Latest news with #industrialrobots


South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Automotive
- South China Morning Post
Chinese self-driving firm iMotion eyes robotics business after unveiling refinancing plan
Chinese self-driving system developer iMotion Automotive Technology has taken a step to strengthen its fledgling robotics business with plans to manufacture key components for industrial robots. On Monday, the Suzhou-based firm said it would collaborate with Horizon Robotics, a maker of artificial intelligence (AI) chips for autonomous driving cars, to develop the iMotion iRC100 robotic controller, which is responsible for directing the movements of industrial robotic arms. A robotic controller, a computer system that connects to a robot, is often described as the brain of a robot. iMotion's diversification effort came just a week after it unveiled a refinancing plan under which it would sell 15.5 million Hong Kong-listed shares at HK$15.22 (US$1.94) each to raise a total of HK$230.7 million. 'The iRC100 will deliver a full-stack solution encompassing hardware design and manufacturing, basic software systems, middleware frameworks, and AI model deployment capabilities,' iMotion said in a filing to the Hong Kong stock exchange. The company added it would be able to provide tailor-made products and technologies to customers.


Reuters
17-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
ABB beats forecasts with Q2 earnings
ZURICH, July 17 (Reuters) - ABB (ABBN.S), opens new tab said it continued to see market uncertainties linked to tariffs after the Swiss engineering company's second quarter earnings that were slightly better than analyst forecasts. The maker of industrial robots and factory electrification systems reported core operating income rising 9% to $1.71 billion, beating analysts forecasts of $1.65 billion. Net income of $1.15 billion was better than the $1.12 billion expected by analysts in a company-supplied consensus.


South China Morning Post
19-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China's industrial robot output soars, as start-ups Unitree and UBTech take lead
China's production of industrial robots surged by more than 50 per cent in April compared with a year earlier, according to official data, highlighting the growing demand driven by a national frenzy for robotics. The national output of industrial robots jumped 51.5 per cent year on year to 71,547 units last month, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Monday. The growth outpaced the 16.7 per cent increase seen in March and the 27 per cent growth recorded in the January-February period. In the first four months of the year, total output reached 221,206 units, marking a 34.1 per cent increase compared to the same period last year, when growth was 9.9 per cent. The rapid expansion of China's industrial robotics sector comes as a long list of robotics manufacturers push to integrate humanoid robots and other automation machines into factory environments. 02:27 Robotics star Unitree opens new manufacturing plant amid China's humanoid robots craze Robotics star Unitree opens new manufacturing plant amid China's humanoid robots craze Shenzhen-based UBTech Robotics , a rising player in the industry, planned to mass-produce humanoid robots by the end of this year, a company executive said in an interview with the South China Morning Post in January.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These 19 stocks at the intersection of AI and robotics could see big sales boosts
Industrial robots have been around for decades. They're often used on manufacturing lines, where they perform automated tasks. But as artificial intelligence is deployed across various sectors, the robotics industry is expected to boom, creating rich opportunities for investors looking for new horizons. Robots are the physical manifestation of AI, said Tejas Dessai, director of research at Global X ETFs. While Tesla Inc.'s TSLA Optimus is a high-profile example, in reality, general-purpose humanoids that can do just about any task will arrive in a more distant future. For now, it's about taking automated robots that are performing repetitive tasks and making them aware of their physical surroundings. This would enable them to perform a wider range of duties autonomously, whether it's on assembly lines, in warehouses or in surgeries. I'm 57 and ready to retire next year on $7,500 a month, but my wife says no. Who's right? The U.S. just lost its last pristine credit rating. What that means for markets. My husband will inherit $180K. I think we should invest the money. He wants to pay off his $168K mortgage. Who's right? My second wife says her 2 kids should inherit our estate, but I also have 2 kids. Is that fair? My husband and I spend more money on our daughter and her family than on my single son. Do we compensate him? Over time, training these robots will get cheaper. So as they become more sophisticated and affordable, it opens up a breadth of applications that can be deployed across industries. This makes the intersection of robotics and AI one of the most disruptive and innovative spaces in the technology and industrial sectors, Dessai said. Below are two charts that show the trend in costs for human wages versus robotic setups between 2008 and 2030. As wages over the period are projected to increase by about 125%, the average cost of industrial robots could decrease by 58%. The trend is expected to increase demand for robots. AI and robotics, looked at separately, have very different markets, said Zeno Mercer, an analyst at VettaFi. The former is driven by hyperscalers and big spending in data centers; the latter is tied to the traditional manufacturing sector, which is undergoing its own global shift as Washington pushes for increased tariffs. It means that big players like Apple Inc. AAPL need to expand their supply chains across the globe as well as domestically — and AI is expected to jumpstart that process with robotics in the mix, Mercer said. Investing in innovation requires an understanding of the S-curve of adoption, which is a model that demonstrates how new technology penetrates society. The first stage starts with the innovators, followed by early adopters, then early majority, then late majority and, finally, the laggards. Accelerated adoption of a new technology tends to take off in the early-majority stage. Dessai said that AI-robotics companies tend to fall more in the early-majority stage of adoption, while general-use humanoid robotics are in the innovators stage. With this in mind, investing in this sector isn't for those looking for a 12-month return; these technologies have a long way to go as they penetrate new markets and reach their wider potential. Dessai noted that these investments are more suited for those who have a 10-year investment horizon and are comfortable sitting through significant volatility along the way. Below is an illustration of the S-curve of adoption that marks where Global X estimates different technology sectors are in their current cycle. MarketWatch reviewed two exchange-traded funds focused on the intersection of AI and robotics: the Global X Robotics and Artificial Intelligence ETF BOTZ and the Robo Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF ROBO. Together, the two ETFs hold 106 stocks of companies operating within the AI space. We narrowed the list to companies covered by at least nine analysts polled by FactSet, and for which consensus revenue estimates were available at least through 2026. We used calendar-year sales figures and estimates as adjusted by FactSet for companies whose fiscal reporting periods don't match the calendar. The last column reflects the 12-month potential upsides based on analysts' price targets, among those polled by FactSet, Here are the 19 companies for which the estimates drive the highest projected compound annual growth rates (CAGR) for sales from 2024 through 2026: Company Ticker Two-year estimated sales CAGR through 2026 12-month upside potential implied by consensus price target RoboSense Technology Co. Ltd HK:2498 53.1% 24% Hesai Group HSAI 51.2% 40% Nvidia Corp. NVDA 39.7% 19% Procept BioRobotics Corp. PRCT 38.0% 43% Xiaomi Corp. Class B HK:1810 XIACY 27.8% 32% Symbotic Inc. SYM 23.9% 13% Samsara Inc. IOT 22.8% 1% Estun Automation Co. Ltd. Class A CN:002747 22.7% -17% Shenzhen Inovance Technology Co. Ltd. CN:300124 22.4% 11% Inc. AI 20.6% 25% ServiceNow Inc. NOW 18.8% 5% Ambarella Inc. AMBA 16.5% 30% Intuitive Surgical Inc. ISRG 15.6% 2% Celestica Inc. CLS CA:CLS 15.5% 4% Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. TW:2317 15.3% 28% Dynatrace Inc. DT 15.2% 18% Delta Electronics Inc. TW:2308 14.9% 20% Advantech Co. Ltd. TW:2395 14.5% 15% Autodesk Inc. ADSK 12.2% 8% Source: FactSet Top of the list is Chinese company RoboSense Technology HK:2498, which specializes in laser vision and dexterous hands, as well as hand-and-eye coordination for robots. Dessai said that its proprietary light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, systems are among the most advanced in the market. The company has over 2,600 customers globally and deep partnerships with automotive original equipment manufacturers. Symbotic SYM makes the hardware and software needed to automate a warehouse. In January, the company acquired Walmart Inc.'s WMT Advanced Systems and Robotics business and secured a contract with the retail gaint to provide the automation for its warehouses. Nvidia NVDA doesn't need an introduction as a leading AI player. It has been well positioned as a key supplier of leading graphics processing units. However, physical intelligence — where autonomous machines like robotics, vehicles and smart cities are able to interact with their surroundings — is the company's next frontier, said Mercer. Chinese company Xiaomi HK:1810 XIACY is winning in a lot of different areas as a manufacturer of everything from smartphones and home electronics to electric vehicles. It's also developing its own humanoid model and chips. However, the company as a whole is undervalued relative to counterparts like Apple, Mercer said. Intuitive Surgical ISRG is a global leader in surgical robotics, Dessai noted. The company provides robotic systems, instruments and software analytics, and it has a high-margin business with recurring revenue. Its Da Vinci platform helps perform over 2 million minimally invasive procedures every year, he added. While investing in foreign stocks has its own set of considerations, including different regulatory landscapes and the risk of stocks being delisted, Mercer looks at that dynamic differently. 'We think there's actually a risk of not investing in these companies, because a lot of them are relatively undervalued,' he said, when comparing them to peers in other geographies like North America and looking at various forward multiples. Philip van Doorn contributed to this article. 'I am scared to death that I'll run out of money': My wife and I are in our 50s and have $4.4 million. Can we retire early? My wife and I paid off my stepdaughter's $415K mortgage in exchange for her house, but it's now worth $310K. Should we sue? 'I'm flabbergasted': My friend wants to borrow $5,800 to save his home from foreclosure. What should I do? 'We live modestly': My wife and I have $900K in stocks and $380K in savings and CDs. Are we holding too much cash? 'We're not wealthy': My niece is marrying out of state and she has a honeymoon fund. Is that cheeky? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data