Iván Hernández Dalas: 50 most innovative robotics companies

We are passionate about the impact robotics can have on the world. That’s why for 14 years, the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards have honored the most innovative robotics companies, technologies, and applications from around the world.

This year we brought back three major awards: Robot of the Year, Application of the Year, and Startup of the Year. We added a fourth major honor: Robots for Good, which recognizes a robot making a meaningful impact on society.

The RBR50 Gala returns April 30 from 6-8 PM in Boston at the Robotics Summit & Expo. The Gala offers attendees a chance to network with the world’s leading robotics innovators. The Robotics Summit also has a dedicated section on the expo floor highlighting this year’s RBR50 winners. Tickets to the RBR50 Gala are limited and can be purchased online during Robotics Summit & Expo registration.

Profiles of all RBR50 winners can be found at the bottom of this page.

Robot of the Year: Waymo robotaxi

Waymo is single-handedly keeping the promise of autonomous vehicles (AV) alive in the U.S. In 2024, it steadily scaled its robotaxi operations while others faltered. Waymo last October surpassed 150,000 paid trips per week across its fleets in Los Angeles, Phoenix, and San Francisco. This was after it exceeded 100,000 paid trips per week just two months earlier.

RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards logoWaymo last year also announced plans to launch robotaxi services in Atlanta and Miami in 2025. It also said it’ll begin testing in Tokyo for its first international “road trip.”

The AV industry has long been plagued by companies that overpromised and underdelivered. After years of delays, technical setbacks, and high-profile failures, many people question whether AVs will ever become a widespread reality.

Waymo has proven to be the exception to this rule. It further solidified its position as the dominant player in the robotaxi market in 2024. And, more importantly, it’s showing that safe, autonomous ride-hailing at scale is not just possible – it’s already here.

TEPCO wins Application of the Year

Robots are perfect for tasks that are dully, dirty, or dangerous. And perhaps no job is more dangerous than the one performed by the Application of the Year Winner.

In October 2024, a remote-controlled robot named Telesco successfully retrieved a small piece of radioactive fuel from Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. This marked a significant step in the decommissioning efforts of three reactors that lost their cooling systems during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, leaving behind an estimated 880 tons of radioactive fuel.

The robot is being used by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which manages the plant. The potential high levels of radiation in the damaged reactors have made it unsafe for humans. Scientists said the sample will provide critical data to refine decommissioning strategies. The sample returned was the size of a grain of rice. TEPCO said the sample was significantly less radioactive than it expected. It said more sampling missions are necessary to obtain more data.

The cleanup of nuclear waste is an enormous challenge. TEPCO’s use of robotics is key to ensuring worker safety and minimizing human exposure to radioactive environments.

Mytra named Startup of the Year

Mytra is helping its customers optimize warehouse space by automating traditionally manual pallet handling processes. Its 3D lattice storage system maximizes density and eliminates aisles while allowing flexibility in handling various payloads, from small items up to 3,000 lb. pallets.

Founded in 2022, Mytra’s system has already been deployed by major companies, including Albertsons, a leading American grocery business. Albertson’s uses it in distribution centers to buffer and sequence inventory before shipping to stores. The Mytra solution is also useful for cross-docking warehouses as it can statically stage and store full pallets, queuing them for the trailer loading process. Across its customer base, Mytra estimates that warehouses save up to 88% of labor hours.

Mytra was founded by Chris Walti and Ahmad Baitalmal, former leaders in robotics and manufacturing at Tesla and Rivian, respectively. Their domain knowledge of logistics and large-scale automation has helped Mytra design a product that directly addresses the inefficiencies they experienced firsthand in modern warehouses.

Hello Robot wins Robots for Good Award

Hello Robot’s Stretch 3 mobile manipulator has been recognized with the Robots for Good Award for advancing in-home assistive robotics. Built to support individuals with mobility challenges, Stretch 3 is compact, lightweight, and capable in cluttered environments.

Stretch 3 has already gained traction in research institutions across more than 20 countries and is gaining ground in real-world applications. Individuals with severe mobility impairments are using it to regain independence, engage in social interactions, and ease the burden on caregivers. Henry Evans, a non-speaking adult with quadriplegia, has shared how Stretch allows him to contribute to household chores and connect with his granddaughter in a way that was previously impossible.

Beyond individual use, Stretch 3 is being tested in assistive applications such as an NIH-funded study exploring robotic support for older adults with early-stage dementia. Hello Robot has also partnered with the ALS Association to develop solutions tailored to that community’s needs. With open-source software and continued development, Stretch 3 is accelerating the future of at-home assistive robots.

To learn more about the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2025, peruse the winner profiles below. We hope you join us at the RBR50 Gala to celebrate this year’s winners and connect with the brightest minds in robotics.

RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2025

Company Innovation
ABB Robotics Launches next-generation OmniCore robotics control platform
Agility Robotics Digit is the first humanoid deployed in a commercial application
Amazon Robotics Amazon opens its most automated facility ever
Asensus Surgical Senhance brings minimally-invasive robotic surgery to kids
Beewise Heat Chamber kills 99% of honeybee mites, chemical-free
Boston Dynamics Electric version of Atlas a game-changer for humanoids
Chef Robotics Robots help food manufacturers increase production
Clearpath Robotics by Rockwell Automation Husky A300 offers rugged mobile robotics platform
Cognibotics HKM1800 picking robot enhances productivity of warehouses
Collaborative Robotics Proxie mobile manipulator simplifies material handling
cyngn DriveMod enables autonomy across indoor and outdoor spaces
Endiatx Swallowable robot offers real-time stomach diagnostics
FBR Hadrian X blocklaying robot builds first five homes
ForceN Redefines force-torque sensing with plug-and-play approach
Geek+ Robots help create Unilever’s largest production facility
GrayMatter Robotics Scan&Sand automates labor-intensive ambulance manufacturing
HEBI Robotics Inchworm-style robots offer a unique approach to mobility
Hello Robot Stretch 3 brings in-home assistive robots to life
Humotech Caplex improves prosthetic fitting with real-time emulation
Isochronic Simultaneous pick-and-place tech increases throughput
Johns Hopkins University Researchers use imitation learning to train surgical robots
KUKA Robots assist with larvae breeding on Danish insect farm
Levita Magnetics Dual-robot surgery successfully removes human prostate
Libiao Robotics Skechers enhances warehouse efficiency with AirRob system
LimX Dynamics TRON 1 multi-modal biped offers a unique R&D platform
Locus Robotics Mobile robots surpass 4 billion picks worldwide
MAB Robotics Waterproof Honey Badger quadruped navigates land and water
MassRobotics MassRobotics startups raise more than $1 billion
maxon High Efficiency Joints set a new standard for robotic actuators
Mbodi AI Hybrid AI architecture helps robots learn via natural language
Mytra Automated storage simplifies case and pallet handling
NASA Ingenuity Helicopter ends three-year historic run on Mars
Northrop Grumman Manta Ray underwater drone passes first military test
NVIDIA Open-source Isaac Lab accelerates robot learning
NYU Langone Doctors perform world’s first fully robotic double lung transplant
Opteran European Space Agency tests Mind autonomy platform
OTTO by Rockwell Automation OTTO solves interoperability issues for large automotive OEM
Pickle Robot Helps unload more than 1.5 million lbs. of Randa apparel
Project CETI Researchers use robotics to better understand sperm whales
Reflex Robotics Wheeled mobile manipulator uses teleoperation to multi-task
Roboto AI Platform helps robotics developers streamline data analysis
Robust.AI Carter Pro AMR takes human-robot interaction to the next level
Saildrone Maritime drones map unexplored areas of the Gulf of Maine
Shadow Robot DEX-EE hand helps advance robotic manipulation
SKA Robotics Robot tightens fasteners inside 1GW utility-scale generators
Symbotic BreakPack solution drastically reduces each picking costs
Tennibot Partner robot ball machine a glimpse into future of sports training
Tokyo Electric Power Company Robot removes radioactive material at Fukushima nuclear reactor
Teradyne MC600 mobile manipulator handles heavy objects
Waymo Robotaxis surpass 150,000 paid rides per week

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