Physical AI Meets PLC: Teradyne Robotics' Automate 2026 Breakthrough
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Physical AI Meets PLC: Teradyne Robotics' Automate 2026 Breakthrough
The gap between traditional PLC-controlled automation and artificial intelligence is closing faster than most plant managers predicted. At Automate 2026 in Chicago, Teradyne Robotics will demonstrate what that convergence looks like in practice , not as a concept, but as commercially available, production-ready systems that manufacturers can purchase today.
Detail
For decades, programmable logic controllers have dominated factory floors with deterministic, pre-scripted logic. That paradigm is now being augmented by
, machine intelligence that perceives, reasons, and acts in unstructured environments where PLCs alone struggle. Teradyne Robotics, through its Universal Robots (UR) and Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) divisions, is positioning itself at the center of this shift.
The physical AI market in industrial automation is projected to grow at a compound annual rate exceeding 35% through 2030, driven by labor shortages in warehousing and the need for flexible manufacturing lines that can handle high-mix, low-volume production without extensive reprogramming.
From June 22 to 25 at Chicago's McCormick Place, Teradyne Robotics will command Booth #1250 with what the company describes as its most ambitious demonstration lineup yet. Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of the Teradyne Robotics Group, framed the event in unambiguous terms.
"Physical AI is on full display across our robotic solutions at Automate," Hathout said. "Manufacturers can purchase the physical AI-enabled applications we have on display today , delivered through our global ecosystem of system integrators and partners."
The booth will feature hourly live demonstrations illustrating how robotic foundation models interface with UR's platform for general-purpose physical tasks. Ecosystem partners will also showcase UR cobots and MiR autonomous mobile robots operating in industrial settings where parts, positions, and tasks shift dynamically , precisely the conditions where conventional PLC logic hits its ceiling.
, billed as the company's first physical AI product and now commercially available through a global integrator network. This autonomous mobile robot (AMR) addresses a persistent pain point in intralogistics: the automated detection, pickup, and delivery of pallets in high-throughput, unstructured environments.
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