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Industry

Robotics in manufacturing, medicine, research, and business.

Last successful news refresh: Oct 31, 2026, 7:01 AM PDT · Scheduled daily at 7:00 AM Pacific

Stories

14 stories

Editorial illustration of beetle, snake, quadruped, and seal-inspired robots serving inspection, response, and companionship roles.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

Unusual robotic animals can prove their utility

The Robot Report surveys animal-inspired robots used or proposed for inspection, disaster response, research, and companionship, ranging from beetle-scale soft robots and snake-shaped pipe inspectors to quadrupeds and robotic pets. One cited example is KAIST’s BeetleBot, whose artificial muscles, camera, tactile sensor, and gesture control were reported in Science Advances on August 19, 2026; KAIST describes narrow-space inspection and object retrieval as future applications, not established field deployments. The article is a broad feature mixing research demonstrations, commercial products, historical examples, and speculative uses rather than a single new study or independent performance test.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 31, 2026

Editorial illustration of a robotics conference panel, expo floor, and podcast team recording a recap.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

RoboBusiness 2026 recap

The Robot Report’s podcast team recaps RoboBusiness 2026, held October 20–21 in Santa Clara and reported by the organizer to have drawn more than 2,000 attendees. The episode covers keynote panels, the Women in Robotics lunch, sessions on AI in production and robotics-as-a-service, and the expo floor; it is a podcast roundup rather than independent testing of the featured systems. The page says this was the event’s 20th anniversary and final edition under the RoboBusiness name before a planned October 2027 return as Robotics Summit West, and the episode includes a WiBotic sponsor message.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 30, 2026

Editorial illustration of an imported industrial robot and machine-tool equipment undergoing inspection at a U.S. port.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

White House makes Section 232 determination regarding foreign-made robots

President Donald Trump determined that imports of robotics, industrial machinery, and related components threaten to impair U.S. national security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act. The October 28 proclamation directs the commerce secretary and U.S. trade representative to negotiate with trading partners and report on progress within 180 days. It does not impose a new robotics tariff now.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 29, 2026

Editorial illustration of industrial robots working in automotive, electronics, and life-sciences production cells.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

North American robot orders climb 24.8% in Q3 of 2026, says A3

North American companies ordered 10,989 robots worth $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Association for Advancing Automation. That was 24.8% more units and 26.1% more value than a year earlier. Orders for automotive components, semiconductors and electronics, plastics, life sciences, and metals all rose, while food and consumer-goods orders fell.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 28, 2026

Editorial illustration of a highly automated warehouse whose main flow leads toward one large shipping corridor.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

What Symbotic’s Walmart growth teaches robotics startups about anchor customers

A Robot Report analysis uses Symbotic's relationship with Walmart to examine the tradeoff in building a robotics company around one anchor customer. Symbotic's filing for the quarter ended June 27 says its largest customer supplied 90.5% of revenue; its annual report identifies Walmart as that customer. Symbotic reported $720.8 million in quarterly revenue and $55 million in net income, but the quarter also included $19.4 million in investment gains and negative non-GAAP free cash flow.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 28, 2026

Illustration of a robotic arm handling a sample vial in a chemistry laboratory.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

Warp Sciences emerges from stealth, to apply robotics to drug research

Warp Sciences says it has emerged from stealth with $215 million in funding to build a U.S. chemistry research service combining chemists, AI, and robotics. Its first planned offering is lead-optimization analog synthesis: making variations of candidate molecules for drug researchers to compare. The company describes an increasingly automated lab, but has not published customer results showing faster drug discovery.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 28, 2026

Red ANYmal X quadruped inspection robot walking through an industrial plant with process equipment.

ANYmal X at an industrial plant · ANYbotics

Industry · Summary

ANYbotics begins delivering ANYmal X legged robot for explosive atmospheres

ANYbotics says it has begun delivering ANYmal X, a four-legged inspection robot designed for potentially explosive oil, gas, and chemical facilities, with Equinor and DSM-Firmenich among the named customers. The company says the robot is built to meet ATEX and IECEx standards and uses thermal, visual, acoustic, and gas sensors while feeding inspection results into plant-maintenance systems. Delivery status, the reported early-access testing across hundreds of missions, and performance benefits are company-reported; the article does not provide independent field results.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 27, 2026

A BMW vehicle moving through a production area equipped for Automated Driving In-Plant.

Industry · Summary

Embotech and BMW move 1M vehicles with automated driving technology

Embotech and BMW say Automated Driving In-Plant has moved 1 million newly built vehicles across four factories in Germany and the U.K. The partners report about 3,500 vehicle movements per day and availability above 99.5%, with infrastructure-mounted lidar and offboard planning guiding otherwise unmodified cars. Those operating figures come from the companies; BMW plans a further rollout, including its Spartanburg, South Carolina, plant in 2027.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 27, 2026

Two orange and gray OnLogic Helix industrial computers shown on a light background.

OnLogic industrial computing hardware · OnLogic

Industry · Summary

OMRON to acquire OnLogic to address edge AI applications

OMRON agreed to acquire industrial-computer maker OnLogic and its parent, Interlogic, for $675 million. The companies expect the transaction to close around January 2027, subject to regulatory approval, with OnLogic retaining its Vermont headquarters, brand, direct-sales model, and current management. Plans to combine OnLogic’s rugged edge computers with OMRON’s sensing, control, and robotics products describe the companies’ intended strategy, not a completed integration.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 26, 2026

Illustration of an orchard research robot testing apple picking while a grower and engineer observe in Washington State.

AI-generated illustration · AI illustration

Industry · Summary

Reservoir launches new agricultural robotics incubator for Washington growers

Reservoir and Washington agricultural partners announced an incubator that will let robotics startups test with growers and researchers in orchards, vineyards, and berry fields. The project is meant to expose machines to difficult specialty-crop conditions and help address labor pressure. It extends Reservoir’s field-testing approach beyond its existing Salinas hub.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 20, 2026

Official event graphic · The Robot Report / Robotics Summit & Expo West

Industry · Summary

RoboBusiness rebrands as Robotics Summit & Expo West

Event organizer Arrowfly is renaming RoboBusiness as Robotics Summit & Expo West, with the first event under that name planned for October 2027 in Santa Clara. Its program will emphasize bringing commercial robots from pilots into scaled deployments, including fleet operations, support, and business strategy. A separate Robotics Summit & Expo Boston will retain a stronger engineering focus.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 20, 2026

Presenters and attendees onstage at a previous robotics awards gala.

Publisher original · The Robot Report

Industry · Summary

2027 TRR50 Robotics Innovation Awards open nominations

The Robot Report opened nominations for its rebranded TRR50 Robotics Innovation Awards, formerly RBR50. It is seeking robotics advances made during 2026 in categories including Robot of the Year, applications, and AI use. The source page lists a January 2027 submission deadline and says winners will be recognized at the June 2027 Robotics Summit in Boston.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 20, 2026

A da Vinci Xi robotic surgical system displayed at a hospital.

Industry · Summary

Avenda Health expands Unfold AI platform to support intraoperative prostate cancer care

Avenda Health added a Surgery Mode to Unfold AI, its prostate-cancer mapping software. The new view is designed to give surgeons access to 3D disease maps, MRI slices, and risk information during prostate procedures, including robotic surgery. The article cites research and company claims about possible clinical benefits; it does not establish that the update has improved patient outcomes in routine care.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 20, 2026

Gecko Robotics Toka 4 inspection crawler on the outside hull of a Navy test ship, with engineers and sailors watching from the deck.

Gecko inspection · Navy archive · U.S. Navy / Eric (Jhon) Parsons

Industry · Summary

Gecko Robotics’ Navy contract ceiling rises to $300M

Gecko Robotics says the ceiling on its U.S. Navy and General Services Administration contract rose to $300 million from an initial $71 million. The company’s inspection robots and AI tools assess ship and submarine structures, including corrosion beneath deck coatings. A higher contract ceiling permits more work but does not mean the full amount has been ordered or spent.

The Robot Report · Published Oct 20, 2026