Top 10 robotics stories of January 2024

On Feb 5, 2024

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The robotics industry started 2024 at full speed. From huge acquisitions falling through to our first events of the year, there was no shortage of exciting news to cover.

Here are the top 10 most popular stories on The Robot Report in January 2024. Subscribe to The Robot Report Newsletter or listen to The Robot Report Podcast to stay updated on the robotics stories you need to know about.

10. IFR: World sets record for operational robots in 2022

The world set a record with 3.9 million operational robots in 2022, according to the new World Robotics report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). The report also included information about robot density worldwide. Robot density measures the number of operational industrial robots per 10,000 employees in a country. Read More

9. Pudu Robotics CEO predicts that service robot market will expand

Commercial service robots are more common in East Asia than elsewhere, but the rest of the world could catch up in 2024, according to Pudu Technology Co. The Shenzhen, China-based company claimed that it is China’s top exporter of such robots. Read More

8. Intuitive seeks FDA clearance for next-gen da Vinci 5 surgical robot

Intuitive Surgical said that it has submitted for FDA 510(k) clearance of its next-generation da Vinci 5 multiport surgical robot. The da Vinci 5 will join Intuitive’s existing da Vinci robotic surgical system portfolio alongside the multiport X and Xi systems and the single-port SP. There is also Ion, Intuitive’s robotic-assisted platform for minimally invasive biopsy in the lung. Read More

7. Locus Robotics reduces staff, but CEO is still bullish on market growth

Even the most successful mobile robot vendors are adjusting expectations and staffing levels in reaction to slowing post-pandemic growth. Locus Robotics had a “small, targeted RIF,” or reduction in force. Read More

6. iRobot terminates deal with Amazon, laying off 31% of staff

iRobot is terminating its planned acquisition by Amazon.com Inc. The companies mutually agreed on this decision and blamed “undue and disproportionate” regulatory scrutiny for the demise of the deal. Read More

5. Bot Building 101: Three tips for high-performing robotics teams

From students and startups to the world of entertainment, interest in robots is everywhere these days. In visiting with roboticists of all types across the globe, Advanced Micro Devices found that successful robotics design generally comes down to three key considerations: Timing is everything, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and distribution beats centralization. Read More

4. Dextrous Robotics shuts down trailer unloading business

Dextrous Robotics, a Memphis-based startup that developed a chopstick-like robot to unload boxes from trailers, has shut down. Evan Drumwright and Sam Zapolsky founded Dextrous in 2019, and the company dissolved in late December 2023. Read More

3. 5 robotics startups Bill Gates is excited about

There has been $90 billion invested in robotics companies in the last five years, according to F-Prime Capital’s 2023 State of Robotics Report. With more than 1,250 companies currently within the industry, it can be hard to sift through them all to pinpoint the most exciting startups. However, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates just shared five startups he thinks are making robots a reality. Read More

2. Top 10 robots seen at CES 2024

LAS VEGAS — CES 2024 featured a wide range of emerging technologies, from fitness devices and video games to autonomous vehicles. But robots always have a significant presence in the sprawling exhibit halls. The Robot Report visited numerous booths in the Eureka Park section of CES, as well as in the other focused sections of the event. Here are some highlights from the week’s event. Read More

1. 5 robotics trends to expect in 2024

2023 was a year of great change within the robotics industry. We’ll see ripple effects from the latest booms in artificial intelligence and humanoid robots for years to come. Entering into 2024, a number of promising technologies and use cases are primed for growth. Read More

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