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Collaborative Robotics announced the public launch of Proxie, a collaborative robot designed to handle demanding material management tasks across a variety of industries. The company, founded by a team that previously scaled Amazon Robotics to significant adoption levels, unveiled Proxie as a tool to enable greater human-robot collaboration in environments ranging from healthcare to logistics.

Near Space Labs has announced the nationwide deployment of its Swift robots, establishing a network of stratospheric remote-sensing systems capable of delivering ultra-high-resolution aerial imagery across the continental United States. The company’s proprietary Swift technology offers 7cm resolution, comparable to or exceeding traditional aerial survey methods, and operates at altitudes between 60,000 and 85,000 feet. Each robot, a zero-emission, 12-pound autonomous system, can capture up to 1,000 square kilometers of imagery per flight.

Aflac has expanded its outreach efforts by donating My Special Aflac Duck robotic companions to children undergoing cancer treatment in Northern California. On Thursday, the company delivered nearly 200 of these interactive devices to Keaton’s Child Cancer Alliance in Roseville. This initiative is part of a larger program that has distributed more than 33,000 ducks nationwide since its inception in 2018.

RealMan Robotics is presenting its range of lightweight humanoid robotic arms and advanced automation platforms at Advanced Manufacturing Madrid 2024 in Spain. The company’s exhibit features its ECO and RM series robotic arms, WHJ joint modules, and platforms for embodied intelligence and vision sensing, along with its AI-driven physiotherapy robot.

A recent study conducted by WriterBuddy.ai has revealed a surge in funding for artificial intelligence startups, with the top 50 AI companies of 2024 collectively raising $52.8 billion and reaching a valuation of over $358 billion as of October 2024. The findings underscore a significant acceleration in investment, reflecting strong market confidence in the sector.

The global humanoid robot market is projected to grow by $16.99 billion between 2024 and 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.57%, according to a report from Technavio. This growth is primarily driven by the demand for enhanced visibility and flexibility in industrial operations, spurred by the adoption of smart manufacturing practices. Despite the market’s growth potential, challenges related to ethical concerns and employment displacement remain significant hurdles.

The 26th China Hi-Tech Fair (CHTF 2024) concluded on November 16 in Shenzhen, China, with an intended transaction volume exceeding CNY 120 billion (approximately USD 16.6 billion). The event, which hosted 5,000 high-tech enterprises and organizations from over 100 countries and regions, facilitated 869 on-site contract signings and showcased a wide array of technological advancements, including many robots.

Gartner projects global end-user spending on public cloud services to reach $723.4 billion in 2025, marking a 21.5% increase from $595.7 billion in 2024. The research attributes this growth to the expanding role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in IT and business operations, as well as the increasing adoption of hybrid, distributed, and multicloud environments. These findings were presented during the Gartner IT Infrastructure, Operations & Cloud Strategies Conference in London, which concludes tomorrow.

Realbotix starts selling video messages by its AI-powered robot, Aria, on Cameo. This platform allows users to purchase personalized video messages from celebrities and public figures, with messages from Aria priced at $10 or more. This marks a novel use of AI technology on a service traditionally associated with human participants.

Floatic and LogisALL have announced the completion of a trial project showcasing the potential for increased warehouse productivity using automated picking robotics. According to the companies, the project, conducted at LogisALL’s Global Fulfillment Center in Incheon, South Korea, demonstrated that Floatic’s “Floware” robotic solution can enhance picking efficiency by more than double.