A3 - Association for Advancing Automation

Factories are changing fast. Artificial intelligence, robotics, and software-defined automation are starting to reshape how manufacturing systems are designed, deployed, and improved over time. A new whitepaper produced for Intel explores what that shift looks like inside real production environments. Inside the Factory of the Future: AI, Robotics, and Software-Defined Automation brings together insights from leaders across the automation ecosystem, including experts from Intel, Red Hat, Schneider Electric, NexCOBOT, Eigen Innovations Inc., and OnLogic. The paper looks at how intelligent robots are evolving, how software-defined OT systems make AI deployments more scalable, and what manufacturers should consider when planning industrial AI strategies. The insights are drawn from three A3 webinars sponsored by Intel covering next-generation manufacturing, intelligent robotics, and sustainable AI adoption in industry. Download here: https://lnkd.in/gBYTNSRY #Automation #AIinManufacturing

Jake Hall called Automate Show the Super Bowl of automation and robotics, and you can hear exactly why. 🏭🤖🔥 During our recent motion control webinar, Jake talked about what makes Automate different: the live demos, the application experts, the real technology on the floor and the ability to bring actual production challenges into conversations with the people who can help solve them. That’s the energy coming to Chicago for Automate 2026. More than 50,000 automation, robotics, AI, machine vision, motion control and motors professionals will come together to see what’s next, what’s working and what’s ready to move manufacturing forward. The countdown is on. 🚀 Watch the full webinar on demand: https://lnkd.in/gSXbcYa3 Register for Automate 2026: automateshow.com #Automate2026 #Automation #MotionControl

Our community is full of people who do more than participate. They build, teach, mentor, volunteer, and help move the entire automation industry forward. Jim Devaprasad is one of those people. As the 2026 A3 Educator of the Year, Jim represents the kind of impact that reaches far beyond the classroom. His work has helped prepare generations of robotics students for real careers in automation, while his ongoing involvement with A3 continues to strengthen the connections between education and industry. Congratulations! #A3 #EducatorOfTheYear #Robotics #STEM #WorkforceDevelopment

Most automation challenges don’t start with “Which robot is better?” They start with “What problem are you actually trying to solve?” SCARAs and articulated arms aren’t rivals. They’re specialists. One is built for blistering speed and repeatability on a fixed plane. The other is built for reach, rotation, and complex motion in 3D space. If you want to be fluent in robotics fundamentals, our new Intro to Industrial Automation course is now available on demand. Register today: https://lnkd.in/e6djnB6u #robotics #industrialautomation #AI #manufacturing

[AD] See the future of high‑flexibility manufacturing at Automate Show with B&R Industrial Automation's ACOPOStrak, their next‑generation, shuttle‑based transport system built for ultra‑adaptive production. It’s a must‑see on the show floor! With ACOPOStrak, manufacturers can rethink what’s possible in high‑mix, high‑throughput environments: ✅ Independent shuttle control for true batch‑size‑one capability ✅ Collision‑free motion that keeps production flowing ✅ Seamless multi‑station integration to accelerate changeovers and reduce downtime 📍 See it live at #Automate2026 at Booth 28045 📅 Add it to your MyShowPlanner so you don’t miss it: https://lnkd.in/dmhXyNXp #Automation #Robotics #MotionControl #AI

Welding has always been one of manufacturing’s toughest proving grounds. It demands precision, consistency, speed, and repeatability, all in environments where quality matters and skilled labor is hard to find. That is exactly why automation continues to play such an important role in helping manufacturers rethink what welding can look like on the factory floor. Our member ABB has been a major part of that story! We’re excited to have ABB joining us at Automate Show, where the broader conversation around robotics, automation, and the future of manufacturing will be front and center. #robotics #welding

Robotics usually gets framed around factories, warehouses, speed and scale, but this week’s Automated newsletter takes a more human route. Hello Robot Inc’s Stretch 4 is being used in home care scenarios where independence can mean something as simple as getting a drink without asking someone else. Kayla Matheus’ work in human-robot interaction looks at how social robots may support people dealing with anxiety and other challenges. Rovex Technologies Corporation’s Rovi brings patient transport into the hospital setting, where comfort matters as much as movement. A lot of the physical AI conversation focuses on what robots can do next, but this one looks at where they may be able to help. Read the full edition below! #Robotics #PhysicalAI #Automation

We’re so excited to welcome Rittal LLC to A3 as a Platinum Member!🎉 Rittal has been shaping industrial infrastructure since 1961, when it launched the world’s first standard enclosure and helped turn a simple idea into a global standard: enclosures off the shelf, immediately. Today, Rittal supports automation teams across enclosures, climate control, power distribution, IT infrastructure, and digital engineering workflows through EPLAN. Hear from Andrew Borczak, Marketing Manager at Rittal, on why the team is excited to join A3, and be sure to check them out at Automate 2026 in Chicago (Booth 2818). Welcome to the A3 community, Rittal. 👏 #Automation #Manufacturing #AutomateShow #A3NewMember

Robotics demand is holding strong, and the growth is coming from a much wider mix of industries. 🤖📈 New A3 data shows North American companies ordered 9,055 robots valued at $543 million in Q1 2026. Overall unit orders were nearly flat compared to Q1 2025, even with a cyclical slowdown in Automotive OEM orders. That matters because the rest of the market showed real movement. Life sciences, pharma and biomed orders jumped 54.1% in units. Semi, electronics and photonics grew 31.7%. Food and consumer goods increased 16%. Automotive component suppliers rose 28.1%. Collaborative robots had an even bigger quarter, with 1,637 cobots ordered, representing a 55.6% increase in units and a 78.2% increase in revenue year over year. 🚀 The robotics market is clearly becoming bigger than one sector. Companies across manufacturing, life sciences, electronics, food production and general industry are investing in automation to improve productivity, flexibility, quality and competitiveness. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eZE37_3A #Automation #Robotics #Manufacturing

Our President Jeff Burnstein recently joined SupplyChainBrain to discuss A3’s support for a U.S. National Robotics Strategy! The interview covers why A3 believes a more coordinated national approach could help strengthen U.S. robotics adoption, support domestic innovation, and create a clearer connection between industry, government, and academia. Watch the full interview below! https://lnkd.in/emkYe-DU