Top 10 robotics developments of May 2025

May saw the return of some of the most exciting events in robotics. We started the month with the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, which brought together thousands of attendees and more than 200 exhibitors for over 50 educational sessions. Later in the month, Automate 2025 kicked off in Detroit.

Here are the 10 most popular articles on The Robot Report in the past month. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter and listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay up to date on the latest robotics developments.

10. Persona AI raises $27M to develop humanoid robots for shipyards

Persona AI Inc., a developer of humanoid robots and embodied artificial intelligence, has closed an oversubscribed pre-seed funding round. The Houston-based company plans to use the investment to accelerate development and deployment of its platform, which is engineered for tasks in shipbuilding and manufacturing. Read more.

9. Standard Bots launches 30kg robot arm and U.S. production facility

Standard Bots unveiled a new robot and has expanded its production facility in Glen Cove, N.Y. The company said the new 16,000-sq.-ft. (1486.4 sq. m) factory doubles the size of its previous Long Island location. This expansion aligns with the company’s unveiling of a new robot at Automate in Detroit. Read more.

8. TRON1 robot extends its reach with a new optional arm

Mobile manipulation can take many forms. TRON1 is a cute two-legged mobile robot, reminiscent of the AT-ST walker in Star Wars. It is one of the primary offerings of LimX Dynamics. Exhibiting at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) in Atlanta, LimX is targeting the biped at research applications. The Shenzhen, China-based company said it is developing “general-purpose robotics” and working toward artificial general intelligence (AGI). Read more.

7. Amazon’s Vulcan robot uses force sensing to stow items

Amazon is opening new automation opportunities by deploying its first robots that usee force and touch sensing to improve material handling tasks. One of the classic applications at Amazon warehouses is goods-to-person (G2P) picking. Kiva mobile robots present movable shelves, stocked with inventory, to a stationary human picker. The human associate picks a specific item for a specific customer order and singulates it for shipment. Read more.

6. Rainbow Robotics unveils omnidirectional wheels, development kit for its dual-arm robot

Rainbow Robotics, a Korean robotics developer that spun out of the Humanoid Robot Research Center of KAIST, unveiled two new features for its RB-Y1 system at ICRA 2025. RB-Y1 is a semi-humanoid robot that features a torso, two arms with seven degrees of freedom (DoF) each, a 6-DoF single leg, and a wheeled mobile platform. Read more.

5. ABB upgrades Flexley Mover AMR with visual SLAM capabilities

ABB said it is extending its portfolio of fully autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, by equipping its Flexley Mover P604 with 3D visual simultaneous localization and mapping, or vSLAM, navigation and user-friendly AMR Studio programming software. The company said the launch is part of its overall effort towards offering robots that are more versatile, efficient, and easier to use. Read more.

4. igus introduces Iggy Rob low-cost humanoid for service, industrial applications

As some market analysts predict that up to 20 million humanoid robots could be deployed in industrial settings by 2030, igus GmbH unveiled its first humanoid, Iggy Rob. The motion plastics specialist said it designed the robot to support industrial production, service environments, and transport tasks. Read more.

3. Waymo robotaxis to map Boston

Waymo is sending a small fleet of robotaxis to map the city of Boston. The cars won’t be driving autonomously. Instead, the vehicles will have trained, human autonomous specialists behind the wheel at all times. The goal of the trip is to explore Boston’s unique – and chaotic – driving environment and understand the differences compared to areas where Waymo routinely operates. Read more.

2. DHL buying 1,000+ Stretch robots from Boston Dynamics

DHL Group, a global leader in logistics, is expanding its already strong relationship with Boston Dynamics. Through a memorandum of understanding, DHL plans to deploy 1,000+ additional Stretch robots from Boston Dynamics by 2030. The companies are also looking to expand the types of applications Stretch is used for, beyond container unloading. Read more.

1. 10 robotics trends spotted at Automate 2025

At the height of trade show season, Automate 2025 provided opportunities to see the state of commercial and industrial automation. From robot arms and mobile platforms to grippers, sensors, and software, as well as educational and technical workshops, there was something for everyone at the event. Read more.

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