INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Cobots and AMRs can help manufacturers improve quality, accuracy, productivity, and profitability, said Ujjwal Kumar, group president of
Teradyne Robotics, during his Automate 2025 keynote
Hoske, Control EngineeringDETROIT — Unlike other automation, humanoid robots aren’t yet ready for widespread usage in manufacturing,
said Ujjwal Kumar, ME, the group president of Teradyne Robotics, in his keynote at Automate 2025
Teradyne is the parent company of Universal Robots and Mobile Industrial Robots.Kumar gave his presentation, “Tech hype versus industrial
need: Separating science fiction from scalable solutions,” at the annual trade show and conference of the Association for Advancing
Automate had more than 875 exhibitors, over 40,000 registrants, and more than 140 conference sessions on robotics, machine vision,
artificial intelligence, and other industrial automation topics.Manufacturers have several requirements for robotics that humanoids cannot
They include safety, reliability, and the ability to easily fit into existing infrastructure.Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can move
material autonomously and reliably
Collaborative robot arms mounted on AMRs are already operating in industrial applications and have proven their maturity over the past 10
years, Kumar said.The role of physical AI, teaching, learning, and adaptation is here now, he added
This includes dynamic path planning and adaptive behaviors
Kumar showed a video of a robot installing a drill bit in a hand drill, picking up a block of wood, and drilling
Another video clip showed a robot folding eyeglasses closed and putting them into a case.Don’t get caught up in humanoid robot hypeKumar
asserted that advances in robotics could lead to unprecedented transformation of workplaces and people’s daily lives
Amid that excitement, differentiating between hype and reality is important, he observed.Automation needs to drive real value, said Kumar
How can AI-enabled robots benefit industry, and how can scalable, open platform technologies advance automation?Robotics and AI make
headlines almost daily, Kumar pointed out
Humanoids look like they’re ready for plant floor use today, but scaling such robots to industrial settings remains a challenge
Headlines about humanoid robots can distract from real needs, he observed.“We don’t have the luxury of chasing science fiction,” said
“We need to deliver ROI [return on investment] now.”Now accepting session submissions!Understand the labor equationKumar drew
comparisons between his first job at General Motors in 1999 and today.“Now I see a lot of problems ready to be solved, and the whole
ecosystem has to work together,” he said
“We are in the front seat with several of you to solve labor, ergonomic, and other challenges.”Kumar claimed that the labor equation is
broken across industries, with too few skilled workers available (see image below)
According to the United Nations, 2024 statistics showed that developed economies have been losing workforce capacity as consumer demand
The population aged 65 and over will exceed those 24 and younger soon after 2035, it noted.Across industries, there are fewer hands to keep
factories running, and even fewer to do physically demanding jobs, Kumar said
“There’s a widening gap between the work that needs doing and available workers,” he said
“We must align factories with the expectations of the next generation.”According to March 2025 data from the U.S
Chamber of Commerce’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, 622,000 manufacturing jobs are unfilled, and that’s before recent reshoring efforts,
Kumar said.“We have a 20% labor force shortage for durable goods manufacturing,” he added
“We need automation solutions to step in immediately, not later
We need scalable solutions that work today.”The labor equation is broken for manufacturing, and cobots and AMRs can help, said
numbers show that, in developed economies, the population 65 and over will exceed those 24 and younger soon after 2035
Hoske, Control EngineeringHumanoids offer promise, have limitsThe allure of humanoid robots is strong, driven by science fiction, Kumar said
Goldman Sachs has predicted a $38 billion market for humanoid robots by 2035
Morgan Stanley has said 63 million humanoid robots will be deployed by 2050, globally, with 75% of job categories affected.Candidates for
humanoid usage include elder care, disaster response, and, eventually, manufacturing
To get from today’s concepts to widespread plant-floor applications, humanoid robots have a long way to go, said Kumar
He acknowledged that Agility Robotics, Boston Dynamics, and others are making progress.“These are important steps, but early ones,” said
“With today’s labor shortages, we cannot start with what is possible
We need to start with what is needed
Form follows function, not the other way around.”Battery life for humanoid robots is typically two to four hours, payload is generally
around 20 kg (44 lb.), deployments are in the pilot phase, and regulations are immature, he said
These systems are not yet ready for widespread deployment in manufacturing or warehousing.Most humanoids require active control and are
potentially unstable for many applications, added Kumar
He cited a Deutsche Bank prediction from February 2025, that said the humanoid robot market would expand from $75 billion in 2025 to $1
trillion by 2050.Industrial automation must meet five needs“I don’t see humanoid robots significantly impacting manufacturing anytime
“Task robotics are more efficient and cost-effective
Humanoid robots have compelling opportunities in many applications, but not for manufacturing and logistics, not yet.”According to
manufacturer feedback, there are five requirements for automation:Safety and reliabilityReal, measurable results with productivity and
accuracyImproved work environmentsFit existing infrastructureEase of use with fast, flexible deployment and seamless integration — without
a battalion of custom programmersRespondents to a 2024 Universal Robots manufacturing survey said they want automation to improve product
quality, increase productivity, boost accuracy, and improve finances
Hoske, Control EngineeringFrom the 2024 Universal Robots manufacturer survey (see above), respondents want real, measurable results:54%
improve product quality50% increase productivity and meet rising demand49% improve accuracy36% improve finances (cutting costs, raising
profits)Why cobots and AMRs fit today’s automation needsAt present, humanoid robots are highly variable, without economies of scale,
requiring months or years of planning, but automation needs to implement changes more rapidly, said Teradyne’s Kumar
Today’s robots can address immediate needs with flexibility, he said.Automation needs to deliver on payload, precision, ease of
integration, and production flow, as well as be tailored for the environment, Kumar explained
Robots are better off with wheels now.Cobots are designed to work alongside people and can handle tasks in workcells precisely, without
They are often the right tools for the job, Kumar said.Platforms matter, from stand-alone robots to scalable solutions, he said
Universal Robots has pioneered an ecosystem with partners to adapt technologies for a wide range of applications, from welding to
palletizing.More than 50 solutions are available through the UR+ network to solve real customer problems
The open platform provides an open platform, speed, ease of integration, and depth of offerings because no one company can do it all, said
Kumar.For example, the Robotiq PE20 palletizing system at Universal Robots’ Automate booth can operate with an 18 kg (39.6 lb.) payload at
12 cycles per minute with vision guidance
It fits into existing end-of-line configurations with no custom code required, said Kumar.The three- to five-year vision from Teradyne
Robotics is not catching up, but staying ahead, he said.“Automation won’t be optional
It’s foundational,” Kumar asserted
“Automation empowers, does not replace, the workforce
Don’t build around the robot
Build around the problem.”Combinations of AMRs and collaborative robots are already available
Teradyne’s MC600 mobile manipulator recently won an RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award.Robots and automation can help industry nowKumar
listed five ways in which automation can help industry now:Start with function: Build solutions around your tasks.Harness technology: Use
mature, functional, well-integrated automation
Too many industries are stuck in Industry 3.0.Embrace open ecosystem: Leverage platforms that accelerate integration.Invest in flexibility:
Choose programs that evolve with you.Upskill the workforce: Train people to collaborate with automation tools.Use a standard configurable
platform for hardware and software, Kumar suggested
Teradyne Robotics’ ustomers include Analog Devices, Matthews International, NVIDIA, and Siemens.The UR+ ecosystem has more than 300
partners, 500 applications, over 400 systems integrators, and more than 200 original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with 100,000 cobots
shipped.The MiR Go ecosystem for Mobile Industrial Robots exceeds 60 partners, has more than 150 applications, includes 50 systems
integrators, and four OEMs with 11,000 AMRs shipped.“Our solution is to work with you and partners to develop the tools that we all need
today,” concluded Kumar.Editor’s note: This article was syndicated from The Robot Report sibling site Control Engineering.Now
accepting session submissions!The post Automate 2025: 5 ways cobots and AMRs top humanoid robots appeared first on The Robot Report.
