Robotics

Today's Stories

1. 1

   Caterpillar, FieldAI Partner on Physical AI for Jobsites

   Caterpillar is collaborating with FieldAI to advance physical AI, autonomy, and robotics for jobsites and factories. The partnership will use FieldAI's robot foundation models and NVIDIA technologies to create digital twins and enable autonomous inspections. The collaboration aims to address labor shortages and productivity demands by improving decision-making, safety, and operational efficiency. It combines Caterpillar's industry expertise with FieldAI's AI to help customers get more value from every operation.

   Early applications include autonomous inspections, digital twins for real-time insights, enhanced situational awareness, and operational optimization. FieldAI says its deployments span hundreds of sites worldwide.

2. 2

   Renesas opens Beijing robotics lab

   Renesas Electronics announced it has opened a Physical AI & Robotics Lab in Beijing, China. The lab will support customer demonstration, verification, and joint development of next-generation robotics systems. The lab acts as a hub for Renesas' physical AI strategy, covering roles from proof of concept to large-scale deployment. Physical AI represents AI's expansion from digital spaces into the physical world, where systems must perceive surroundings, make real-time decisions, and operate safely and predictably.

   The lab's focus on humanoid development is not explicitly stated in the article, but the title suggests it. Details on specific projects, partnerships, or timelines are not provided in the body.

3. 3

   AWS Japan wraps up physical AI support program

   AWS Japan held the final presentation event for its “Physical AI Development Support Program by AWS Japan,” an initiative focused on physical AI development. The program signals AWS's push into physical AI, an area that combines AI with physical systems such as robots. For business readers, this points to AWS's strategic interest in supporting organizations building such technologies.

   The program's outcomes, as revealed in the final presentations, may offer insights into where physical AI applications are heading. Details on future expansions or commercial impacts were not provided in the article.

4. 4

   Hitachi, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi join NVIDIA's physical AI push

   Hitachi, Fujitsu, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Mitsui & Co. are among the companies joining NVIDIA's physical AI initiative, the Cosmos Coalition. This signals that major Japanese corporations are aligning with NVIDIA's platform for physical AI, which could shape the future of robotics and autonomous systems.

   The article suggests that executives at Tokyo Stock Exchange Prime-listed companies may not fully grasp the Cosmos Coalition, potentially putting them at a strategic disadvantage.

5. 5

   Physical AI drives new sensor demand at SEMICON Taiwan

   At SEMICON Taiwan 2026, industry experts said the rise of physical AI is creating new demand for advanced sensors as robots move from controlled demonstrations toward practical deployment. Robots will need increasingly diverse sensing capabilities to perceive, interpret, and respond to complex real-world environments in real time, according to experts at the event.

   The shift toward practical deployment of robots suggests a growing need for multimodal sensing, which could drive innovation and investment in sensor technology.

6. 6

   Physical AI startups get acquired by Big Tech, says NexCOBOT

   Jenny Shern, general manager of NexCOBOT, said acquisitions of robotics startups by Big Tech will continue. Recent examples include Mobileye buying Mentee Robotics for $900 million in January, Amazon acquiring Fauna Robotics in March, and Meta picking up Assured Robot Intelligence in May. Smaller robotics firms bring expertise in areas like robot learning and perception, while large companies offer computing infrastructure and capital. Shern noted that a more selective funding environment may pressure early-stage startups to validate their business models sooner, potentially slowing new entrants but encouraging focused innovation.

   NexCOBOT says it is focusing on scaling its open, functional safety robotic controllers and fulfilling its backlog of global orders as it heads into mass production. The company also highlighted a client case where its certified functional safety controller shortened a development cycle from an estimated three to five years to just two years.