Canada's Soft Robotics: From Lab Research to Business Tool - Archynewsy
Canadian researchers are transitioning soft robotics from laboratory prototypes to functional commercial applications, driven by advances in flexible materials and adaptive control systems. These systems are designed to deform under pressure and enable delicate object manipulation that traditional industrial robots cannot achieve. The commercial viability of these robots is increasing as manufacturers move towards "cobots," collaborative robots designed to work alongside humans. The core innovation is the integration of smart materials that respond to environmental stimuli. The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has prioritized funding for these projects, recognizing the potential for soft grippers to automate tasks deemed too complex for standard automation. However, moving soft robotics into the factory remains difficult due to the durability of soft materials compared to steel.
New Unicorn! Humanoid secures €133 million at €1.1 billion valuation to scale industrial robotics and physical AI
Humanoid, an AI and robotics company building industrial humanoid robots, has secured a €133 million ($152 million) Series A financing at a €1.1 billion ($1.35 billion post-money valuation). This brings the total amount raised to €236 million ($270 million). The funding was led by Prime Movers Lab, with participation from Schaeffler, Bosch, Fubon Financial Holding Venture Capital, and Aglaé Ventures. The funding places Humanoid within a broader flow of capital into European physical AI, industrial robotics and warehouse automation during 2026. The new capital will fund Humanoid’s next phase of growth, strengthening its technology leadership and accelerating its commercial deployments and business expansion.
Technology in manufacturing: the operational trends shaping factory floors in mid-2026
The manufacturing sector is seeing significant technological shifts, with a focus on physical AI and addressing an 80% automation gap. Four in five U.S. manufacturing facilities currently operate with zero automation, according to MarketScale's mid-2026 industrial IoT coverage. This figure represents a market saturated with new products meeting a base that hasn't yet deployed the last generation yet. Operational leaders often cite capital constraints as the reason their facilities haven't adopted AI or robotics, but MarketScale reports that data hygiene and OT cybersecurity are the true bottlenecks. These findings have direct implications on how IT teams sequence investments. End-of-line and flexible cells are the next deployment frontier, with nearly half of manufacturers planning to implement end-of the line automation within 24 months.
Cellares and Papillon Therapeutics Partner to Automate Manufacturing of PPL-001 for Patients With Friedreich’s Ataxia
Cellares and Papillon Therapeutics have announced a collaboration to automatise manufacturing of PPL-001, PPL's investigational gene-corrected hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) therapy for Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder that affects multiple organ systems simultaneously. PPL001 uses targeted gene editing to correct the GAA repeat expansion in Intron 1 of the FXN gene, responsible for over 95% of FA cases. The collaboration reflects Cellares' ability to support cell therapy programs across a broad spectrum of manufacturing scales, from rare pediatric indications with small patient populations to large autoimmune programs requiring hundreds of thousands of doses per year.
NeuralZome builds no-code AI that lets anyone train a robot without writing code
NeuralZome Cybernetics, a Bengaluru-based deeptech startup, is developing no-code AI agents that allow anyone to train a robot without writing code. The company was founded in 2023 by Mohan Sivam, its CEO, and Aditya Shriwastava, its CTO. Its main product is NeuralPilot, a teachable AI agent that can be taught without coding or hand-labelled datasets. The simulation platform, RedPill, builds photorealistic digital twins so a robot can be trained in a virtual copy of its environment before it ever runs in a field. The service model allows customers to pay for the work done rather than buy and maintain a machine. In August 2025, it raised $2.4 million, part of about $22.6 million raised across two rounds, and is expanding into North America and Europe.
Fanuc stock trades steady as automation demand supports earnings
Fanuc Corp. (ISIN JP3802300008) is a Japanese automation specialist, reporting multi-billion-yen revenue and strong profitability from its core factory automation and robotics businesses in its latest fiscal year. The company generated consolidated revenue of over JPY 800 billion, reflecting year-on-year growth compared to the previous period as demand for CNC systems and industrial robots remained strong across key manufacturing regions including Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Fanuc's operating margin remained in double digits in the latest fiscal period, supported by scale efficiencies in its factories and a portfolio concentrated in high-margin control systems and robots. The Robotics division, which supplies articulated industrial robots for welding, assembly, material handling, and other tasks, contributed a large share of group revenue in the recent fiscal year and saw unit shipments of robots increase. The balance sheet carries significant cash and financial assets, allowing Fanuc to navigate cyclical downturns and continue investing in next-generation robotics and control technologies.
Humanoid robots set for explosive growth
The global humanoid robot market is expected to grow from $4.2 billion in 2026 to $40.5 billion by 2033, a growth rate of 38.2%, according to a report from Grand View Research. The growth is attributed to accelerating AI innovation, persistent labour shortages, falling hardware costs, and increased investment from technology companies developing robots capable of performing increasingly complex tasks in human environments. Manufacturing is expected as the largest application segment for humanoid robots, with manufacturers investing in humanoid robots for assembly, inspection, quality control and material handling. Logistics and warehousing are also emerging as significant growth areas. The hardware segment continues to account for the largest share of market revenue, reflecting ongoing demand for sophisticated sensors, actuators, AI processors and battery technologies. While North America accounted for the most global revenue in 2025, Asia-Pacific is expected the fastest growth. Technology companies are also intensifying efforts to commercialise humanoid robots.
Samsung Creates New Robotics Division to Speed Up AI and Humanoid Robot Development - PhoneWorld
Samsung Electronics has created a new robotics division, the Robotics eXperience (RX) Division, named after Lee Dong-kun, who previously worked at Hyundai Motor Group and Boston Dynamics, a US-based robotics company owned by Hyundai. The division will oversee the company’s long-term robotics strategy, develop core technologies, and manage the commercialization of robotics products. It will also expand its robotics research capabilities in South Korea and overseas. The company plans to establish dedicated robotics research hubs in the US, China, and Japan as part of its global expansion. Samsung plans to continue investing in robotics infrastructure to strengthen its position in the fast-growing industry. The move aligns with a global trend of major tech companies investing heavily in robotics and factory automation.
Hyundai-Themed ETFs Slide as Motor Stock Stumbles
Exchange-traded funds based around Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) have seen a decline in performance due to the company's stock dropping below 400,000 won and concerns over slowing second-quarter earnings. Most theme ETFs focused on robots and humanoids have posted steep losses due to Hyundai Motor's recent fall. The ACE K Humanoid Robot Industry TOP2+, listed in April, performed the worst at -31.22%, followed by RISE Hyundai Motor Fixed Physical AI and KODEX Hyundai Motor Robotics Value Chain TOP3 Plus in terms of loss magnitude. These products were launched with a focus on the future growth potential of Hyundai Motor Group's robots, artificial intelligence (AI), and autonomous driving. However, as Hyundai Motor, the core component stock, recently experienced a sharp correction, ETF returns took a direct hit. Hybrid ETFs incorporating bonds and Hyundai Motor Kia Bond Mixed 50 saw a one-month return of -10.69%, while WON Samsung Electronics Hyundai Motor Bond Mixed50 saw a return of 16.39%. Despite this, analysts believe Hyundai Motor’s mid-term growth potential remains intact despite the short-term earnings slump.
Rodriguez to Showcase Precision Bearings and Cobot Transfer Unit at AMB 2026
Rodriguez is set to present its latest precision bearing solutions and collaborative robotics technology at AMB 2026 in Stuttgart, Germany. The company will showcase its RTB bearing series for machine tools and the MovoTrak Cobot Transfer Unit (CTU), designed to extend the working range of collaborative robots. The focus of the exhibition will be the RTB axial-radial roller bearings, which are designed to withstand radial and axial loads while transmitting tilting moments and enabling highly accurate, repeatable motion. The standard version of the RTBs is intended for a broad range of rotary and positioning tasks, while the new RTB CTU adds a movable seventh axis to serve multiple workstations within one production system. In addition to precision bearings and linear technology, Rodriguez will also present customized engineering solutions.
Samsung RX: Samsung's Bold Robotics Revolution Could Redefine the Future of AI-Powered Machines + Video - UNDERCODE NEWS
Samsung Electronics has established a new robotics organization, Samsung RX, a dedicated division responsible for developing next-generation robotic technologies. The move signals Samsung's ambition to become a major force in industrial robots, logistics automation, humanoid machines, and eventually consumer robotics. The company has recruited world-class researchers, experienced executives, and expanding its global research footprint. Samsung RX will operate directly under Samsung DX CEO TM Roh and will be led by Lee Dongkun, who previously worked extensively on robotics strategy at Hyundai Motor Group. The Seoul R&D Campus in Umyeon-dong is the primary headquarters for robotics development. To support robotics development, Samsung plans to build a dedicated data factory at its manufacturing plant in Gumi, South Korea.
ABB stock steadies as automation demand supports outlook after strong 2024 results
ABB Ltd (ISIN CH0012221716) stock continues to strengthen, with strong 2024 results and order trends published in ABB’s annual reporting and presentations for fiscal 2024 and 2025. According to ABB's investor information for 2024, group revenues reached around $33.3 billion, supported by continued demand in electrification and automation markets, while the operating margin and cash generation enabled further shareholder returns and balance-sheet strength. The company's operational EBITA margin improved compared to 2023, attributed to pricing discipline, mix and cost control, and higher-margin segments, including parts of the Motion and Robotics & Discrete Automation businesses. ABB also highlighted strong cash flow from operating activities, which supported continued investment in growth and technology as well as ongoing share buybacks and dividends. The Electrification and Motion divisions were the largest contributors to group revenues in 2024, leveraging global trends in energy efficiency, grid modernization and industrial automation. The report also highlighted a significant order backlog at the end of 2024, providing visibility into 2025 revenues.
Toyota-Backed Walden Robotics Raises $300 Million at $1.1 Billion Valuation
Walden Robotics, a startup building general-purpose humanoid robots, has raised $300 million in seed funding and a $1.1 billion valuation from Toyota's Deviation Capital and Toyota Motor Corp. The funding round was led by DeviationCapital and Toyota, with other notable backers including Nvidia, Boeing, AE Ventures, Samsung Ventures, and CoreWeave Ventures. Walden's robots have a distinctive design that prioritizes stability and payload capacity over their humanoid appearance. The company is already selling robots to industrial customers and is deploying units across multiple sectors and has multiple customers in discussions. Waldens is betting that general-general-purpose robots will be cheaper and more flexible than custom automation, which could shift the market if they succeed.
Blackstone Announces Investment in FUTRONIC, Koreas Leading Actuator and Motion Control Technology Provider
Blackstone (NYSE: BX) has announced a significant investment in FUTRONIC (FUTRONic), a leading supplier of high-precision actuators for the global automotive and industrial robotics industries. The transaction is in partnership with FUTONIC’s Founder, Jin-ho Ko, who will remain in his role as Chairman and CEO and work with Blackstone to accelerate FUTronIC‘s global growth and expansion. Founded in 1993, FUTONSIC has evolved into a trusted R&D and supply chain partner for many of the world’�s most recognized automotive OEM platforms and networks. With primary operations in Korea and the United States, FutronIC continues to expand its international footprint. The partnership reinforces Blackstone’S commitment to backing visionary entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses using its scale, operational expertise, and expert networks.
3D Sensor Technology Innovation: Transforming AI, Robotics, and Smart Devices
3D Sensor Technology is revolutionizing industries such as manufacturing and automotive, healthcare, consumer electronics, retail, aerospace, and smart cities. Unlike traditional 2D sensors, 3D sensors capture depth information alongside height and width, allowing devices to create accurate digital representations of real-world environments. The global 3D sensor market is predicted to grow from USD 8.26 billion in 2026 to USD 21.45 billion by 2032, registering a CAGR of 17.2%. This growth is supported by increasing investments in AI-enabled technologies, autonomous systems, industrial automation, and immersive digital experiences. 3D Sensors provide these capabilities by measuring depth using technologies such as Time-of-Flight (ToF), Structured Light, Stereo Vision, and LiDAR. As industries move towards automation and Industry 4.0, 3d sensing is becoming a critical component in improving productivity, operational safety, and process optimization. The versatility of 3D sensing technology has enabled widespread adoption across numerous industries.
Sereact Receives $6M Investment from Zalando
Sereact, a German-based developer of AI-powered robotics operating systems and warehouse automation software, has received a $6m investment from European e-commerce company Zalando. This brings its Series B funding round to total of $116m. The company plans to use this funding to fund the large-scale commercial rollout of its core artificial intelligence software, expand into new international fulfillment markets, and deepen its product engineering across multi-arm and humanoid robotics sectors. Sereact, led by Co-founder and CEO Ralf Gulde and Co-found and CTO Marc Tuscher, develops “Cortex” a universal, hardware-agnostic AI operating system designed to automate complex logistics tasks.
FANUC, Fujitsu, Yaskawa, Kawasaki Launch AI‑Powered Robotics Alliance to Boost Manufacturing, Logistics, and Healthcare
FANUC Corporation, known for its industrial robotics, has entered a joint venture with Fujitsu Limited, Yaskawa Electric Corporation, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to create a collaborative control platform that combines digital and physical operations through NVIDIA's open physical artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The collaboration aims to help Japan's industrial competitiveness and advance human‑robot collaboration. The partnership involves FANUC's robot control expertise, Fujitsu’s digital infrastructure, and NVIDIA’�s simulation tools to combat labor shortages and enhance production flexibility. The focus on AI introduces new safety regimes, such as ISO /IEC 61508 for functional safety of AI systems. However, this shift raises concerns about intellectual property protection and revenue dilution for traditional hardware-centric revenue streams.
Daikin Joins Noetra Consortium to Boost AI‑Enabled Manufacturing
Daikin Industries Ltd., a Japanese manufacturer of HVPC systems and industrial machinery, has joined the Noetra consortium, a partnership that includes global leaders such as NEC, Sony, SoftBank, and Honda. The consortium's primary goal is to develop a domestically sourced multimodal foundation model that will underpin a wide range of AI‑enabled robots and physical AI applications. Daikin's participation is part of its strategy to embed advanced artificial intelligence into its manufacturing and product development pipelines. The collaboration includes a partnership with NVIDIA to build a high‑performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, which will enable training of the multimodable foundation model. The HPC facility is scheduled to begin construction in early 2027 and its full operational capability is expected by mid-2028. The investment in HPC infrastructure aligns with global trends in industrial AI R&D. The decision to invest heavily in AI infrastructure reflects Japan’s aging workforce and the need for higher output per worker, and global supply chain disruptions have highlighted the vulnerability of traditional manufacturing models.
Agility Robotics Opens Fremont AI Hub for Humanoid Robots
Agility Robotics has opened a 60,000-square-foot facility in Fremont, California, to advance its humanoid robot, Digit. The expansion comes as Agility prepares for a public listing and solidifies its position in the competitive robotics industry. The new Fremont location will complement Agility's existing RoboFab manufacturing operations in Salem, Oregon, and will be a primary software and capabilities hub for Physical AI development. The company plans to hire nearly 200 professionals in AI, software engineering, and field operations to staff the hub. The facility will be crucial for delivering on the evolving safety and productivity needs of enterprise customers. Agility has already demonstrated commercial success with active deployments at companies like GXO, Schaeffler, and Toyota. To fuel its expansion, Agility is pursuing a reverse merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI, making it the first pure-play humanoid robotics company on the U.S. public markets.
Leading Robotic Sensors Companies Shaping Smart Automation
The Robotic Sensors Market is predicted to grow at a CAGR of 9.55% during 2025-2032, according to SNS Insider. The market is predicted that it will reach USD 4.39 billion in 2032, largely due to increased investments in industrial automation, collaborative robots, AMRs, and AI-based manufacturing processes. Factors such as the development of artificial intelligence, machine vision and edge computing will further increase the need for sensing solutions. Honeywell International is one of the leading providers of sensory technologies, industrial automation and intelligent systems used in manufacturing, aerospace, logistics, health care and warehouse automation industries. Analog Devices is known for its expertise in precision sensing, signal processing, and semiconductors that provide precise robot locomotion and positioning capabilities. Texas Instruments is one the leading producers of semiconductor in the world, providing embedded processors, sensing capabilities and power management components for advanced robotics technology. Meanwhile, Panasonic Industry offers a wide range of sensors and electronic components aimed at the development and healthcare, logistics and manufacturing technologies.
Feature: Ericsson smart factory is where AI meets US-made 5G
Ericsson's 300,000-square-foot facility in Lewisville, Texas, is producing the most complex circuit boards the company builds anywhere in the world. Since opening in 2020, the USA 5G Smart Factory has grown from a single product startup line to a 24-hour operation running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The facility, ringed by bifacial solar panels and rainwater collection tanks, produces radios and other products for mobile operators across North and South America. The factory's output does not stop at US borders as these products are shipped to North and Latin America. It draws from a library of about 2,000 unique components, allowing it to build customised radios for a wide range of frequency variants. The collaboration between engineers, Industry 4.0 specialists, software developers, and quality personnel all work out of the same building as operators running the line. The production manager, Matt Hume, said keeping every function on a single board minimises signal loss and power waste from linking separate boards together reduces signal loss, energy efficiency and signal loss.
microagi Raises $55M Seed
Munich-based robotics startup microagi has raised $55 million in seed funding led by Hummingbird, the largest seed financing in German history. The funding will support the company as it expands its industrial automation platform, Atlas, and will be used to scale Atlas across major industrial companies globally. The funds will support deployment of the system to help manufacturers optimize factory operations and improve robot reliability. Microagi was founded in 2025 by former Formula 1 engineers and experienced technology researchers.
Automate 2026 sets records with 50,000 registrants as humanoid robots and industrial AI take center stage
Automate 2026 in North America saw over 50,000 registrants and 1,230 exhibitors, making it the largest robotics event in North American history. Highlights included innovations in humanoid robots and industrial AI. The event, organised by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), filled 425,000 square feet with exhibitors across robotics, industrial AI, machine vision, motion control and autonomous mobile robots. NVIDIA sponsored the show's new Humanoid Robot Pavilion, giving operations and engineering teams direct access to humanoid platforms and the compute infrastructure behind them. The show's success reflects a shift in how manufacturers and supply chain operators are approaching automation investment. The Automate Innovation Awards recognized three winners, including CeiliX for its InfinityCrane and SkyRunner platforms, Standard Bots' Flux AI for Vision, AI and Software, and Synapticon's ACTILINK-JD for Components, Hardware and Enabling Technologies.
Yuilrobotics teams up with Samsung Welstory to automate food and beverage operations
Industrial robot maker Yuilrobotics has partnered with Samsung Welstory to expand its entry into the food and beverage robot automation market. The companies plan to expand their cooperation beyond F&B facility automation to include joint technology development. The agreement aims to build a strategic cooperation framework between the two companies in food and Beverage operations and robot manufacturing and deployment to strengthen their business competitiveness. The two companies will work to expand the introduction of robots and automated equipment at food and drink facilities, conduct joint patent research and filing using robotic automation equipment, broaden cooperation with robot manufacturers, academic institutions and government agencies, and share information and personnel. Yuilrobics is widely considered by industry insiders as a robotics company that SK Group may eventually take control of.
Nvidia Partners With Japan for $6.2 Billion AI Factory
Nvidia has secured agreements in Japan to build a sovereign AI infrastructure, supporting the nation's 1 trillion yen 'Noetra' initiative. The initiative aims to integrate artificial intelligence into robotics and manufacturing, addressing Japan's long-term labor shortages by focusing on a massive expansion in AI-enabled industrial automation. The partnership includes the construction of a large-scale data center named the Vera Rubin AI factory, equipped with Nvidia’s high-performance hardware, designed to provide computing power for Japan’�s national AI development. The project is scheduled for completion in 2028 and aims to reduce Japan's dependency on foreign AI platforms. Nvidia is also partnering with robotics leaders such as Fanuc, Yaskawa, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to enhance its influence across Japan's manufacturing base.
Robotics in manufacturing: five shifts defining factory floors in mid-2026
Despite advancements in robotics technology, 80% of U.S. factories currently operate without any robotics or automation. This figure highlights the potential impact of robotics on future manufacturing processes. Physical AI, collaborative robots (cobots), and changes in vendor structures are set to redefine operations in factories. These shifts are expected to transform efficiency, flexibility, and competitiveness in manufacturing. Standard Bots co-founder Evan Beard says physical AI is closing the distance between what manufacturers want to automate and what they have historically been able to achieve. This shift aligns with a broader pattern across mid-2026: physical AI, embodied robotics, and agentic systems are moving manufacturing intelligence down from the software layer into the physical environment of the factory floor. The supplier landscape is also seeing significant restructuring, with Honeywell's ongoing restructuring into standalone business units and billions of dollars in venture capital flowing into AI robotics startups. The distribution of industrial automation is also broadening, with Mouser Electronics adding nine manufacturers to its industrial automation portfolio in the first half of 2026.
China Doubles Humanoid Robot Output at 2026 World AI Conference
China doubled its production of humanoid robots at the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai, according to industry figures. The firm, AgiBot, announced that China was on track to produce more than 100,000 units by year-end, matching the country’s entire 2025 output. AgiB displayed four different product lines at the conference, including the OmniHand 3 Ultra-M, a specialized robotic hand designed for fine manipulation tasks in manufacturing environments. The conference also featured live demonstrations of robotic hands bringing AI into everyday applications. Despite questions about deployment rates, error rates, and productivity gains in real operational settings, industry executives acknowledged the gap between demonstration and production deployment without providing specific metrics. The growth in production fits a broader pattern of Chinese industrial policy that has led to dominant market positions in solar, battery, and electric vehicles.
Nigeria needs smart factories, not just more machines — Segun Fakuade
Manufacturing software architect with Cyden Limited, Segun Fakuade, has spoken about his career and the future of manufacturing in Africa. He explains that smart manufacturing is not just about robots but about connecting people, machines, software and data to create safer, more efficient and intelligent production systems. His first major industrial software project completely changed his perspective, developing a smart manufacturing solution capable of guiding production processes, integrating equipment, validating operations and capturing production data. Fakuad also shares his belief that good industrial software should give manufacturers greater control over their processes and allow systems to evolve without requiring software to be rewritten for every routine production change. He also discusses the need for better access to industrial equipment, practical training and exposure to real production systems, and a knowledge gap around industrial communication, standards and safety.