by Gary Mintchell | May 18, 2026 | Automation, Events, Robots
Few trade show/conferences exist in our market anymore. I attend only a few of them. I will be at Automate at Chicago’s McCormick Place next month. If you’d like to meet for a coffee and chat while I’m there, send me a note.
I will see Keegan (didn’t get the proper spelling). I walk into a Starbucks in Elgin, IL Thursday for my doppio espresso with cinnamon and spot a guy wearing a Cognex shirt. Turns out he works for them and will be at Automate. They have lots of new products to show, he told me. Stop by and say hi (not a paid announcement).
Jeff Burnstein, President, Association for Advancing Automation (A3), agreed to talk with me about the upcoming show.
As an aside, Get used to the term “physical AI” replacing the old term “robotics.” I’m hearing that often.
The first thing Burnstein promoted for the show was humanoid robots. Check out the pavilion and forum that Nvidia sponsoring. A3 have an annual conference on humanoids. There will be much to discuss.
I asked about application. I talked with the general manager of a company division designing and building humanoids. I asked him why. His reply, “These are build for bench assembly tasks, and existing benches are designed for humans. Rather than rebuild an assembly station, just buy a robot built to human dimensions.
Back to Burnstein, “Companies are putting the technology out there hoping for customers to find applications.” I may have written recently this idea concerning the AI LLM product mindset—instead of searching for a customer need and designing a solution, we produce a solution and hope that customers will discover applications. I’m interested in pursuing these inquiries during my time at the show.
Burnstein further commented, “AI is moving more rapidly than we expected.”
He told me that A3, the organization, is doing a lot with government, testifying before Congress and working with agencies. Undersecretary of Dept. Of Commerce will be speaking at Automate. They are pushing for a government central strategy for development and application of robots, to incentivize adoption. This should be a national priority since right now China dwarfs us in the manufacture and application of robots. Further, government also as a major user, lots of applications. Part of the personal initiatives is sales. Government can also stimulate companies to build robots here.
Why the push on robots? Major shortage of workers. Burnstein told me currently the number is 438K. Analysts state the shortage could be 1.38M by 2033.
A3 encourages government to invest in university and private research. This was an interesting comment given I’d just read a blog post by Kevin Meyer regarding the current administration efforts to cut such funding.
He concluded with a request for people to accelerate robotic safety standards for humanoids.
Automate 2026 At-a-Glance
- North America’s largest robotics and automation event
- June 22-25 at McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
- Free to the public (ages 12 and up)
- 50,000+ attendees, 1,000 exhibitors, 450,000 sq. ft. show floor
- Automate brings together automation professionals from around the world to explore the latest technologies in robotics, artificial intelligence, machine vision, motion control, and industrial automation.
- For more information and to register for Automate 2026, visit automateshow.com.
Facts about A3:
For more than five decades, the Robotic Industries Association (RIA), AIA-Advancing Vision + Imaging (AIA), and the Motion Control and Motors Association (MCMA), along with A3 Mexico, have played a key role in helping automation technologies become among the most critical tools of the 21st Century. As these technologies have converged, our association has had a convergence of its own. We are now the Association for Advancing Automation (A3), one trade group for the entire automation ecosystem.
by Gary Mintchell | May 12, 2026 | Automation, Edge, Generative AI
Immediately following my trip to a software conference featuring AI solutions, I attended an online press conference from Siemens at Hannover Fair. I’ve attended it in person several times over the years. This year Siemens held the press conference (with fewer than usual journalists) at their stand instead of a great hall that featured dinner following.
Siemens featured AI and agents introducing us to Eigen. They are tied to Microsoft Copilot for their solutions. I was more impressed by the Aras deep dives into governance than Siemens’ ignoring of that topic.
There were many announcements.
Industrial AI Suite and WinCC Unified now with general availability
- Enhanced cybersecurity: IEC 62443-4-2-certified security functions and air-gapped operation for critical infrastructures
- Industrial Information Hub with bidirectional data flow and ARM support for flexible, decentralized applications
- Growing partner ecosystem: New partner solutions for machine vision, quality inspection and robust industrial hardware
The Industrial AI Suite, based on Industrial Edge, is now generally available. It simplifies the entire AI lifecycle and enables embedding industrial AI via a complete infrastructure, easily scaling AI models and managing them across locations. The Industrial AI Suite supports a wide range of AI-based applications such as predictive maintenance and visual inspection to reduce downtime and sustainably increase production quality. In the latest version, the Industrial AI Suite also enables significantly more effective AI model retraining by allowing customers to combine image data with production data from MES systems or controllers.
Industrial Edge Management version 2.0 combines a redesigned, more user friendly and efficient user interface with enhanced data management and security for distributed infrastructures. At the same time, the platform now supports additional hypervisors such as OpenShift and Hyper-V, enabling Siemens Industrial Edge to be operated flexibly on existing IT infrastructures. Siemens thus bridges the requirements of both the IT and OT worlds.
IEC 62443-4-2-certified security functions for critical infrastructures, including air-gapped operation in which systems are physically isolated from external networks, are targeted for release in the second half of 2026 and are expected to provide enhanced cybersecurity. The high security and data management capabilities have been independently confirmed. Testing institute UL Solutions has awarded Siemens Industrial Edge and the virtual PLC the “Smart Systems Verified – Platinum” certification, evaluating six key categories: connectivity and interoperability, control and automation, digital experience, functional value, resilience, and cybersecurity.
The Industrial Information Hub has been fundamentally expanded. The data management solution enables bidirectional data flow: data models can now be synchronized in parallel between edge devices and central IT systems in both directions. This opens up new IT/OT integration scenarios. In addition, the new version of the Industrial Information Hub is available on ARM-based devices such as the SIMATIC IOT2050, which can, for example, be operated on battery power, with LTE-based wireless networking planned for a future release. Thanks to energy-efficient operation, this also means edge applications can be implemented at locations without permanent power supply. These innovations are particularly relevant for decentralized SCADA applications in logistics, water and waste management, or for renewable energy.
New partner solutions are also expanding the Industrial Edge ecosystem. Together with 36Zero Vision, MVTec and Basler, solutions are being developed in the areas of machine vision and quality inspection. From AI-driven defect detection and no-code image processing to modularly deployable image processing and analysis functions, companies can integrate machine vision use cases into manufacturing in a scalable manner.
Eigen
Siemens brings AI to the physical world with Eigen Engineering Agent
- New class of industrial AI product moves beyond AI-powered guidance to autonomous task completion
- Now commercially available, Eigen Engineering Agent delivers up to 50 percent efficiency gains in automation engineering tasks
- Latest milestone in Siemens’ announced €1 billion industrial AI investment advances company’s AI-centric growth strategy
The Eigen Engineering Agent is production-ready and available to the more than 600,000 users of Siemens’ Totally Integrated Automation Engineering platform, TIA Portal. It is part of the Siemens Xcelerator portfolio and is digitally available now.
The Eigen Engineering Agent takes its name from the German word “eigen.” While the word translates to “one’s own,” engineers know it best through concepts like “eigenvalues,” which are properties that remain constant even as everything around them transforms. As the AI landscape transforms rapidly and physical AI matures, the Eigen Engineering Agent is designed to be that constant: a steady source of intelligence, rooted in Siemens’ industrial heritage and capable of carrying out real work.
by Gary Mintchell | May 11, 2026 | Edge, Industrial Computers
Industrial automation suppliers are scrambling for advanced compute edge solutions, often through partnerships rather than acquisition. This is the first of Siemens announcements from the recently held Hannover Messe.
Industrial computing and edge AI specialists, OnLogic, and technology company Siemens, a global leader in automation and digitalization, have announced a strategic partnership to extend the Siemens Industrial Edge (IE) ecosystem into “Extreme Edge” environments where standard hardware cannot survive. By combining Siemens Industrial Edge with OnLogic fanless, ruggedized edge computing hardware, the collaboration empowers customers in minerals, energy, and distributed infrastructure to digitize critical assets that have been previously unreachable.
Here are a few of the features sought out for rugged applications.
Modern distributed infrastructure relies on processing data directly at the point of origin, including high-vibration conveyor belts, wash-down floors, and other locations that would challenge or destroy traditional technology solutions. OnLogic devices act as the “rugged armor” for the Siemens IE “brain”, featuring advanced thermal management, interference-limiting enclosures, and capabilities like customizable I/O to pull data from 30-year-old legacy equipment into modern Siemens apps.
Here are a few features:
- Zero-touch scalability and sustainability
- The integrated solution accelerates time-to-value through systems compatible with Siemens Industrial Edge.
- Plug-and-play deployment: OnLogic units support zero-touch provisioning via the Siemens Industrial Edge Management (IEM) platform, enabling rapid global scaling of containerized apps.
- Actionable sustainability: The low-wattage, high-efficiency design of OnLogic hardware helps customers reduce Scope 3 emissions while delivering long product lifecycles to reduce e-waste, helping to make the Siemens DEGREE sustainability standards actionable.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 30, 2026 | Security
The typical cybersecurity firm releases reports. Here is one from a company called Resiliance. The unique take on this concerns linking cybersecurity technology to insurance risk. I’ve talked with people from various standards committees who believe a combination of insurance risks plus board-level concern with those insurance risks will drive management to pay more attention to the situation.
So consider this report as part of a larger management strategy.
Proprietary claims data reveal the simple practices manufacturing cybersecurity leaders should implement to limit financial risk
The best responses to change and management are the search for the simplest. Not too simple, but definitely trying to defeat overly complex processes.
Manufacturing is currently the single most targeted industry for cyberattacks. Given their critical role in the modern interconnected economy and low tolerance for downtime, manufacturers have become a prime target for threat actors looking for bigger payouts. On April 28, 2026, Resilience released The State of Cybersecurity in Manufacturing to identify the key drivers of financial losses based on real claims data and security practices that deliver measurable reductions in financial risk across its manufacturing portfolio. The report offers manufacturing security leaders, risk managers, and brokers clear, evidence-based solutions grounded in real claims.
Key findings from Resilience’s manufacturing claims data include:
- Over 90% of total incurred losses in Resilience’s manufacturing portfolio were attributable to ransomware, despite ransomware making up only 12% of claim volume among manufacturers. This shows that when attacks do happen, the losses are severe.
- Phishing and transfer fraud accounted for 30% of manufacturing claims, showing that human error is still one of the leading causes of cyber disruption.
- About 26% of all portfolio losses came from an MFA misconfiguration as the point of failure. The single most expensive event in Resilience’s manufacturing portfolio, attributed to BlackCat, was enabled by misconfigured MFA.
- Wrongful data collection caused 12% of claims, driven primarily by website tracking and pixel-related litigation, rather than operational data collection from connected manufacturing systems.
- There are five specific, implementable security controls that manufacturers can undertake to meaningfully address material risk and harden their defenses against cyber threats.
Importantly, Resilience’s new data illustrates that the controls security leaders should implement aren’t complicated. Simple adjustments are all that’s needed to strengthen their posture against cyber risk.
What security controls deliver the highest ROI for manufacturing organizations? Based on Resilience’s analysis of manufacturing insurance claims data and financial risk modeling, five controls consistently delivered the most significant identified impact on financial exposure:
- Auditing and validating MFA deployment supports consistent enforcement across all accounts, elimination of bypass conditions, and proper configuration of conditional access policies.
- Strengthening vulnerability management for external-facing systems hardens organizations from software vulnerability exploited directly linked to expensive ransomware outcomes.
- Implementing procedural controls for financial transfers can protect against phishing and transfer fraud attacks that represent the most frequent claim activity in the portfolio. This is a strategic cost-saving practice, as the average transfer fraud event costs roughly ten times more than the average email compromise.
- Extending security requirements to vendors and supply chain partners is designed to help insulate manufacturers from a distinct cause of loss in the claims data. Manufacturers should extend their security requirements to critical vendors, including contractual MFA and patching requirements, continuous monitoring of vendor risk posture, and contingency plans for disruptions to critical suppliers.
- Cyber risk quantification and transfer support the translation of cybersecurity risk into financial language that resonates with CFOs and boards to assist in securing adequate investment. Resilience’s claims data provides a concrete basis for this conversation: ransomware dominates loss, a single point of failure (MFA misconfiguration) drives the largest share of exposure, and unpatched software is a direct line to the most expensive outcomes. These findings are intended to inform specific control investments and insurance coverage decisions.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 29, 2026 | Robots
Robotics pioneer ABB has released a new cobot family. The news in brief:
- New, high-speed, higher payload PoWa cobot family meets need for industrial-grade performance in collaborative robotics, lowering the barrier to automation for both SMEs and large enterprises
- Payloads from 7kg to 30kg, best-in-class top speed of 5.8 m/s, longest reach and highest arm load on the market
- Powered by ABB OmniCore controller platform and seamlessly integrated with ABB Robotics’ suite of software tools
ABB Robotics is combining the flexibility of cobots with higher payloads and performance, with the launch of its new PoWa cobot family into the rapidly expanding global collaborative robot market, which ABB Robotics estimates will grow by 20 percent annually through to 2028.
“Cobots are growing significantly faster than traditional industrial robots, driven by demands from both small and midsized companies starting their automation journey as well as large enterprises,” said Andrea Cassoni, Head of Collaborative Robots at ABB Robotics. “These customers are seeking higher speeds and payloads, but also greater ease of use, and compact designs. Established manufacturers want to automate heavier, fast cycle applications, without the complexity and operational rigidity of traditional industrial robots. We are meeting these needs with the global launch of our high-speed PoWa cobot family – a name that symbolizes its powerful, industrial-grade performance in a compact collaborative robot form.”
The new PoWa family addresses a long‑standing gap in the market between traditional cobots, that often lack the speed and payload required for industrial applications, and conventional industrial robots, which are designed for highly specialized, large-scale automation environments, going beyond the needs of many collaborative tasks.
PoWa extends ABB Robotics’ comprehensive cobot offer with industrial-grade performance including six different payload categories, from 7kg to 30kg, the longest reach and highest arm load on the market and best-in-class top speed of up to 5.8 m/s.
Purpose-built for compact environments and ideally suited for applications such as high-speed machine tending, palletizing, screwdriving and arcwelding, PoWa enables manufacturers to automate heavier and faster processes, while maintaining the flexibility, ease of use and compact footprint of collaborative robotics.
PoWa cobots are exceptionally easy to use, through programmable buttons on the arm-side interface and no-code programming and are compatible with an extensive ecosystem of third-party accessories. PoWa can be unboxed and operational within an hour and enables seamless plug-and-play with a wide range of tools, blending industrial-grade connectivity and performance with collaborative robot flexibility.
Powered by the ABB OmniCore controller platform, the new PoWa cobots deliver best-in-class motion control, speed, and precision and can be integrated with ABB Robotics’ expanding suite of AI-powered software, including Robot Studio and Wizard Easy Programming, enabling intuitive programming, fast deployment and maximum uptime.
Ensuring collaborative robots can do more things, in more places, and do it faster, safer and smarter is part of ABB Robotics vision for more autonomous and versatile robotics (AVRTM). By developing a new generation of intelligent, flexible, adaptative, and collaborative multi-skilled robots, ABB Robotics furthers robots’ ability to learn, understand and plan independently, giving them greater autonomy and versatility.
by Gary Mintchell | Apr 23, 2026 | Networking, Organizations, Security
This news release falls clearly into the category of Duh!!!
Human social engineering and humans gaining unauthorized access while serving as contractors and the like have long been known to be a cybersecurity risk. But, I’m happy to note that an august group has perceived the obvious.
The Industrial Security Harmonization Group (ISHG) has released a joint industry perspective highlighting a critical truth in industrial cybersecurity: secure communication is not determined by protocols alone, but by how they are deployed and managed in real-world environments.
Or, maybe, it’s along the lines of “it’s not all our fault?”
The ISHG—comprising leading industry organizations including the FieldComm Group, ODVA, OPC Foundation, and PROFIBUS & PROFINET International—collaborates regularly to align security concepts across Ethernet and non-Ethernet communication protocol technologies. Their shared mission is to reduce complexity for end users and promote consistent, effective cybersecurity practices in industrial automation systems.
I once set at an industrial communication organization meeting where an end-user pleaded for application guidelines. He was studiously ignored.
Industrial communication protocols serve as the backbone of modern automation, enabling seamless connectivity between devices, systems, and applications across both process and factory environments. However, many widely used protocols were originally developed without cybersecurity as a primary design consideration.
It now emphasizes a more practical and realistic approach:
- Security is context-dependent — It relies on how protocols are configured, where they are deployed, and the surrounding operational environment.
- Built-in security features are not sufficient alone — Even advanced protocols require correct implementation and maintenance.
- Compensating controls are essential — Network architecture, segmentation (zones and conduits), monitoring, and physical safeguards play a critical role, especially for legacy and non-Ethernet systems.
