Ocado Technology has partnered with researchers across Europe for the SecondHands project, which is developing a humanoid collaborative robot to work in the grocer’s warehouses.

BeamPro 2 from Suitable Technologies is intended to be modular, more mobile, and easier to use than other telepresence systems.

In this Robot Investments Weekly, we look at the latest transactions and investments around self-driving cars, industrial automation, and manufacturing of consumer goods.

When people look up at the sky, they see more and more drones. Yet the breakthrough for delivery robots will take place on the ground — if the lawmakers give the green light.

Our columnist brings his international perspective to the latest robot applications shown at iRex 2017 in Tokyo. Machine learning, service robots, and Society 5.0 all have implications for automation beyond Japan.

Leaders who employ robotics and artificial intelligence “workers” will face important questions about capabilities, competencies, and ethics.

Mixed reality offers untrained users an easier way to control multiple robots with precision, according to a researcher at NYU. He describes the challenges that still remain as robots reach into our everyday lives.

Robotics in Singapore is a product of the nation’s willingness to partner internationally and invest in robots, AI, and autonomous vehicles.

At RoboBusiness 2017 and other recent conferences, conversations commonly turned to where can executives get started with AI applications? Our columnist shares a few ideas.

Chinese courts are among the users for the latest Qihan robot, which is powered by IBM Watson. AI and robotics as a service are part of Qihan’s Sanbot King Kong and Xiaofa offerings, which will also be on display at CES 2018.

Industry drivers such as more affordable robots and more flexible cobots are encouraging users across markets to consider automation, said an ABB new markets and application manager at RoboBusiness in Silicon Valley last month.

Robots in retail are expected to grow in number within the next few years, helping with inventory, pricing, and customer service. At RoboBusiness 2017, we talked with the CEO and co-founder of Fellow Robots on his company and the market opportunity.

At RoboBusiness 2017, Disney’s executive R&D imagineer gave a glimpse at his company’s latest humanoid robots. He also provided lessons for companies on how to employees and customers can benefit from the AI and robot experience.

Dale Walsh, director of Service Advantage innovation at Ricoh USA Inc. and a RoboBusiness 2017 panelist, describes how servicing robots as a service offerings can be a market opportunity.

CRO Network Summit and RoboBusiness speaker Aseem Prakash notes that the first part of AI readiness is thinking about the business needs first, not the varied types of artificial intelligence.

The chief robotics officer or CRO must be able to manage business transformation through the creation and implementation of a robotics and AI roadmap. Every industry is affected by automation, so ever business needs a leader with understanding of both technology and human questions.

Delivery robots such as those from Starship Technologies are coming soon to sidewalks near you. CEO Ahti Heinla talks about the last-mile paradigm shift and how autonomy is improving.

Martin Buehler, executive R&D imagineer at Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development, has years of experience across the robotics industry, from healthcare to delivery systems. He’ll share his insights at this September’s RoboBusiness in Santa Clara, Calif.

Robotic advancements are occurring worldwide on multiple fronts. From artificial intelligence creating new security challenges to robots in Japan creating new malfunction paranoia to governments restricting foreign acquisitions, the world of robotics is heating up, and security policy will need to be crafted to ensure that these new technologies are used in safe and ethical…

SoftBank has acquired flashy Boston Dynamics and secretive Schaft from Google parent Alphabet. It remains to be seen how the Japanese company’s growing portfolio of service and humanoid robots will come together.

The global AI and robotics race continues to heat up, as Chinese children grow up alongside robots, North America invests in industrial automation, and Las Vegas doubles down on cybersecurity.

Just as PCs and smartphones have become more powerful at a lower cost, next-generation robots are destined for the same path. Increased processing power will be a main driver in mass adoption of robotics, and chip giant Intel hopes to be at the center of the movement with its Joule development platform.

From social robots to drones and fears of job displacement, a common theme in this week’s robotics roundup is the need for robot design to account for the human factor in user interfaces, applications, and skills retraining.

5G networks should help robotics adoption by allowing for better connections to compute resources in the cloud and connectivity among devices, leading to greater reliability and efficiency, writes a guest columnist.

In this week’s global robotics roundup, our columnist looks at the possible impact of automation on jobs, Asian industry, and surveillance. He notes that the changes, reactions, and new uses won’t be spread evenly.