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While headlines obsess over humanoid robots in factories, a quieter revolution is happening in logistics hubs. From Tokyo's baggage handlers to California's autonomous trucks, the unglamorous work of moving stuff from point A to point B is where robotics is actually proving its commercial viability.
Sereact announced a $110 million Series B funding round to scale its Cortex 2.0 robotic brain and expand into the U.S. market with a new Boston office. The company's AI system, trained on real warehouse operations across 200 deployed systems and one billion picks, now includes Cortex 2.0 which uses predictive planning via vision-language-action models and world models to anticipate outcomes before executing robotic tasks in manufacturing and logistics.
Accenture, Vodafone, and SAP just launched a pilot program putting humanoid robots in a real warehouse. Combined with Pudu Robotics' $150M raise and Ghost Robotics shipping over 1,000 units, we're watching enterprise money flood into physical AI — and that changes everything.
After years of hype and demonstrations, humanoid robots are moving from research labs into actual warehouse work. Three major pilots launching this month suggest the industry has quietly crossed a critical threshold.
Accenture, Vodafone Procure & Connect, and SAP are piloting humanoid robots in a German warehouse to demonstrate how physical AI can improve operational efficiency, worker safety, and workforce management. The robots, powered by Accenture's Robot Brain solution and trained in digital twins, autonomously perform visual inspections and identify safety risks, with findings integrated into SAP's warehouse management system for real-time decision-making.
Pudu Robotics has raised nearly $150 million in funding, bringing its valuation above $1.5 billion, as it expands from service robots into industrial applications including warehouse and manufacturing automation. The company is developing embodied AI technologies and launching new autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) like the T150 for material handling, with plans to expand globally and scale manufacturing capacity.
Honeywell is selling its Warehouse and Workflow Solutions business (Intelligrated and Transnorm brands) to private equity firm American Industrial Partners, with the transaction expected to close in late 2026. The combined entity will integrate with AIP's existing investment in Trew Automation to create a warehouse automation platform serving e-commerce, logistics, and supply chain sectors with automated sortation systems, conveyors, palletizers, and robotics solutions.
The RBR50 Gala will return at the 2026 Robotics Summit & Expo on May 27 in Boston, honoring top robotics innovators and showcasing award winners including Amazon's Vulcan warehouse robot, Physical Intelligence's robot learning models, and Harvard's soft exoskeleton. The event will feature over 50 technical sessions, 70+ speakers from leading robotics and AI companies, and networking opportunities across artificial intelligence, design, healthcare, and logistics applications.
MIT researchers and Symbotic developed an AI system using deep reinforcement learning that optimizes warehouse robot traffic by dynamically prioritizing which robots move first to avoid congestion and collisions. In simulations based on real e-commerce warehouse layouts, the hybrid approach combining deep reinforcement learning with a planning algorithm achieved approximately 25% higher throughput compared to existing methods and can adapt to different warehouse configurations and robot quantities.
MODEX 2026 trade show recap featuring industry experts discussing trends in warehouse automation, including partnerships, AI applications, and notable companies like Toyota Automated Logistics, Boston Dynamics, and FANUC. Key developments include Skild AI's acquisition of Fetch Robotics from Zebra Technologies to integrate its AI brain with warehouse orchestration platforms, and Boston Dynamics' integration of Google's Gemini AI into its Spot robot for enhanced reasoning and visual analysis capabilities.
Skild AI has acquired Zebra Technologies' robotics division (formerly Fetch Robotics), integrating its hardware-agnostic foundation model AI brain with Zebra's Symmetry fleet management platform to create a unified autonomous fulfillment ecosystem for warehouses and logistics. The acquisition aims to transform task-specific warehouse automation into a coordinated intelligence layer capable of controlling diverse robotic machines while building a data flywheel to improve AI world models for physical tasks.
Two major announcements this week signal a fundamental shift in logistics automation: Locus Robotics unveiled fully autonomous mobile manipulation, while Pickle Robot prepares to share hard-won lessons from real-world deployment. The message is clear — warehouses that don't automate soon won't be competitive.
While the robotics industry chases headlines with humanoids and warehouse automation, university research labs are quietly solving the hardest, most consequential problems—from robotic guide dogs for the blind to physics-reasoning AI and ocean exploration robots. These aren't just experiments; they're the foundation for technologies that will matter long after the hype cycle fades.
Pickle Robot Co.'s founder and CTO Ariana Eisenstein will present at the Robotics Summit & Expo in May 2026, sharing lessons learned from deploying warehouse robots in real-world environments, covering challenges like hardware durability, autonomy edge cases, and customer integration. Pickle develops truck unloading robots that use robotic gripping technology, path planning, and machine vision to pick and place packages at human or better-than-human speed, applying physical AI to logistics automation.
Locus Robotics launched Locus Array, a mobile manipulation system combining an omnidirectional mobile robot, integrated picking arm, and AI-powered perception for autonomous warehouse fulfillment. The system represents the company's evolution toward fully autonomous warehouse operations, capable of handling multiple workflows including picking, putaway, and replenishment while working alongside existing Locus AMRs across 350+ facilities globally.
MIT researchers have developed a generative AI-based system that improves wireless vision technology, enabling robots to reconstruct hidden 3D objects and entire room layouts using surface-penetrating wireless signals. The technique uses AI models to fill in gaps in partial reconstructions from reflected millimeter-wave signals, overcoming previous limitations in precision and enabling applications like warehouse verification and smart home robotics.
While tech headlines obsess over chatbots and generative models, something quieter but potentially more transformative is happening in warehouses and manufacturing plants. AI is finally leaving the lab and proving itself where it matters most: in production.
From food rotting in warehouses to delivery networks grinding to a halt, we're discovering that automation creates single points of failure we never had before. This week's news reveals a troubling pattern: our supply chains are only as resilient as their weakest algorithm.
Robust AI CEO Anthony Jules will speak at the Robotics Summit & Expo about designing warehouse robots that collaborate effectively with human workers, drawing on 30+ years of experience in robotics and AI. The talk will address practical challenges of deploying automation in complex warehouse environments, including integration with legacy systems and organizational adoption, while positioning robots as partners rather than replacements for workers.
The Trump administration's labor board has ordered Amazon to recognize and bargain with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union, which represents workers at a warehouse in Staten Island. This...
The 2026 Robotics Summit & Expo will feature a keynote panel on building reliable robots at scale, with experts from Amazon Robotics, Locus Robotics, QNX, and Universal Robots discussing architecture patterns, safety-certified processes, and real-time systems for commercial and industrial robotics. The session will cover practical approaches to designing reliable hardware and software, with speakers sharing insights from careers in collaborative automation, warehouse robotics, and AI-enabled systems.
FedEx has partnered with robotics company Berkshire Grey to develop Scoop, a robot designed for bulk package unloading in warehouses, choosing external partnerships over in-house robotics development. The company plans to pilot the robot across its facilities later this year as part of a multi-year collaboration focused on automating physically demanding and repetitive warehouse tasks.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union that covers warehouse workers, drivers and a diverse collection of other laborers, has come out against Paramount Skydance's merger with Warner Br...
While terrestrial robotics companies battle over warehouse floors and factory lines, a quieter revolution is happening 250 miles above Earth. The International Space Station is becoming the proving ground for embodied AI systems that must operate in conditions where human intervention is expensive, dangerous, and sometimes impossible—offering insights that could reshape robotics back on Earth.
MIT and Stanford engineers have developed a vine-inspired robotic gripper that uses pressurized tubes to inflate, twist, and coil around objects before retracting to lift them with a gentle sling-like grasp. The system combines open-loop and closed-loop mechanics and has potential applications in eldercare, agricultural harvesting, cargo handling, and industrial operations like port and warehouse automation.
Amazon's abrupt cancellation of its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project after just six months signals a broader reality check in industrial automation. While flashy demos capture headlines, the unsexy truth is that successful warehouse robotics requires ruthless pragmatism about what actually works at scale.
Amazon has halted its Blue Jay warehouse robotics project less than six months after unveiling it in October, with the multi-armed robot designed to sort and move packages in same-day delivery facilities. The company stated it will repurpose Blue Jay's underlying technology for other robotics manipulation programs, crediting AI advancements for the robot's rapid one-year development timeline.
A webinar scheduled for February 4, 2026 will examine the evolution of automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), exploring how robotic shuttles, AI-powered routing, and advanced software are making these systems more flexible and intelligent while comparing them with alternative approaches like AMRs and micro-fulfillment centers. Expert panelists from leading ASRS integrators and robot providers will discuss the capabilities unlocked by AI, ROI considerations, and the future of warehouse automation.
Gartner predicts that fewer than 20 companies will deploy humanoid robots in production for supply chain and manufacturing by 2028, despite nearly 200 humanoid companies existing today. The research firm cites technological limitations, high costs, integration challenges, and energy constraints as major barriers, and suggests that polyfunctional robots with wheels and alternative designs may be better suited for warehouse and logistics operations than humanoid form factors.
In a strange twist of fate, a fire broke out this week at the Rad Power Bikes retail store warehouse in Huntington Beach, California, Electrek reports. The structural blaze came less than two months a...
Singapore-based Botsync secured additional funding from SGInnovate as part of its extended Series A round to scale its autonomous mobile robots and orchestration software for warehouse and factory automation. The company has deployed over 200 systems with 30 enterprise clients including Ford, Caterpillar, and Nestlé, and plans to use the funding to enhance AI analytics, optimize its MAG AMR robots, and expand its multi-vendor fleet orchestration platform across Asia-Pacific and beyond.
Botsync, a company focused on mobile robot orchestration software, has raised additional funding to support its operations. The funding round reflects growing investment in solutions that coordinate autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in industrial and warehouse environments.
Humanoid and Siemens have completed a proof of concept for a logistics robot, demonstrating the application of autonomous mobile robots in industrial settings. The collaboration showcases the integration of robotics with manufacturing and logistics automation solutions.
Mytra closed a $120 million Series C funding round to scale its automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) for warehouse pallet handling, bringing total funding to over $200 million. The company's AI-powered robots and software have demonstrated 32% reductions in material handling labor and 34% improvements in storage density, with recent deployments for Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 customers marking significant commercial traction.
Mytra has closed a Series C funding round for its pallet-handling automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS). The funding marks a significant milestone for the company as it advances its autonomous mobile robot technology for warehouse and logistics automation.
According to Interact Analysis, the market for Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) is growing at a faster rate than traditional fixed automation systems. The report highlights the increasing adoption of mobile robots in industrial settings as companies seek flexible automation solutions.
NVIDIA has unveiled two new AI blueprints for retail: a Multi-Agent Intelligent Warehouse (MAIW) system that coordinates AI agents across warehouse IT and operational technology layers to improve inventory management and decision-making, and a Retail Catalog Enrichment blueprint for product data optimization. These open-source developer references enable retailers to deploy AI solutions across their supply chain and warehouse operations.
Pudu has launched the T150, a new autonomous mobile robot designed for light-payload warehouse delivery tasks. The T150 represents the company's expansion in the warehouse automation and logistics robotics market.
StoreX Calculator adds features for long-term planning to its automated storage implementation and integration tools, says Kardex. The post Kardex enhances StoreX Calculator for AutoStore planning and expansion appeared first on Automated Warehouse.
The robotics industry is pushing beyond flashy demos toward practical humanoid robots that can perform real-world tasks in factories and warehouses, but experts caution that achieving true autonomy requires years of development and embodied AI training rather than just large language models. Companies like EngineAI, Robotera, and Boston Dynamics (partnering with Hyundai) are working on humanoid robots for industrial use, though many current systems remain teleoperated rather than fully autonomous, and researchers emphasize that robots need real-world training data to learn practical skills.
Radial has surpassed 25 million picks using Locus Robotics' autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in their fulfillment operations, demonstrating the scalability of robotic warehouse automation. This milestone highlights the growing adoption of AMRs for logistics and fulfillment applications in e-commerce and supply chain management.
Simbe has released Tally 4.0, an updated version of its mobile shelf-scanning robot designed for retail environments. The new version represents an advancement in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for inventory management and shelf monitoring applications.
NVIDIA's third annual State of AI in Retail and CPG survey reveals widespread AI adoption across retail and supply chain operations, with 91% of companies actively using or assessing AI technologies including demand forecasting, warehouse automation, and agentic AI systems. The report shows significant business impact, with 89% of respondents reporting increased revenue and 95% reporting reduced costs, while 47% are piloting or using AI agents in their operations.
PepsiCo is partnering with Siemens and NVIDIA to implement digital twin technology and AI systems to optimize its supply chain operations. The initiative aims to improve efficiency and decision-making across PepsiCo's logistics and manufacturing processes using advanced simulation and AI-driven insights.
Aramex plans for its logistics network to use WMS and WES software from Softeon, which was just acquired by IFS. The post Aramex selects Softeon Warehouse Management System for global deployment appeared first on Automated Warehouse.
Pickle Robot, an autonomous warehouse unloading robotics company, announced the hiring of Jeff Evanson, a former Tesla VP of investor relations, as its first CFO. The announcement comes shortly after reports that UPS is investing $120 million to purchase 400 of Pickle's robots for deployment beginning in late 2026.
UPS is investing $120 million to purchase 400 robots from startup Pickle Robot Co. to automate truck unloading at warehouse docks, part of its $9 billion automation initiative aimed at reducing labor costs. Pickle's robotic arms use AI and suction technology to unload boxes up to 50 pounds, with each robot capable of unloading a typical truck in about two hours and paying for itself within 18 months through labor savings.
Robotics startup 1X announced a strategic partnership with Swedish investor EQT to deploy up to 10,000 of its Neo humanoid robots to EQT's portfolio companies between 2026 and 2030, targeting industrial applications including manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics. This represents a significant pivot for the Neo, which was previously marketed as a consumer home robot priced at $20,000, toward commercial industrial use cases where adoption barriers are lower.
Claire chatted to Anthony Jules from Robust.AI about their autonomous warehouse robots that work alongside humans. Anthony Jules is the CEO and co-founder of Robust.AI, a leader in AI-driven warehouse...
With a novel parallel-computing architecture, a CAD-to-USD pipeline, and the use of OpenUSD as ground truth, a new simulator can explore hundreds of sensor configurations in the time it takes to test...
