Industrial news
Short summaries of what matters in robotics, each linking to its original source, plus our own interviews and features. Have a story?
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The International Federation of Robotics World Robotics 2026 report puts the global operational stock at 5 million industrial robots, up 9%, after more than 600,000 installations in 2025. China took 59% of new units, while the US passed Japan to become the second-largest market with about 38,500 installations. The IFR expects 655,000 installations in 2026.
· The Robot Report
Epson Robots has added the AX6 to its lineup, a carbon fiber cobot with 6 kg payload and 900 mm reach that uses power and force limiting to work near people after a risk assessment. It can be programmed without code or in Python through the RC-A1010 controller, meets ISO Class 5 cleanroom requirements, and is sold through Epson distributors.
· The Robot Report
ANYbotics has worked with dormakaba and LEGIC to let its ANYmal quadruped open automatic doors and request entry through secured ones with a digital credential, logging each access. Tested at GE Vernova's Whitegate power station in Ireland, the add-on is due later in 2026 and targets equipment often located behind fire doors that limited inspection routes.
· The Robot Report · Photo: Cvoellmy, CC BY-SA 4.0
According to the International Federation of Robotics, the 27 EU countries now run about 700,000 industrial robots, even though installations fell 11% in 2025 to 60,500 units. Germany accounted for 41% of EU installations, followed by Italy, France and Spain, while Asia and the Americas both grew 14%.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Qualcomm will buy PickNik, maintainer of the widely used MoveIt manipulation framework for ROS; terms were not disclosed. Qualcomm says MoveIt will stay open source under its current license and keep supporting third-party hardware, while adding tighter integration with its Dragonwing platforms and Arduino VENTUNO Q boards.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Machine vision company Cognex will buy RealSense, the depth camera business spun out of Intel in 2025, for $500 million in cash, with closing expected in Q4 2026. RealSense sensors are used on robot arms, mobile robots, quadrupeds and humanoids, and the company expects $80 to 90 million in 2026 revenue. Its facial authentication unit will be split off.
· Robotics Tomorrow
ABB Robotics has introduced E-Device, a compact safety unit with an emergency stop and enabling switch that lets operators run, program and monitor OmniCore robots and cobots from their own tablets or computers instead of a dedicated pendant. It complies with ISO 10218:2025, carries CE and UL marks, and aims to shorten training and commissioning.
· Robotics Tomorrow
Boston Dynamics and Hyundai Motor Group have opened the Robotics Metaplant Application Center near Savannah, Georgia, where Atlas humanoids are trained on automotive work such as parts sequencing. The center is planned to grow roughly tenfold by 2027, as Hyundai prepares for 25,000 Atlas units across Hyundai and Kia plants.
· Robotics Tomorrow · Photo: Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0
Skild AI has introduced S1, a robot foundation model that picks up new multistep tasks from a single video demonstration without retraining. The company reports about 66% success on unfamiliar tasks versus 9% for comparable systems, and says it is working with NVIDIA and Foxconn to use the technology in server assembly.
· NVIDIA Blog
