On the latest episode of The Robot Report Podcast, we chat with Dr. Aaron Ames, professor of mechanical and civil engineering and control and dynamical systems at CalTech and co-founder of a new robotics company called 3Laws Robotics.

Listen to co-host Mike Oitzman’s discussion with Ames about the state of bipedal robotics He then gets a short history lesson about the evolution of humanoid robots and the state of the art today. Then dive into how 3Laws Robotics is bringing new safety software technologies to market to help every robot manufacturer deliver safer motion.

Learn more about legged robots and 3Laws

• Dr. Aaron Ames’ TedX talk about bipedal robotics.
• Learn more about 3Laws Robotics: https://www.3lawsrobotics.io/

In the news this week

In 2023, North American companies purchased 31,159 robots, compared with 44,196 ordered in 2022 and 39,708 in 2021, according to the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). Purchases were down 30% from 2022 to 2023, it said.

The 2023 robot orders were divided almost equally among automotive and non-automotive companies. This represented a 34% drop in sales to automotive OEMs and automotive suppliers over 2022 and a 25% total decrease in all other industries, said A3.

However, the last three months of the year saw an increase of 20% in automotive — both OEM and components — and in metals, electronics, plastics, and the “all other industries” category over Q3 2023. The “all other industries” category includes companies in areas such as construction, hospitality, and agriculture, which are newer to robotics, said A3.

“While we expect to see automotive orders rise again, there’s little doubt that orders will increase from all non-automotive industries as they recognize how robots can help them overcome their unique challenges,” Jeff Burnstein, president of A3, told The Robot Report. “I think the economy has more of an impact on robot sales than geopolitical issues.”

In addition, the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) this week said it expects trends such as AI, humanoid robots, and digitalization to boost the robotics industry.