Between new product releases, exciting research, and large funding rounds, there was no shortage of robotics news for us to cover this month.
Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in November 2023. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay updated on the robotics stories you need to know about.
10. Cobots are primed to take over the automotive industry, says Universal Robots
Universal Robots A/S is one of the most successful collaborative robot developers on the planet. To date, the Odense, Denmark-based company said it has installed more than 75,000 cobots in various industries. It has also released over 440 UR+ products, has 1,100 partners, and has more than 20 offices globally. Read More
9. New Amazon Titan mobile robot handles heavy-duty payloads
Amazon.com Inc. is a heavyweight in e-commerce, and it has been deploying robots to help carry that weight. The Seattle-based company today introduced its Titan mobile robot, which can lift up to 2,500 lb. (1,133.9 kg). Titan is designed to safely and efficiently carry products across Amazon’s fulfillment centers, it said. Read More
8. Commercializing tactile sensors for robot dexterity
I recently wrote about the need for tactile sensing for evolving robotic dexterity from toddler to adult. In the piece, I make a case for designing with tactile sensing in mind to be able to achieve truly useful humanoid robots that can learn new skills in dexterity. Read More
7. Robotics companies raised $1.8B in September 2023
Robotics investment for September 2023 totaled $1.84 billion, the result of 50 investments. Total funding for January 2023 through September 2023 equals approximately $10.7 billion. Funding was $851 million in August 2023 and nearly $2 billion in July 2023. Read More
6. 5 takeaways from Universal Robots’ open house
Once dismissed as not capable enough for industrial use, collaborative robots are just beginning to help manufacturers and supply chains. At an open house at its U.S. headquarters yesterday, Universal Robots A/S showed about 400 attendees that cobots are ready for production work at shops of all sizes. Read More
5. Promise Robotics brings in $15M to bring automation to homebuilding
Promise Robotics, an AI company developing a cloud-based industrial production platform for robotic construction and assembly, has raised $15 million in Series A funding. The latest round brings the company’s total funding to $25 million. Read More
4. MuJoCo 3 simulator a result of unified efforts at Google
It’s been two-plus years since Google DeepMind acquired the MuJoCo physics engine for robotics research and development purposes. DeepMind released the open-source version in May 2022 and recently added some major upgrades to MuJoCo 3, including support for accelerator hardware, improved scalability on CPU and more versatile collision primitives. Read More
3. Brown researchers simplify human-to-robot communication with large language models
Researchers at Brown University said they have developed software that can translate plainly-worded instructions into behaviors that robots can carry out without needing thousands of hours of training data. Read More
2. China plans to mass produce humanoids by 2025
Beijing’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), which oversees the country’s industrial sector, published a guideline last week detailing goals for the country’s ambitions to develop humanoid robots. The MIIT said humanoids were likely to become another disruptive technology, similar to computers or smartphones, that could transform the way we produce goods and the way humans live. Read More
1. Delta Line introduces its smallest frameless BLDC motor and more
Delta Line is expanding two product lines with its 38BLF07 frameless BLDC motor and its Leo B2000 servomotor controller. Delta Line has experience designing motion solutions driven by frameless BLDC motors and is now expanding its portfolio with the addition of the smallest member of the family the new 38BLF07 with only 38mm outer diameter. Read More
Hi Brianna,
I have been watching the progress of URBX in Boston, MA. Take a look at them – I would love to see more detail on their progress. They really seem to have a breakthrough technology developing. I’ll watch your site for future info. Thanks!