China blocks SoftBank's ABB Robotics deal; Agility lists on Nasdaq; A3 orders up 24.8%
Chinese regulators blocked SoftBank's $5.4B acquisition of ABB Robotics, and Agility Robotics began trading on Nasdaq.
North American robot orders rose 24.8% in Q3 2026, according to A3.
Factory floor
ORAFOL halves optical inspection times with Zebra machine vision software
ORAFOL Fresnel Optics has halved inspection times and processed more than 1.5 million optical components using Zebra's machine vision software, according to Zebra Technologies. Operators previously checked each lens under specific lighting, a task that needed up to 15 people to support production.
AutoScheduler.AI cuts P&G warehouse planning from eight hours to 20 minutes
Daily workforce planning at Procter & Gamble's manufacturing campuses used to take eight hours per shift. According to AutoScheduler.AI CEO Keith Moore, speaking in an IIoT World interview, the company's software cut that to 20 minutes.
Lear to open automated Michigan factory as blueprint for its global network
Lear Corporation is building an automated facility in Orion, Michigan, that will serve as the blueprint for its global production footprint, CEO Raymond Scott said on an Oct. 30 earnings call. Scott expects the automation to reduce conversion cost requirements by 10% to 15%, with operation starting next year.
ISO 21423:2026 sets common communication rules for mobile robots from different vendors
ISO 21423:2026 establishes common communication requirements for industrial mobile robots, fleet managers and other systems. The standard also covers communication with ERP systems and building infrastructure such as lifts and automated doors, according to Assembly.
Robotics
Sereact and Otto Group to deploy up to 25 AI-controlled robots for returns processing
Sereact and Otto Group announced a two-phase deployment at an Otto Group logistics center in Poland. Ten dual-arm systems come first, with 15 more robotic arms planned based on initial results, for a total of 25.
Xiaomi shows two humanoid robots completing an eight-hour factory shift
Xiaomi released video on November 3 of two full-size humanoid robots working eight hours and five minutes at a center console side cover sorting station in its auto factory. Xiaomi claims the robots identified faults on their own and stayed in sync with the production line control system.
North American robot orders rise 24.8% in Q3 2026, A3 reports
North American companies ordered 10,989 robots valued at $723.5 million in the third quarter of 2026, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Orders rose 24.8% in units and 26.1% in value compared with the third quarter of 2025.
Energy & process industries
GE Vernova to supply 6 GW HVDC corridor for India's PowerGrid
GE Vernova announced it was chosen by PowerGrid Corporation of India Limited to deliver a 6 GW High-Voltage Direct Current transmission corridor. The 800 kV link will carry power from Barmer, Rajasthan, to South Kalamb, and the project was booked in the fourth quarter of 2026.
Deals & funding
Chinese regulators block SoftBank's $5.4B acquisition of ABB Robotics
China's Office of the Working Mechanism for Foreign Investment Security Review has prohibited the $5.375 billion deal, ABB confirmed to The Robot Report. Authorities cited concerns about robotics data being transferred overseas and used to train AI models, according to The Financial Times.
Agility Robotics begins trading on Nasdaq after SPAC merger
Agility Robotics began trading under the ticker AGLT after completing its merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI. The stock opened at $11.26 per share, above the $10 per share used in the SPAC deal.
Tutor Intelligence raises $75M Series B led by Andreessen Horowitz
Tutor Intelligence will use the round to scale robot foundation model training and more deployments of its Sonny and Cassie robot workers. The company said its total capital raised has grown to $117 million.
Research
Korea opens AI Humanoid Data Factory to train robots on real tasks
The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), with ETRI, opened the facility on November 3. It currently operates 12 humanoid robots that human operators control remotely, and the recorded movements are used for AI training.
From the tracker
- Agility Robotics: 5 named customer deployments in our tracker, 1 in production; latest: AGCO (announced).
- Humanoids: 9 named humanoid robot deployments tracked, 1 in production and 3 pilots; most in automotive (5).
- Mobile robots: 11 named mobile robot deployments tracked, 9 in production and 1 pilot; most in logistics (3).
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.