Robotics

Exotec , a warehouse automation company, has partnered with Polish logistics company   ILS Logistics   to install its Skypod robotic systems across sites in central and eastern Europe. The implementation projects are being carried out in collaboration with Polish integrator A1 Sorter, a long-standing partner of Exotec. ILS‘headquarters in Zakroczym, Poland, which serves as the company’s distribution network across Poland, the Baltic states and Ukraine, was the first to receive the Skypod system. The warehouse in Zakroczym hosts 200 autonomous robots and 60,000 storage containers and successfully completed testing in December 2024. During the project’s construction, ILS agreed to implement the Skypod system across its entire portfolio, with work due to be carried out throughout 2026. ILS hosts 12 locations in Eastern Europe, supplying companies across the automotive, food, and chemical industries. The projects are part of the growth plans of vehicle parts distributor Inter Cars...

Recirculate , a European Union-funded project focused on advancing innovations for second-life batteries, driving a more sustainable and circular battery economy across Europe, is developing a state-of-the-art EV battery disassembly system using AI and robotics. The project has successfully completed its first phase: the creation of a set of tools and machine learning models for the robotized dismantling of an EV battery from pack to cell level. This innovation addresses one of the battery industry’s most pressing bottlenecks: safe, efficient, and automated disassembly. The system is designed to dismantle batteries in two key phases – from battery pack to module, and from module to cell level. Centria University of Applied Sciences’s team that leads work on this innovation within Recirculate, created a purpose-built robotic cell using a Kuka KR10 industrial robot. This robot, equipped with specially designed tools and a mobile linear track, can autonomously detect, unscrew, and remove ...

DHL Supply Chain   Japan will commence construction of its new logistics center dedicated to the semiconductor industry in Chitose City, Hokkaido. A groundbreaking ceremony was held at the construction site on August 19, 2025. This project supports the Japanese government’s initiative to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry and revitalize the local economy. By expanding logistics capabilities in Hokkaido, the facility will enhance supply chain stability and flexibility, providing vital support to the semiconductor industry. It also forms a strategic part of DHL Supply Chain’s global growth plan to double its business by 2030. Located adjacent to the next-generation semiconductor industrial cluster in Chitose, which is attracting investments from Japan and abroad, the Chitose Logistics Center will offer advanced, high-value-added logistics services including inventory storage, in-plant logistics, and on-demand delivery of engineering parts to semiconductor manufacturing eq...

Robots are steadily becoming easier to interact with. For decades, programming a robot meant learning a proprietary interface or mastering complex code. Now, thanks to advances in natural language processing (NLP) and voice control, operators can instruct machines using everyday speech. This shift promises to make robots more accessible to non-technical users, expand their applications, and ultimately accelerate adoption across industries. From command lines to conversation Traditional robot programming relied on explicit, structured commands – often in a scripting language designed for engineers. This created a steep learning curve, and in many cases, programming time was a significant share of a robot’s total cost of deployment. Recent breakthroughs in NLP have changed the equation. By allowing robots to parse human language, engineers can issue instructions like “Pick up the blue container and place it on the third shelf” rather than writing lines of code. Even more importantly, NLP...