because our systems are core to their functions.” For Ambi, preparing for the season means installing new systems at eight faciliti...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Chinese regulators block SoftBank’s $5.4B acquisition of ABB Robotics

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ABB Robotics has about 7,000 employees, and its U.S. headquarters and factory are in Auburn Hills, Mich. | Source: ABB Robotics It has been more than a year since ABB announced it singed an agreement to sell its robotics division to the Japanese tech giant SoftBank Group. The $5.375 billion deal is now being blocked by Chinese regulators, ABB confirmed to The Robot Report . China ‘s Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review has prohibited the acquisition in the country. Authorities expressed concerns about robotics data being transferred overseas and used to train AI models, according to The Financial Times , which first reported that the deal was blocked. You may be wondering why Chinese regulators have so much say in a Japanese company acquiring a Zurich-based industrial automation provider , but China makes up a major portion of ABB’s revenue. For the entire FY 2025 , ABB Robotics saw $928,000 in orders from China, an increase from the ...
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Iván Hernández Dalas: Agility Robotics begins trading on Nasdaq

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Agility Robotics began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market this morning under the ticker “AGLT,” after the company completed its merger with special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, Churchill Capital Corp XI. Agility’s stock opened at $11.26 per share, which was above the $10 per share price used in the SPAC deal. The Salem, Ore.-based company ‘s stock was at $10.30 as of press time. “Today marks an important milestone for Agility, but the bigger story is what it means for the future of work,” stated Peggy Johnson, CEO of Agility Robotics. “AI is moving beyond the digital world and into the physical world, creating new possibilities for how people and machines work together. At Agility, that future is already taking shape.” “Digit is doing real work in customer operations today, taking on repetitive, physically demanding tasks,” she added. “Becoming a public company gives us access to more resources to help accelerate that progr...
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