Top 10 robotics stories of May 2024

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May was a busy month for the robotics industry. Exciting events, like the Robotics Summit & Expo and Automate, brought a batch of new product releases and partnership announcements. At the same time, humanoid robotics continued to grab our reader’s attention throughout the month. 

Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in May 2024. 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. Kawasaki Robotics gives first look at its collaborative robots

Kawasaki Robotics (USA) Inc. gave a first look at its new CL family of collaborative robots at Automate. The company also showed off new applications using the Kawasaki R Series and BX Series of industrial robots. Read More

9. iRobot’s new CEO on cleanup duty after Amazon deal fails

iRobot has found its new leader who will try to rejuvenate the consumer robotics pioneer following Amazon’s failed $1.7 billion acquisition deal. Gary Cohen, who has 25-plus years of executive leadership and turnaround experience, was named CEO. He will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of iRobot, including innovation, product and commercial strategies, operational excellence, talent, and maintaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Read More

8. How humanoid robots can help narrow gaps between automation and labor

The robotics industry has seen major growth and maturity in the past decade. Technology advances such as vision systems and computing power, along with the rise of artificial intelligence, have helped the industry grow in many ways. Robots also are getting cheaper and more affordable. Robots are taking a greater role and improving automation in many ways, but are humanoid robots the next step? Read More

7. Former Cruise CEO Kyle Vogt launches new venture

Kyle Vogt, the co-founder and former CEO of autonomous vehicle developer Cruise LLC, has launched a new startup: The Bot Company. Vogt posted to LinkedIn that the company has already raised $150 million from investors, but he didn’t give many details of its plans for service or household robots. Read More

6. SwRI releases CAD-based toolkit for robotics development

Ease of use continues to be an ongoing challenge for robotics developers and users. And the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is looking to do its part with a new toolkit that aims to simplify programming robots. Read More

5. Doosan Robotics releases its longest-reach cobots with PRIME SERIES

Doosan Robotics Inc. unveiled its latest and most powerful series of cobots yet: the PRIME-SERIES, or P-SERIES. Its new P3020 cobot, part of the line, is the company’s longest-reaching cobot to date. The P3020 collaborative robot (cobot) has a payload of up to 30 kg (60 lbs) and a reach of 2,030 mm (80 in). Read More

4. ABB expands line of modular industrial robots

ABB Robotics is already expanding its lineup of modular industrial robot arms. The company this week introduced the IRB 7710 and IRB 7720 that offer 16 new variants and are designed for a variety of applications. However, ABB said it expects the majority of installations of the new robots to be in automotive OEM and Tier supplier sectors, as well as a significant level of installation in logistics, foundry, machinery manufacturing, construction and agriculture applications. Read More

3. Meet the Robotics Company Who is Engineering Some of the Most Exciting Field Deployed Technology

In recent years, the market for field-deployed robotics has seen significant growth, mainly due to the advances in sensor technology, processing capabilities, and hardware efficiency. These technological advancements make it increasingly feasible and meaningful to develop robotic solutions for automating repetitive day-to-day tasks. Read More

2. Unitree Robotics unveils G1 humanoid for $16k

Unitree Robotics unveiled its latest generation G1 humanoid robot at ICRA 2024. The original Unitree H1 humanoid was first introduced in 2023 and made famous in a number of videos demonstrating its balancing and walking capabilities. Read More

1. To make household robots widely available, it’s about actuators, not AI

Everyone wants universal household robots. For widespread adoption, they are going to have to have a price point that allows monthly financing or lease payments that are roughly similar to a car, suggesting that manufacturers will need to retail units in the neighborhood of $40,000 to get widescale uptake. Read More