By embedding smart sensing directly into the end-of-arm tooling (EOAT), the project provides real-time grip quality validation, ensuring precision and reliability in highly regulated, fast-moving packaging lines.

In high-speed cosmetics manufacturing, traditional robotic handling systems often struggle with lightweight, flexible components that have tight tolerances, such as deformable thermoformed trays. Whilst industrial robots excel at execution, speed and repeatability, their physical interactions present significant risks. Without tactile feedback, an imbalanced grip can lead to product loss or tray deformation. Traditional validation methods relying on simple position tracking or binary detection offer very little visibility into the actual quality of physical contact, prompting Siléane to seek a measurement-driven alternative to guarantee confidence in every cycle without slowing down the process.

Rather than increasing system complexity with external inspection steps, Siléane embedded force measurement directly at the point of interaction between the robot and the product. Partnering with HBK, Siléane integrated four factory-calibrated PW22i smart load cells - equipped with IO-Link - directly into the robotic gripper, placing one sensor at each contact point.

This Industry 4.0 setup enables the robot to validate grip quality instantly at the source, capture real-time force data, and respond immediately to any physical deviations during the gripping cycle - whilst simultaneously integrating seamlessly into modern automation architectures.

Simon Kleefeldt, HBK product manager weighing technology, explains the significance of this development: "This project reflects a fundamental shift in automation: embedding intelligence at the sensor level, to build systems that are more reliable, more autonomous and easier to deploy."

HBK accelerated the evolution of its proven PW22 load cell – originally designed for demanding, high-speed dynamic weighing applications like checkweighing and filling -– into the PW22i by integrating IO-Link connectivity to meet real-world integration demands.

The integration of the PW22i load cells delivered immediate operational benefits, demonstrating how physical measurement intelligence can improve manufacturing performance. For the end customer, this translates to: 

• Zero-defect grip validation in real time across all contact points
• Significant reductions in product scrap and tray deformation
• Simplified system architecture with reduced cabling via IO-Link
• Faster commissioning times and improved repeatability across installations, ultimately leading to a faster return on investment (ROI).

www.hbkworld.com/en

Built in just six months, Gene.01 combines full-body tactile sensing with physics-native AI, integrating the robot’s body, mechanics, and intelligence so it can better interpret and respond to the physical world.

Generative Bionics is already adapting the platform for its first industrial use case through a collaborationwith Fincantieri focused on shipyard operations. The company is also open-sourcing Gene.01’s robot model to give Physical AI developers a foundation for building industry-specific applications. The fully functional
platform will make its U.S. debut at AMD Advancing AI 2026, taking place July 22-23, 2026.

Designed for safe, intuitive human collaboration

Human-centric by design, Gene.01 is built to prioritize collaboration with people over isolation. Its multimodal sensing system goes beyond touch: full-body distributed tactile skin can detect touch, temperature, proximity, and force, helping the robot anticipate human presence and respond before and during contact.

This human-aware approach is designed to make interaction safer and more natural. Force sensing allows people to teach tasks by demonstrating not only motion, but also the force required: a capability that helps address problems video-only learning cannot solve, such as how to tightly grip an object.

Generative Bionics also treats design as a source of intelligence and trust, not as aesthetic layer. The company’s design principle of beauty, grace, and safety is intended to help people intuitively read the robot’s intention through proportions, posture, and movement, supporting both operational excellence and societal acceptance.

Gene.01 is built on Generative Bionics’ proprietary Physical AI, a physics-native approach that engineers the robot’s body, mechanics, and motion intelligence as one system. Instead of designing hardware and control separately, the platform optimises how the robot moves, senses, and collaborates with people from the start. Using models of both the robot and its human partner, the architecture tunes hardware and motion intelligence together against measurable factors such as ergonomics and walking stability. The result is a robot designed around safe, efficient collaboration with people — not just standalone performance.

This approach builds on years of research led by the company’s founding team at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) and continued at Generative Bionics. This research is detailed in “Towards shared embodied intelligence in humanoid robots through optimisation, development and testing of the human-aware ergoCub robot,” recently published in Nature Machine Intelligence (July 13, 2026). Gene.01 is the first industrial platform to apply this peer-reviewed methodology to a fully functional, sensorised humanoid. That foundation helped Generative Bionics design and build Gene.01 in just six months and move it toward safer, commercially viable deployment in industrial environments.

Gene.01's digital twin is engineered for accessibility, not just openness: it is reported to be the first humanoid robot model published and maintained across the sofware channels that Physical AI developers already use – PyPI, conda-forge and the official ROS build farm – rather than a repository people have to configure by hand. A single pip, conda or ROS install brings Gene.01 directly into existing AI, simulation, or robotics environments, enabling developers start building against it immediately.

Scalable platform

Gene.01 is designed as the base platform for a family of use-case-specific humanoid robots. For each application, Generative Bionics customises the platform at three levels: distilling the AI around the target task, adapting the exterior design to the operating context, and changing the end effectors. including hands and feet,
according to how the robot will be deployed.

This platform approach is what makes manufacturing scale: one core platform built at volume, many customised humanoid robot products derived from it and sold into different verticals, including logistics, manufacturing, public safety and inspection, and healthcare, without starting from a blank sheet for every use case. The collaboration with Fincantieri, a global leader in shipbuilding, marks the platform's first task-specific industrial configuration: a welding humanoid for complex shipyard environments.

Sovereign European physical AI ecosystem  

As humanoid robotics scales globally, Generative Bionics is also building from Europe with trust, compliance, and supply-chain resilience in mind. The company aims to contribute to a sovereign Physical AI ecosystem anchored in European industrial capability, differentiated by human-centric design, stronger compliance
expectations and trusted supply chains.

This ambition is taking shape through a strategic partnership with Synapticon, a German actuation specialist, to develop a sovereign, EU-protected actuation stack for Generative Bionics’ humanoid pipeline, starting with Gene.01. The collaboration covers European final assembly, calibration, and safety testing, as well as
integrated actuators tailored to Gene.01’s mechanical, thermal and control requirements.

By combining speed of development, human-aware sensing, physics-native AI, a platform model for usecase-specific industrials and a resilient European supply chain, Generative Bionics is redefining the path from prototype to deployment in humanoid robotics.

Technical and Industrial Expertise

Developed in just six months, Gene.01 shows how deep robotics expertise and next-generation AI computing can quickly turn long-standing scientific research into a market-ready industrial humanoid. The platform is built by an expert team with rare depth in humanoid robotics and industrial execution. Nearly half of Generative Bionics’ 100-person team hold PhDs and bring more than 15 years of experience across iCub, iRonCub, ergoCub, wearables, teleoperation, and physical AI.

Generative Bionics’ manufacturing ambitions are strengthened by the appointment Federico Santini as chief production and industrialisation officer, who is leading the expansion of the company’s production capacity.

Santini brings extensive Ferrari production experience, having previously served as Head of Vehicle Assembly and Plant Manager.

Daniele Pucci, CEO, Generative Bionics, commented: “Unlike other one-size fits all humanoids, Gene.01 is a scalable platform, customized at the edge of AI,
design and end-effector level to maximise each customer's needs. It is also the first expression of our belief that Physical AI must be human-aware, physics-native and industrial from day one. In six months, our team moved from concept to a fully functional and sensorized humanoid platform by combining deep humanoid robotics expertise with AI, biomechanics and design. Our goal is to amplify humans with robots that can sense, feel and learn from the physical world — and adapt to the specific industrial work each customer needs.”

gbionics.ai

Together, they aim to boost productivity, efficiency and decision-making across sectors from construction to environmental monitoring, helping strengthen the UK economy and the services people rely on every day.

The ESA BIC UK is managed by the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) in collaboration with the UK Space Agency and the University of Leicester. It provides startups with access to cutting-edge research and development facilities and expertise, with specialist business support and funding. It aims to help startups turn bold ideas into real-world solutions, accelerating their journey from concept to market and commercial success.

The new cohort is as follows:

ViableSite: supporting faster housing and infrastructure delivery

ViableSite is developing an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that delivers a ‘Go or No-Go’ development conclusion on small housing sites, replacing a fragmented and costly consultant process. It is using Earth observation, combined with planning policy, geospatial data, and live market values, to assess viability, model margins, and hard-to-see below-surface risks before any land is purchased.

By automating feasibility and validating every conclusion with a chartered architect, it aims to:

• Unlock thousands of small sites that currently go unbuilt
• Turn unviable sites into biodiversity revenue rather than dead ends.

Looking ahead, ViableSite is exploring how the same methodology can extend beyond housing to support the delivery of new infrastructure.

Nestimate: an AI commercial engine for construction

Nestimate is an AI platform that prices construction work from the information companies already have: tender packs, drawings, scans, paper records, site photos, videos and voice notes.

It reads messy and legacy project information, turns it into structured commercial data, then uses AI reasoning to produce the commercial outputs needed from bid to project change in minutes.

When information is missing, Nestimate uses ESA-supported satellite data and other sources to make clear, evidence-based assumptions, helping contractors reduce guesswork, protect margins and win more work.

Panspectra: ground truth for a changing planet

Panspectra is developing calibrated, decision-grade AI for measuring physical change, built on geospatial foundation models that read satellite Earth observation data across the electromagnetic spectrum and over time.

This makes change on the ground reliable enough to act on, starting with environmental compliance such as deforestation-free sourcing, with applications extending to areas like insurance and infrastructure monitoring.

Spectra Defence Limited: transforming space domain awareness

Spectra Defence Limited is developing Synthetic Aperture LIDAR (SAL), a breakthrough optical imaging technology that enables small satellites to identify and characterise objects in orbit at much higher resolution than conventional space-based telescopes.

As Earth’s orbit becomes increasingly congested, SAL could improve space domain awareness, helping to reduce collision risks and strengthen the resilience of critical space infrastructure.

Spiral Grey

Spiral Grey is developing Sapphire, a space-based sensor suite leveraging light detection and ranging built to empower satellites that seek to approach uncooperative objects, such as space debris.

As space becomes increasingly industrialised, Sapphire could enable greater reliability and performance for:

• In-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing
• Debris mitigation
• National security missions.

Falcon Tag: bringing real-time visibility to ports and improving trade efficiency

Falcon Tag is developing Piervue, a live digital dashboard for port operators that integrates operational data, including satellite and logistics data, to improve visibility of activity and support faster decision-making.

The platform could:

• Help reduce congestion
• Improve efficiency
• Strengthen security and safety
• Support the resilience of supply chains that support international trade.

Infinect: transforming connectivity with next-generation satellite antennas

Infinect is developing the first hybrid flat panel antenna for broadband satellite communications, designed to improve access to high-speed connectivity in remote and hard-to-reach locations. It uses satellite communications technology to enable more reliable and flexible data transmission where traditional infrastructure is limited or unavailable. This could help make high-speed connectivity more widely accessible, supporting digital inclusion, remote working and more resilient communications in rural and isolated areas.

Supporting early-stage innovation

Established in 2011 as STFC’s first business incubation programme, ESA BIC UK is part of the DeepTech Catalyst (DTC), a nationwide network supporting start-ups across space, biotechnology, advanced healthcare, and quantum technologies.

Recently ranked among the Financial Times’ Europe’s Top SME Hubs 2026, the DTC helps startups access the facilities, expertise and investment needed to grow into globally competitive businesses.

Since 2011, the DeepTech Catalyst has supported more than 230 startups, which have collectively:

• Raised more than £300 million in private investment
• Created around 1100 high-skilled jobs
• Achieved a 95% survival rate
• Generated an estimated £25 in economic return for every £1 invested.

The programme also contributes around £150 million in gross value added to the UK economy each year.

Supporting UK Modern Industrial Strategy

As part of UK Research and Innovation, STFC uses the DeepTech Catalyst to support the UK government’s Modern Industrial Strategy. This includes the eight sectors it identifies as having the greatest growth potential over the next decade. It also has a a critical role in driving economic security and resilience, delivering net zero, and promoting regional growth.

Commenting, Paul Vernon, Executive director of business and innovation at STFC, said: "Space technology is increasingly helping to solve challenges far beyond the space sector. From reducing port congestion to support international trade, to monitoring environmental change such as flooding and deforestation, these innovations demonstrate how space-enabled technologies can deliver benefits across the economy and society.

"The companies joining ESA BIC UK are applying cutting-edge science and technology to real-world challenges. By turning research and innovation into practical solutions, they can boost productivity, strengthen resilience and unlock new opportunities for growth across the UK.

"Through ESA BIC UK and the DeepTech Catalyst, STFC is helping ambitious businesses translate world-class research into commercial success, supporting the Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and creating high-skilled jobs across the country."

Get involved

The ESA BIC UK is now open to applications for its next cohort. If you are a UK-registered business, less than five years old, with a demonstrable space connection, you could be eligible.

The next application deadline is 28 August 2026. Discover more on ESA BIC’s website at:

esa-bic.org.uk

Under the MOU, the two companies will explore the joint development of humanoid robots for use at Mitsubishi Motors’ manufacturing facilities as well as mass production of Highlanders products at Mitsubishi Motors’ Kyoto Plant.

The environment surrounding Japan’s manufacturing industry is undergoing significant change, with labor shortages, increasingly sophisticated manufacturing operations, and the need for more flexible manufacturing systems emerging as major challenges. Mitsubishi Motors is committed to creating new value by collaborating with a diverse range of partners, including startups, to address these future challenges. Highlanders, meanwhile, aims to help solve workforce-related issues through humanoid robots and advanced robotics technologies, with the goal of realizing a society where humans and robots collaborate seamlessly. Through this partnership, the two companies seek to create new value in manufacturing and enhance industrial competitiveness.

As a first step in its joint development project with Highlanders, Mitsubishi Motors plans to utilise humanoid robots at its own manufacturing facilities. Through practical use, the company will accumulate operational data and know-how while deepening its expertise in the field of humanoid robotics and evaluating opportunities for future development and production.

In parallel, Mitsubishi Motors will leverage its proven expertise in mass-production engineering, quality assurance, durability and safety design, integrated mechatronics control technologies, and factory operations to explore the production of Highlanders’ humanoid robots. The companies will examine the feasibility of commencing production in early 2027 by utilising currently unused buildings at Mitsubishi Motors’ Kyoto Plant.

This is reported to mark the first collaboration of its kind between an automotive manufacturer and a humanoid robotics developer involving mass production. By gaining an operational and manufacturing partner, Highlanders expects to accelerate the growth of both companies’ humanoid robotics businesses.

www.mitsubishi-motors.com

Image credit: The University of Texas at Austin

Current methods for building small tissue-like materials don’t scale to sizes that can make applications possible, the researchers say. The team overcame these issues of speed and scalability by jamming billions of tiny water droplets tightly together using simple mixing and centrifuge techniques to form large, tissue-like materials in just a few minutes. Each droplet is separated by a thin membrane, allowing the membranes to link up, similar to cell organization in human tissue.

“Tissues can separate and transport ions and molecules; that’s how our kidneys or intestines work, taking only what they need and leaving the rest behind,” said Manish Kumar, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering’s Fariborz Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering and the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering.

The flexible material can be customised to act like different kinds of tissue. Because the structure closely mimics real tissue and can be 3D printed from biocompatible materials, it can serve as a scaffold for the growth of new tissues or organs. The flexibility and responsiveness make it an ideal base for soft robots – machines that move and adapt like living creatures – that could be used in surgery, search-and-rescue, or hazardous environments where traditional machines cannot go.

By adding certain proteins, researchers enabled the material the ability to conduct ion currents, much like nerve tissue. This holds promise for building computing systems modeled after the human brain.

In another instance, researchers added a protein that allowed the tissue to tell ammonium apart from other ions in wastewaters. This includes water produced by oil and gas extraction and municipal wastewater, an area Kumar has focused on in recent years. The ability to filter out unwanted ions using membranes is a promising approach for recycling and reusing critical mineral ions and nutrients from wastewater.

This new research is part of an effort that spans more than a decade. But it was one of his students, Aida Fica, who put it all together.

After years of experiencing the same challenges of slow formation and instability, Fica heard something at a conference that gave her a new idea. She and the team unlocked the technology through emulsification, bringing together two oils with different solubilities to form droplets, then jamming them together with a centrifuge.

“This technology now offers a simple, scalable process with endless applications that could be implemented in any laboratory since it only requires basic equipment,” Fica said. “We encourage interested researchers to try this out, and we will heartily support anybody who would like to work in this field through visits and discussions,” Kumar added.

The researchers are now working to adapt the technology to extract lithium and other rare-earth elements through a project with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency‑Energy. Fica and Kumar have patented the technology as well as several downstream applications through UT’s Discovery to Impact office.

news.utexas.edu/

The transaction, worth about 20 million euros, marks a further step in the international growth path the Group has pursued in recent years through a targeted strategy of acquisitions and integration of specialist expertise. It follows the addition this year of Rotzinger PharmaPack in Germany, Apex Machine in the United States, RK Ferramentaria in Brazil and Colamark in China, and further consolidates Mechitronic's presence in the markets with the greatest growth potential and in applications with the highest technological content.

Today the Group has a network of 15 highly specialised brands, employs over 1400 people and operates more than 20 production sites worldwide. It serves customers in over 25 markets and works with some of the world's leading players in the pharmaceutical, personal care, industrial and consumer goods sectors. With the addition of Lambert, aggregate revenue reaches 285 million euros, further strengthening the Group's international position.

Founded in 1973 and headquartered in Tadcaster, Yorkshire, Lambert was previously part of Mpac Group (AIM:MPAC). With revenue of 26 million euros at the end of 2025 and around 160 employees, the company is a UK benchmark for automation solutions dedicated to medical devices, healthcare and FMCG products.

“Lambert fits perfectly into the Group's strategy of focusing on the leading global players in the pharmaceutical and personal care sectors,” comments Marco Giovannini, chairman of Mechitronic. “The expertise the company has developed in automated solutions for medical devices and FMCG products integrates naturally with the path we are building across the entire value chain. Lambert also strengthens our presence in the United Kingdom, one of the most important markets for the global pharmaceutical sector, allowing us to further expand our customer portfolio and our international development opportunities.

“A presence in Yorkshire is also an important competitive advantage in terms of skills. The University of York is recognised as one of Britain's leading centres of excellence for electronic and mechanical engineering. Being part of this ecosystem will allow us to attract highly qualified new talent and to develop professionals who can contribute to the growth of our operations and subsidiaries around the world.”

“Lambert is extremely proud of the automation expertise we have built over more than five decades, and of the reputation we have earned by supporting customers across the healthcare, consumer goods and medtech industries,” said David Taylor, managing director of Lambert. “Joining Mechitronic is an exciting next step for our business. It gives us the opportunity to bring our specialist knowledge in complex assembly automation for FMCG, pharma and medical device applications, into a wider Group strategy focused on growth in these high-value sectors, while also opening new opportunities for Lambert and all the markets we serve. We see real benefit in being part of a federation of like-minded, expert companies, where complementary technologies and experience can be combined to support customers from early-stage process development through to scalable, high-performance production solutions.”

The acquisition underlines Mechitronic's strategy of building an international industrial automation platform able to support customers across the entire value chain.

www.mechitronic.com

The devices combine a built-in full function controller of either 12, 14 or 22 on-board I/O, and expandable by utilising 2 expansion cartridge ports. The display options
include a 4.3” (272 x 480 pixels, 16M colours) or 7” (480 x 800 pixel, 65K colours) hightech touch screen using state of the art PCAP screen technology.

System designers simply need to determine the required I/O for your application, considering the options of Relay or Transistor outputs and the need for
analogue I/O too (all integrated). Next consider the best screen size to display the required devices, instruments, graphical data and more. With this information, either the FT1J (4.3”, 12 (Relay) or 14 (Transistor I/O) or FT2J (7”, 22 I/O) all-in-one PLC+HMI can be selected.

The combined PLC+HMI offers significant space, installation and efficiency benefits. It requires considerably less panel door and internal cabinet space than separate devices, while its thin bezel maximises the available display area and its shallow mounting depth reduces clearance requirements. Installation is simplified because the PLC and HMI are internally connected and share a single network connection, with only one power supply needed for both. This integrated design also lowers overall power consumption, making it an efficient solution for machine builders looking to optimise panel space, reduce wiring complexity and improve energy efficiency.

Powerful PLC features

The integrated PLC and HMI each have their own dedicated CPU, ensuring and optimised scan time performance of the PLC program, also benefitting from their
native communication with each other which further enhances the speed.

The FT1J has built-in I/O including 8 points of DC inputs (configurable as all discrete, or 6 discrete and 2 analogue 0-10VDC or 4-20mA 12-bit). Discrete inputs can operate as high-speed counters up to 20KHz. For discrete outputs, a relay version provides 4 points of 2A relay outputs, while a transistor version provides 4 points of 0.5A transistor outputs and provides 2 points of 0-10VDC or 4-20mA analogue outputs. The built-in transistor outputs are also pulse capable up to 200KHz. However, if you need more I/O or large display, the consider the larger FT2J.

The FT2J has built-in I/O includes 14 points of DC discrete inputs (5 of them configurable as high-speed counters), and 4 points of analogue inputs (configurable as 0-10VDC or 4-20mA). A relay version provides 8 points of relay outputs, while transistor versions provide 6 points sinking or 6 points sourcing of discrete outputs (4 of them configurable as pulse outputs) and 2 points of 0-10VDC or 4-20mA analogue outputs.

Both the FT1J and FT2J support up to two expansion cartridges of discrete or analogue I/O, in a variety of configurations and including a 2-point RTD/thermocouple analogue input version. All analogue inputs and outputs are 12-bit resolution.

Cutting edge HMI design with robust performance

The HMI’s projected capacitive touch panel (PCAP) advanced technology is very responsive and resilient to water and scratches. The crisp display results in an industry-leading 500 cd/m² brightness level and 50,000-hour backlight life. In addition to being multi-touch, users can interact with the touchscreen HMI while using thin gloves. The front bezel carries no branding, which is of interest to many OEMs.

Ratings for extreme temperatures from -20 to 55˚C, IP66 and IP67 for wash-down areas, IP66F and IP67F for oil resistance make the FTxJ PLC+HMI suitable for a wide range of applications and locations.

Streamlined configuration

All PLC and HMI configuration is accessed through IDEC’s standard WindOI-NV4 software, which is easy-to-use and intuitive. Software functions such as PIDD loop
control, pulse width modulation (PWM) control, multilingual capabilities, security, trend charts, data logs, alarm logs, and other functions and features are supported for both the HMI and the PLC. Users only need to keep track of one program file as it supports both the PLC and HMI.

Connectivity and IIoT

Two USB-A ports support flash drives for data logging, recipes, and program transfer, along with dongles for speakers, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. The embedded Ethernet port provides users with easy access for remote maintenance and communication, and the Modbus TCP/IP, BACnet IP, EtherNet/IP, and MQTT protocols are supported for connecting with other intelligent devices.

You can find built-in RS232C and RS422/485 serial communication ports support Modbus RTU and allow the FTxJ SmartAxis to communicate to other serial PLCs or
devices, like barcode readers or temperature controllers. Many communication options are available for users to create automation and IIoT solutions incorporating multiple industrial protocols, the FTP protocol, remote monitoring and control, email/text messaging, Twitter/X, iOS and Android apps, and custom web pages.

An adaptable PLC+HMI solution

The FT1Js & FT2Js are ideal for many laboratory, commercial, and industrial applications throughout industries like food and beverage, consumer goods,
agriculture, oil and gas. These combined PLC+HMIs packages provide modern technologies into a conveniently compact display size and form factor, making them
the ideal solution for space-limited and other industrial applications which are not fit for individual PLC and HMI installations.

The new FT1J 4.3” device, and the recently released FT2J 7” device, provide designers with options to size the visualisation and control functions for their applications. Designers of test equipment, HVAC systems, pump & irrigation controls, and other OEM machines and process skids are finding the SmartAxis Touch (FT1J and FT2J) to be the best fit as a control and visualisation solution.

As with all its products, IDEC offers free tech support for the, without requiring a service or support contract. The FT1J & FT2J carries a three-year warranty.

www.idec.com/en-eu

Circular plastics have stagnated since 2022, with Plastics Europe reporting that they accounted for 15.4 per cent of European plastics production in 2024, only slightly above the 14.8 per cent reported in 2023. Meanwhile, the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation aims to make all packaging recyclable in an economically viable way by 2030 and to increase the use of recycled plastics. 

As figures from Plastics Europe suggest, the challenge is not only increasing the share of circular plastics, but also making those materials workable in production. For processors, material choice was once fixed for the lifetime of a product. That is no longer the case. A component originally designed for virgin resin may later need to use recycled plastic, include more regrind from production waste or be redesigned using a more flexible material such as an elastomer, silicone or specialist polymer.

That wider material mix creates a processing challenge: a process developed around one resin may not perform identically when the feedstock changes. Differences in melt flow, temperature sensitivity, mould filling and cooling or curing behaviour can all affect the result.

This is where one-size-fits-all moulding reaches its limit. Tonnage and footprint remain important, but material behaviour, part geometry, filling requirements and cycle expectations should shape the production strategy.

Variation behind the specification

Recycled thermoplastics illustrate the challenge clearly. Even when a grade meets a defined specification, processors may encounter greater variation in moisture, melt behaviour or contamination than with a tightly controlled virgin material stream.

Changes in viscosity or moisture can influence filling pressure, surface quality and mechanical performance. Processors therefore need repeatable injection control, consistent plasticisation and suitable drying, cooling and monitoring. They must also distinguish genuine material variation from temperature drift, tooling wear or a maintenance problem.

Different materials, different processes

Elastomers bring another set of requirements. Their flow behaviour, temperature sensitivity and recovery characteristics can differ significantly from conventional thermoplastics. 

Rubber and silicone extend the distinction further. Unlike thermoplastics, these materials may need time in the mould to cure or cross-link, while the production cell must also allow for specialist tooling, insert loading and reliable demoulding. Vertical machine configurations can help here because they give operators and automation systems clearer access to the mould area, particularly where inserts must be positioned before injection or parts need to be removed without distortion.

Look beyond the press

The wider production cell must support the same processing strategy, from drying and feeding to part removal, inspection and finishing.

A press may produce a stable cycle while an unsuitable auxiliary process introduces variation before or after moulding. In recycled plastics applications, inconsistent drying or material delivery can undermine precise injection control. In rubber or silicone processing, curing and demoulding may determine the cycle more than injection speed.

Processors should therefore define the complete sequence before selecting equipment. Automation should support those requirements by maintaining consistency and reducing unnecessary intervention.

Matching technology to the application

Shibaura Machine’s portfolio illustrates how different architectures can be matched to these demands.

Its EC-SXIII all-electric injection moulding series uses closed-loop servo control to support precise, repeatable thermoplastic production. By continuously monitoring and adjusting key machine movements, the system helps maintain consistent injection, clamping and plasticisation performance from shot to shot, reducing variation in applications where tight process control is critical. 

In a recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging application, for example, a processor could use the press as part of a complete production cell combining material drying, moulding, cooling, robotic handling, inspection and downstream decoration. 

Shibaura Machine LWB adds a more specialist route for materials that do not fit conventional thermoplastic processing. Formerly LWB Steinl, the German manufacturer became part of Shibaura Machine as Shibaura Machine LWB GmbH, strengthening Shibaura’s European manufacturing, sales and service presence and adding long-standing expertise in vertical injection moulding and automated production cells.

This is particularly relevant for rubber, silicone and elastomer applications, where curing, insert loading, specialist tooling and demoulding access often determine the cell layout. Selecting the press is only the beginning. It must work with appropriate material preparation, auxiliaries, handling, downstream processes and monitoring.

As regulation and customer specifications broaden material use, flexibility will come from matching machine architecture, injection control, auxiliaries and automation to the material and component. When the material changes, the process may need to change too. Manufacturers that build flexibility into the complete cell will be better placed to respond.

Nigel Smith is CEO of TM Robotics, Shibaura Machine’s official distribution partner for injection moulding machines and automation systems in the UK and Ireland

www.tmrobotics.com

The round was led by Prime Movers Lab, a venture capital firm focused on investments in breakthrough scientific startups working to revolutionize the world’s most important industries and transform billions of lives, with participation from Schaeffler, Bosch, Fubon Financial Holding Venture Capital, and Aglaé Ventures. 

Until now, much of the Physical AI momentum has been concentrated in the United States and China. The investment demonstrates that the UK and continental Europe can produce and scale globally competitive humanoid robotics companies at the cutting-edge of the field.

The new capital will fund Humanoid’s next phase of growth, strengthening its technology leadership and accelerating its commercial deployments and business expansion. The company will focus on:

Development and launch of its next-generation humanoid robotics platform;

• Long-term commercial deployments at customer facilities across logistics, manufacturing, retail, and other sectors, beginning with the roll-out of Beta version robots in Q4 2026
• Start of mass manufacturing of wheel-based humanoid robots
• AI and software development, including Humanoid’s proprietary AI brain KinetIQ, on our way toward a general-purpose robot for industrial applications.

Humanoid has become one of the fastest-growing companies in the industry and secured major partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, including SAP, NVIDIA, Bosch, and Siemens. Most notably, Humanoid recently signed the industry’s largest publicly announced commercial agreement with Schaeffler for the large-scale deployment of thousands of humanoid robots in manufacturing environments.

“In just two years, we’ve gone from an idea to becoming Europe’s first pure-play humanoid robotics unicorn, partnered with some of the world’s leading industrial companies and built one of the strongest pipelines in the industry. What we’ve accomplished in such a short time would typically take a decade. None of this would have been possible without an extraordinary team that challenges every single day what people believe is possible.This funding gives us the resources to move even faster and to turn humanoid robots from breakthrough technology into everyday industrial tools,” noted Artem Sokolov, founder and CEO of Humanoid.

“Humanoid robotics will be one of the defining technologies of the next decade, reshaping how commercial and industrial work gets done. We expect the field to consolidate around a handful of category leaders across the US, Europe, and China. Humanoid AI will be one of a small cadre of robotics companies that will define humanoid robotics in Europe and beyond,” said Zia Huque, general partner at Prime Movers Lab.

Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, commented: “Humanoid robotics is rapidly moving from a visionary concept to an industrial reality, and Schaeffler, as a leading motion technology company, is uniquely positioned to help shape this evolution. By combining our decades of industrial expertise and manufacturing excellence with Humanoid’s breakthrough physical AI platform, we are actively backing one of the most exciting frontiers in technology. We are proud to support Humanoid as both a strategic investor and a commercial partner as they scale a technology that holds the power to fundamentally redefine productivity across global industries.”

“We see significant growth opportunities in the field of humanoid robotics. Through our subsidiary Robert Bosch Robotics GmbH we have already entered into a manufacturing partnership with Humanoid. Bosch will act as Humanoid’s contract manufacturing partner, while also providing strategic consulting and technical expertise in hardware design, production, and supply chain,” noted Mathias Pillin, chief technology officer of Robert Bosch. 

“Humanoid has demonstrated exceptional execution in a remarkably short period of time, transforming breakthrough AI and robotics technology into real industrial deployments. We are excited to support the company’s next stage of growth as a long-term strategic partner and look forward to contributing to its global expansion,” Fubon Financial Holding Venture Capital said. 

The valuation reflects both Humanoid’s speed of execution and growing market confidence that humanoid robots are becoming commercially viable. What was once considered a long-term research experiment is now a deployable industrial technology. With its wheeled robots, Humanoid aims to address global labor shortages across manufacturing, logistics and other critical sectors, solving real operational problems for its customers. 

The company’s vertically integrated approach combines proprietary robotics hardware with its own AI brain, KinetIQ, which enables robots to understand, reason, and execute complex physical tasks in real industrial environments. With this financing, Humanoid aims to accelerate the transition toward a future where intelligent robots work safely alongside people across the world’s industrial economy.

thehumanoid.ai

This month’s findings suggest leaders are judging the value of AI tools by the tangible benefits they offer. When asked what impact losing the AI tools they use today would have on their day-to-day work, nearly a third (29%) said it would make no difference.

The data also suggests leaders are not seeing AI tools reduce complexity or work pressures. Only 24% said work would become more complicated without them, while 22% said it would become more stressful. One in six said they would not have enough hours in the day to complete their work without their current AI tools, with the same proportion saying valuable data would be lost.

At an organisational level, leaders are increasingly judging AI by its role in business projects such as process automation, predictive maintenance, data-led decision-making and responsible deployment at scale.

Jeff Hoyle, MD UK at Expleo, said: “Leaders may be among the first to apply more scrutiny to AI because they can see how it is performing across the organisation. They can see where AI is improving the delivery of business projects, where it is improving access to data or strengthening decision-making, and where the benefits are still difficult to prove at scale.

“If leaders are not seeing clear evidence that AI is improving how projects are delivered, that is likely to shape decision-making and future investment in the technology. This makes it increasingly important for AI-led projects to demonstrate how they are improving quality, speed and capability.”

The wider AI Pulse data for July reinforces the emergence of a confidence gap. Excitement fell by two points to 63% and confidence by six points to 62%, both tracker lows. Leaders were less worried about AI transforming their organisations, but concern about its impact on their own jobs rose by four points to 40%.

Trust in organisations to use AI ethically remained at 69%, while concern about AI-related cybersecurity risks edged up to 58%.

Hoyle added: “AI Pulse tracks the sentiment that shapes strategy and investment decisions. This month’s results suggest the AI confidence gap is widening, which could make leaders more selective about where AI investment goes next.

“The strongest AI projects will be able to show where the technology is reducing pressure, improving decisions, protecting data and creating measurable value. That evidence will be crucial to closing the confidence gap and unlocking the next phase of AI investment.”

expleo.com