Looking ahead, the author anticipates more legislation on weaponized robots, a shift towards multipurpose rather than general-purpose robots, and a trend towards nearshoring, with automation playing a central role. The author also expects the hype around generative AI's role in robotics to continue growing, with top research institutes and companies increasingly applying these concepts.
Key takeaways:
- Amazon's acquisition of iRobot in a $1.7 billion deal is still under scrutiny by regulators due to concerns over privacy and noncompetitive practices.
- Humanoid robots have gained significant attention due to their potential to replace human workers and the number of companies that debuted their humanoid systems.
- The role of generative AI in robotics is expected to grow, revolutionizing the way robots think, learn, listen and are designed.
- Robotics funding saw a dip in 2023, with investments at $2.7 billion by early November, down from $5 billion for the whole of 2022 and $9.1 billion for 2021.