Top 10 robotics developments of September 2024

September 2024 brought unique business deals, exciting events, and even the return of a robotics industry veteran. Other popular stories this month gave insights into the state of the robotics industry worldwide. 

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

10. 6 robotics startups competing in RoboBusiness Pitchfire

The Pitchfire Startup Competition has been an opening-day highlight for years at RoboBusiness, which will run on Oct. 16 and 17 in Santa Clara, Calif. Pitchfire, which will be 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. PT on Day 1 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, is a must-attend event for investors, robotics entrepreneurs and innovation leaders alike. Read more.

9. North American robot sales decline 8% in first half of 2024

Significant declines in the automotive component and semiconductor industries led to another drop in North American robot sales, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). In the second quarter of 2024, 7,123 robots were ordered in North America, which A3 said is a decline of 9.7% compared with Q2 2023. Read more.

8. Robotics investments top $1.3B in July

Robotics companies raised approximately $1.3 billion in July 2024. That figure is a result of 47 investments for producers of robots and robotics enabling technologies. July’s total is slightly more than the 12-month trailing investments average of $1.2 billion. Read more.

7. Unpacking Amazon’s unique Covariant AI deal

In Episode 162 of The Robot Report Podcast, co-hosts Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman review recent robotics transactions. In addition, 1X Technologies in September 2024 announced the NEO Beta humanoid model and prepared for pilot deployments into test home environments. Read more.

6. BlackBerry QNX provides guidance on minimizing jitter, latency in robotics

Robots need to precisely synchronize for manufacturing applications such as assembly, welding, and materials handling. BlackBerry QNX recently released a whitepaper on “Optimizing Robotic Precision: Unleashing Real-Time Performance with Advanced Foundational Software Solutions.” Read more.

5. Women in robotics at Boston Dynamics give career advice at MassRobotics event

Women may be underrepresented in robotics, but there are opportunities for those who can collaborate, learn, and mentor, said speakers at a Women in Robotics event held by MassRobotics. Only 19% of robotics engineers are female in 2024, according to CareerExplorer. That is lower than the 35% of U.S. tech employees who are female, as reported by The World Bank. Read more.

4. Humanoid robotics developers must pick which problems to solve, says NVIDIA

To be effective and commercially viable, humanoid robots will need a full stack of technologies for everything from locomotion and perception to manipulation. Developers of artificial intelligence and humanoids are using NVIDIA tools, from the edge to the cloud. Read more.

3. China bets on robots for rapid growth, says IFR

At its recent Third Plenum, China mapped out the direction of its economic policies. Beijing wants to adapt to the latest round of industrial transformation by using robots as an engine for growth. The country is by far the largest robot market in the world. Read more.

2. Pudu Robotics debuts ‘semi-humanoid’ robot for versatile applications

Pudu Technology unveiled its latest service robot, the PUDU D7, in September 2024. It is the company’s first “semi-humanoid robot,” a term it introduced earlier this year. Pudu said it expects to fully commercialize the robot in 2025. Read more.

1. Rethink Robotics relaunches with cobots, AMRs, mobile manipulation

Rethink Robotics is making a bold return to Boston with a new roster of collaborative robot arms, autonomous mobile robots, and a mobile manipulator. The company started developing cobots in Boston back in 2008, but it had to revamp its product line and find new owners. Read more.