Robots pass 5 million worldwide; HARMAN reports AI gains; Hitachi and Fanuc team up
The IFR says industrial robots in use worldwide passed 5 million in 2025, up 9% from the year before.
HARMAN reports a 37% improvement in defects per million units after an AI rollout, and Britvic cites one alert that avoided six hours of downtime.
Hitachi and Fanuc will test physical AI in Hitachi factories first, and Inbolt and SiMa.ai both raised funding.
Factory floor
HARMAN reports 37% fewer defects per million after rolling out factory AI at four sites
HARMAN Automotive deployed Arch Systems' Factory Intelligence Platform, starting at its plant in Suzhou, China. According to Arch Systems, HARMAN has recorded about a 30% increase in total placements across four sites and a 6- to 8-percentage-point improvement in overall equipment effectiveness. FORVIA HELLA has begun testing the technology on its surface-mount technology lines.
Britvic avoids six hours of downtime after a pump alert from AI condition monitoring
A case study from supplier Alfa Laval says sensors on 107 LKH pumps at Britvic's facility in Rugby, UK flagged abnormal operation on a critical pump. The team repaired it in 45 minutes during a planned stop, avoiding six hours of unplanned downtime and 288,000 bottles of lost product. Britvic's Chris Heslop said that one notification paid for the whole investment.
Hyundai's Georgia Metaplant named Assembly Plant of the Year for its automation
Assembly magazine selected Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Ellabell, GA, as its 2026 Assembly Plant of the Year. The plant combines more than 1,000 robots with AI-powered production technology and a flexible mixed-model system for electric and hybrid vehicles. Real-time data helps engineers monitor production, manage the flow of parts and support quality inspections.
Robotics
IFR reports industrial robots in use worldwide passed 5 million in 2025
The International Federation of Robotics says the global stock reached a record 5 million units in 2025, up 9% from the previous year. Installations rose 11% to 603,000 units. The IFR expects installations to grow 9% this year, to 655,000 units.
Boston Dynamics unveils a four-fingered, 13-degree-of-freedom hand for Atlas
Boston Dynamics says the new Atlas hand has four fingers, 13 degrees of freedom and is directly actuated. It is designed for tool use, including drills, grinders and welding torches, and for mass manufacturing. The announcement comes a week after the company opened a Robotics Metaplant Application Center at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America.
Hitachi and Fanuc partner to commercialize physical AI, testing first in Hitachi factories
The two companies will combine Hitachi's physical AI and operational technology with Fanuc's robots and control systems. Hitachi sites will serve as "Customer Zero", with initial testing in Japan's Ibaraki region on parts picking and production changeovers. Commercial deployments are expected to begin in fiscal 2027.
Energy & process industries
Schneider Electric estimates digital asset management could cut mining maintenance costs 30% to 40%
According to a Schneider Electric press release, digital asset management can reduce maintenance OPEX by 30% to 40%, mainly through fewer field man-hours. The company said the move from scheduled to data-based maintenance relies on analytics, monitoring and digital twins. These claims are Schneider Electric's own estimates.
Deals & funding
Inbolt raises $12.5 million for AI vision that guides industrial robots
The round was led by Shift4Good, with Bridges Climate Transition Partners, BNP Paribas Développement and Ora Global also participating, bringing total funding to $34 million. Inbolt says its system is deployed on 200+ robots in 100+ factories. The money will fund expansion in the US and APAC and entry into data centers and electronics manufacturing.
SiMa.ai raises $150 million at a $1.45 billion valuation for edge chips for physical AI
The Series C was co-led by Fidelity Management & Research Company and Amplify. SiMa.ai makes chips and software that let robots, drones and cameras run AI on the device instead of in the cloud. Total capital raised is now over $500 million, according to TechCrunch.
Ford, JPMorgan Chase and Michigan launch a $3 billion manufacturing program
Michigan LIFT will connect suppliers with industry buyers through an open-call system covering robotics and automation, critical minerals and semiconductors. Ford and JPMorgan Chase have each pledged up to $1 billion. Michigan Central, Newlab and the state's economic development group aim to add another $1 billion in buyer commitments over 10 years.
How this issue was made: a script collects items from trade press and news searches, drops duplicates and press-release wires, and keeps the last 7 days. AI picks and summarizes under a fixed rulebook; a second script checks every link and name before publishing. Full method.