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Spot AI has introduced its new Video AI Agents, advancing AI’s role in physical environments by enabling automated responses and insights from video data. The launch comes as the company secures $31 million in additional funding, bringing its total to $93 million, with support from investors including Qualcomm Ventures, Scale Venture Partners, and Bessemer Venture Partners. Spot AI, which serves 1,000 clients across 17 industries, applies its technology to manage and analyze high volumes of video footage, providing actionable data to industries with safety, security, and operational needs.

The global demand for robotics in transport and logistics has shown strong growth, with nearly 113,000 robots sold for these tasks in 2023, reflecting a 35% increase over the previous year, according to a report by the VDMA Materials Handling and Intralogistics Association in partnership with the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

Pudu Robotics has introduced the PUDU DH11, an 11-degree-of-freedom (DOF) dexterous robotic hand, developed to enhance the object manipulation abilities of humanoid and semi-humanoid robots. This release represents a progression in robotic functionality by Pudu Robotics’ innovation-focused research division, Pudu X-Lab, and builds on the company’s previous semi-humanoid model, the PUDU D7, which launched in September.

Meta is deepening its involvement in the robotics market with new advancements focused on enhancing touch perception, dexterity, and human-robot interaction. Through its Fundamental AI Research (FAIR) team, Meta has introduced innovations such as Meta Sparsh, a universal touch perception model, and Meta Digit 360, a tactile fingertip sensor with human-level sensitivity.

OSARO has announced the launch of OSARO AutoModel, AI software designed to enhance order fulfillment operations by enabling robots to quickly adapt to new products without the need for retraining. This capability, built into OSARO’s SightWorks platform, allows automated systems to accommodate new SKUs and operational workflows in real time, significantly reducing downtime and boosting productivity across dynamic fulfillment environments.

Vanderlande, a Dutch company specializing in logistics automation, announced it will acquire Siemens Logistics from Siemens AG, extending its footprint in airport and cargo handling technology. The acquisition agreement, signed on October 31, 2024, awaits regulatory approval and is projected to close in 2025. It has received full backing from both Vanderlande’s Supervisory and Management Boards and the Siemens Management Board.

Shanghai-based MicroPort MedBot™ has completed six robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomies in Angola. These surgeries were conducted by Dr. Vipul Patel. Dr. Patel and his team from the Global Robotics Institute at AdventHealth, Florida, executed the procedures at the Complexo Hospitalar de Doenças Cardio-Pulmonar Cardeal Dom Alexandre do Nascimento in Luanda, which serves as Angola’s national healthcare reference center.

Agility Robotics, the company behind the humanoid robot Digit, has been named to TIME magazine’s 2024 Best Inventions list. The annual list highlights 200 innovations that TIME editors and global correspondents identified as impactful and groundbreaking. Agility Robotics’ Digit, a bipedal mobile manipulation robot, was noted as the first humanoid robot commercially deployed in a work environment, following a multi-year agreement with GXO Logistics, a large-scale contract logistics provider.

Locus Robotics has reported that its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have collectively picked four billion units across its global customer deployments. This figure, reached just six months after surpassing three billion picks, illustrates the company’s recent expansion in warehouse automation services.

China is advancing data-sharing efforts within its humanoid robotics sector, aiming to streamline development and standardization. This initiative, led by the National Local Joint Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (NLJIC), marks China’s first public platform dedicated to humanoid robots. At an industry forum on Oct. 28, the NLJIC signed a letter of intent alongside companies like Shanghai-based Kupasai Technology, establishing a smart data ecosystem to enhance industry cooperation and data accessibility.