This is you Industrial Robotics Weekly: Manufacturing & AI Updates podcast.Welcome to Industrial Robotics Weekly, your source for manufacturing and AI updates. In 2026, smart factories are the new normal, with automation addressing a 425,000-worker labor gap amid rising costs, according to IIoT World. Association for Advancing Automation reports that 86 percent of employers see AI, machine vision, and collaborative robots as key to transformation, with AI vision leading at 41 percent adoption for quality control.Recent news highlights explosive growth: Large Language Models jumped to 35 percent interest for technician tools, per IIoT World, while food and consumer goods saw 51 percent robotics order surges, outpacing automotive. FANUC notes scalable cobots easing deployment via voice control and vision, boosting warehouse palletizing efficiency. Rockwell Automation's new Wisconsin factory showcases on-site robotics for real-time demos, as Manufacturing Dive reports.These trends deliver results: 60 percent of manufacturers cut unplanned downtime by 26 percent or more through AI agents and sensors, says a Redwood Software outlook, with Deloitte surveys showing vast investments in smart manufacturing for productivity gains. Worker safety improves via humanoids at 13 percent interest for flexible logistics, enabling collaboration over replacement. Costs? Early adopters report strong ROI from edge computing's low-latency control.Practical takeaway: Audit your floor for AI-vision pilots and IT-OT integration to slash bottlenecks—start small with cobots for repetitive tasks.Looking ahead, agentic AI and digital twins promise autonomous workflows, per Plataine, reshaping warehouses and processes for resilient, sustainable operations.Thanks for tuning in, listeners—come back next week for more. This has been a Quiet Please production; for me, check out Quiet Please Dot AI.For more http://www.quietplease.aiGet the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

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