A robot searching for workers trapped in a partially collapsed mine shaft must rapidly generate a map of the scene and identify its location within that scene as it navigates the treacherous terrain.

Researchers have recently started building powerful machine-learning models to perform this complex task using only images from the robot’s onboard cameras. But even the best models…

T he year 2025 has been rife with uncertainty for industrial automation OEMs and their customers. A cataclysmic shift in U.S. trade policy led to a marketwide mentality of “wait and see.” For automation OEMs, this has manifested broadly as delayed orders from customers rather than outright cancellations.

As we approach 2026, these delays could coalesce as a surge in orders. This…

A young manager told me about the day she nearly quit her job. A major restructuring had left her team reeling. As targets shifted overnight, colleagues departed and rumors spread faster than facts. “I felt like I was living in a storm without a compass,” she said.

What changed her mind wasn’t a new strategy document or a revised set of KPIs. It was a story. Her CEO gathered the…