Industrial automation refers to the use of control systems, machinery, and software to automate industrial processes with minimal human intervention. This topic covers technologies such as programmable logic controllers, industrial control systems, sensors, actuators, and robotics used across manufacturing, energy, logistics, and process industries. It also explores the integration of automation with AI, data analytics, and connected systems to improve efficiency, reliability, and flexibility. Industrial automation plays a critical role in optimizing production, reducing downtime, and maintaining consistent quality at scale. As industries adopt more intelligent and connected systems, industrial automation continues to evolve from fixed control logic toward adaptive, data-driven operations.
Airbus has placed a six-figure order for humanoid robots from UBTech, marking one of the largest industrial deployments of humanoid robotics in aerospace manufacturing to date.
Asus is winding down new smartphone development as it redirects resources toward AI computing, robotics, and physical AI systems for industrial and enterprise markets.
NEURA Robotics and Bosch have formed a strategic partnership to industrialize humanoid robots and physical AI in Germany, combining real-world data collection with large-scale manufacturing expertise.
Skild AI raised nearly $1.4 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank, valuing the robotics AI company at more than $14 billion as it scales a unified foundation model for robots.
CES 2026 marked a turning point for Physical AI, as humanoids, autonomous machines, and AI-driven platforms moved from experiments to scalable, real-world systems.
Qualcomm introduced a comprehensive robotics technology stack at CES 2026, unveiling new processors and partnerships aimed at scaling Physical AI from service robots to full-size humanoids.
Boston Dynamics and Google have renewed their collaboration at CES 2026, combining advanced AI with the next generation of the Atlas humanoid robot.
Kodiak has entered a strategic agreement with Bosch to scale production-grade autonomous trucking hardware, aiming to accelerate commercial deployment of driverless trucks.
Humanoid robots dominated discussions at a Silicon Valley Humanoids Summit, but investors and engineers raised concerns about scalability, costs, and real-world deployment timelines.
Mercado Libre has entered a commercial agreement with Agility Robotics to deploy Digit humanoid robots in its logistics operations, starting with a pilot facility in Texas.