Top 10 robotics developments of August 2024

As we enter the third quarter of the year, the frenzy around humanoid robots has continued. In August 2024, five of our top 10 stories were about such robots or humanoid alternatives. Company shutdowns and rebrands also grabbed our readers’ attention this past month. 

Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in August 2024. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay up to date on the robotics developments you need to know about.

10. BMW tests Figure 02 humanoid on production line

BMW Group tested humanoid robots for the first time in production. During a two-week pilot at a plant in Spartanburg, S.C., the new Figure 02 humanoid from Figure AI successfully fitted sheet-metal parts into precise fittings that were then assembled as part of a car chassis. This production process requires high dexterity. Read More

9. Soft Robotics exits gripper business, launches AI-focused company

After two straight record years during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, industrial robot sales have crashed back to reality, especially in North America. According to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), sales of industrial robots in North America declined 30% in 2023. Against that backdrop, Soft Robotics announced its strategic shift, joining other companies that have pivoted from hardware to software. Read More

8. No sweat! Watch new Atlas humanoid crush some pushups

Boston Dynamics showed off the capabilities of its electric Atlas humanoid in a new video. In it, the robot does eight pushups as a quick “warm-up” before work. The company has previously shown the hydraulic version of Atlas performing several stunts, including backflips, dances, parkour, and taking tools through a mock construction site. Read More

7. Rapid Robotics’ new CEO explains the use of AI to accelerate accurate picking

Many companies are racing to apply the latest advances in artificial intelligence to robotics. Rapid Robotics this year announced Rapid iD, which it said uses generative AI, computer vision, and machine learning to enable robot arms to pick, inspect, and place items “with 100% certainty in end-of-line and logistics scenarios.” Read More

6. ObotX seeks partners for new robot it says equals humanoid capability

A major concern about humanoid robots is their expense, but mobile manipulators provide an alternative. ObotX has patented a unique kinematic that provides a similar range of motion to a dual-armed, humanoid robot, but at a much lower price point. The company is looking for partners to take “Elon” to market. Read More

5. Congress threatens to ground U.S. agriculture with DJI drone ban

A coalition of agriculture-specific drone operators and service providers has formed to lobby against the proposed Countering CCP Drones Act (HR 6572) currently working its way through Congress. This bill would ban the sale of drones from Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Co., or DJI, in the U.S. Read More

4. Symbotic acquires Veo Robotics for $8.7M

Symbotic Inc., a leading developer of logistics automation, has acquired “substantially all of the assets” of Veo Robotics Inc. for $8.7 million. Symbotic confirmed the deal via email to The Robot Report. We are trying to learn exactly what the company acquired, but it sounds like most of Veo’s intellectual property and employees are now at Symbotic. Read More

3. 1X unveils NEO Beta as it prepares to deploy humanoids into home pilots

When will humanoid robots be ready for household chores? While many robotics experts take a long view on the topic, 1X Technologies AS unveiled the NEO Beta prototype of its humanoid as it prepares for pilot deployments in select homes later this year. Read More

2. Figure 02 humanoid robot is ready to get to work

Figure AI Inc. unveiled its second-generation humanoid robot. Figure 02 refines every element of the original Figure 01 design, and the company said it is one step closer to its goal of selling production humanoids to industrial users. Read More

1. READY Robotics, maker of ForgeOS, shuts down

READY Robotics, a Columbus, Ohio-based company founded in 2016, has shut down. It was best known for its ForgeOS robot-agnostic operating system, but it recently branched out into automation consulting and launched a palletizing system. Multiple sources told The Robot Report a funding round fell through at the last minute, which caused the company to lay off its staff and close its doors. Read More

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