Robotics in Review: Editors look back at 2025

Join host Steve Crowe and The Robot Report editorial team (Gene Demaitre, Mike Oitzman, and Brianna Wessling) for the annual end-of-year wrap-up. The team breaks down the most significant stories, trends, and market shifts that defined the robotics industry in 2025 and looks ahead to 2026. Key Topics Discussed: - Business Shake-ups: An analysis of iRobot entering Chapter 11 bankruptcy and ABB selling its mobile robot division to SoftBank. - The Year of the Humanoid: A look at the $3.5B+ invested in humanoid companies and the rise of physical AI. - Autonomous Systems: Updates on Waymo’s scaling challenges, Amazon’s 1M deployed robots, and the impact of autonomous systems in the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts. - Industry Trends: The spin-out of Intel RealSense, the return of a national robotics strategy, and new approaches to home robotics (1X, Sunday, Weave). Featured Guest Vignettes: - John Santagate: On tote-to-man methodologies and multi-agent orchestration. - Chris Matthieu (RealSense): On open-source brains for physical AI and the emergence of robot sports. - Evan Helda (Nebius): On data pipelines, real-world data collection, and world models for training.

In this episode, Mike LeBlanc, co-founder of Foundation and a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, shares insights from his entrepreneurial journey, particularly his early entrepreneurial experiences with Cobalt Robotics and the lessons learned as a second-time founder. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in the robotics industry, emphasizing the importance of hardware and the potential of humanoid robots in various applications, including military and space exploration. LeBlanc also outlines his ambitious goals for deploying a fleet of 10,000 robots and the significance of effective team building and hiring practices in achieving success. To learn about Foundation goto: https://foundation.bot/ Please like and share the episode to help us grow.

In this episode, Mike Oitzman and Gene Demaitre interview Rebecca Hu-Thrams, CEO and co-founder of Glacier, about the challenges and innovations in recycling technology. Rebecca discusses the complexities of the recycling process, the role of automation in improving efficiency, and Glacier's mission to modernize recycling systems. She highlights the importance of partnerships with major companies like Amazon and Colgate Palmolive to enhance recycling outcomes and reduce carbon emissions. The conversation also covers Glacier's unique approach to building custom recycling robots and their impact on the circular economy. To learn more about Glacier Robotics goto: https://endwaste.io/ Mike Oitzman catches up with Parallax Worlds CEO Tanmay Agarwal to learn more about its recent funding round. Learn more at: https://www.parallaxworlds.com/

In this episode, Kristian Kassow, co-founder of Universal Robots and managing director of Kassow Robots, discusses the evolution of collaborative robots. He shares insights on the development of seven-axis cobots, the advantages of built-in torque sensors, and the integration of cobots with mobile robots. Kristian also highlights the role of partnerships in expanding Kassow Robots' global reach and the future of collaborative robotics in various industries. Learn more about Kassow Robotics: https://www.kassowrobots.com/ ### Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman also cover the news of the week. Including Sunday Robotics new Memo humanoid: https://www.sunday.ai/ ### Keep up to date on the latest robotics news at The Robot Report and Automated Warehouse: https://www.therobotreport.com/ https://www.automatedwarehouseonline.com

In this episode, we sit down with Fareed Aljawhari, the CEO and founder of Micropolis Robotics, to explore the evolution of robotics in Dubai and the Middle East. Aljawhari shares his unique journey from a creative director to a leader in robotics, discussing the pivotal shift from digital twins to autonomous robots. The conversation explores Micropolis' modular approach, strategic partnerships, and the critical role of Dubai government support in driving technological advancement. Aljawhari also highlights the company's focus on IoT and edge computing as integral components of their automation strategy. To learn more about Micropolis Robotics goto: https://www.micropolis.ai/

In this episode, Mike Oitzman, Gene Demaitre, and Chris Finger discuss the role of Harmonic Drive in space robotics, exploring the challenges and innovations in designing robots for space applications. They examine the history of Harmonic Drive's involvement in space missions, the trends in space commercialization, and the technical considerations for gearing in space environments. *** SPONSORED BY HARMONIC DRIVE To learn more about Harmonic Drive products or contact a sales representative in your area, go to www.harmonicdrive.net or call 978-532-1800

Join us as we explore the critical role of STEM education in reshoring manufacturing and empowering the next generation of engineers. Featuring insights from Dhaval Jadav, CEO of Alliant Group, and Dr. Robert Ambrose, Professor at Texas A&M, and Director of Robotics at Alliant Group, this episode digs into the challenges and opportunities in fostering a diverse and skilled workforce, and how robotics competitions serve as a gateway to STEM fields. Learn how STEM related programs from K-12 and then community colleges and universities are preparing the next generation of engineers, technicians and other professionals necessary to support the growing population of robots and autonomous systems.

This week on the show, we welcome Brian Chereson, an industrial engineer from ODW Logistics, and Cody Upp, head of commercial for Zebra Robotics Automation. Together, they dive into the transformative role of robotics and automation in logistics. The conversation explores the deployment of Zebra's Symmetry Fulfillment Person to Goods AMR system at ODW Logistics, highlighting the strategic benefits of flexible, cost-effective solutions. Key topics include reducing labor costs, improving order accuracy, and enhancing employee engagement through innovative technologies. ### – SPONSOR – Are manual picking operations or idle robots slowing your growth? The cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you an unbeatable competitive edge. Autonomous mobile robots guided by Team Intelligence empower your workers to achieve their maximum potential, enabling you to scale efficiently and boost profitability. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra. Discover the future of fulfillment at https://www.zebra.com/fulfillment

Summary This week, Mike Oitzman recaps the FIRA 2025 Ag Robotics event in Woodland, CA, highlighting the latest innovations in new automation solutions for agriculture. Featured guest this week is Danny Bernstein, founder of The Reservoir, an agtech incubator located in Salinas, CA. Danny takes us through the creation of The Reservoir and the vision for the organization to support new Ag automation startups. Also on the show is a brief conversation with Dave Silver, Director of Orchard Autonomy at John Deere, who updates us on the latest orchard solutions from JD. Companies mentioned in the recap:| - Bonzai Robotics - AgScout (vineyard yield management software) - TensorField (hot oil weeding solution) - Pittsburgh Robotics - John Deere - The Reservoir ### – SPONSOR – Are manual picking operations or idle robots slowing your growth? The cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you an unbeatable competitive edge. Autonomous mobile robots guided by Team Intelligence empower your workers to achieve their maximum potential, enabling you to scale efficiently and boost profitability. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra. Discover the future of fulfillment at https://www.zebra.com/fulfillment

Steve Crowe and Mike Oitzman recap the 2025 RoboBusiness event which took place last week in Santa Clara CA. The show features interviews with ten startups who were present at the show and many of whom participated in the 2025 Pitchfire event. Here’s the list of interviews on the show (in order of appearance: Apporv Shaudri from Roworks AI Chongdu Xu from Forge AI (4rfg.ai) David Ruth from Motogo Doug Langen From 4D1 Katy Bradford from Rotate8 Kevin Hayes from Morelle Lakshay Sharma from Cerulion (2025 Pitchfire winner) Raghavender Sahdev from NuPort Roby Lynn from R2 Labs Toshi Quides from Sensible Robotics ### – SPONSOR – Are manual picking operations or idle robots slowing your growth? The cutting-edge Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment solution is engineered to reduce your costs per unit and give you an unbeatable competitive edge. Autonomous mobile robots guided by Team Intelligence empower your workers to achieve their maximum potential, enabling you to scale efficiently and boost profitability. Don’t settle for less—maximize your profits with Zebra. Discover the future of fulfillment at https://www.zebra.com/fulfillment