EDITOR’S NOTE
The robots are here: physical AI and the new industrial frontier
looking backwards to move forwards. Also in this edition, we hear how components manufacturer Phoenix Contact’s new factory incorporates both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) power systems (p14). AC has dominated industrial and commercial power since the late 19th century, winning the so-called War of the Currents between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. Edison, reluctant to lose royalties on his DC patents, launched a campaign to discredit AC, even publicly electrocuting animals to prove it dangerous. While AC triumphed for long-distance transmission, Phoenix Contact is betting that, within a controlled factory environment, DC offers compelling advantages: efficiency, precision, and compatibility with modern electronics and energy storage. It is a vivid example of how innovation in 2026 can feel “back to the future” – reviving old ideas with new technology to tackle contemporary challenges. This theme of revisiting the past while innovating for the future is echoed in the UK’s electricity networks. As Jonathan Lewin, Head of HV Monitoring at EA Technology, explains, the country’s ageing grid is being pushed to its limits by the energy transition and climate impacts (p20).
Operators are rethinking how they monitor, manage, and protect the network, with digital maintenance and monitoring set to be a game-changer. Over the next 12 months, Lewin anticipates accelerated grid modernisation, driven by resilience, efficiency, and adaptability. Here again, old infrastructure is revitalised through digital innovation, just as factories integrate DC power and AI-driven robotics. Yet the human dimension remains as crucial as the machines themselves. Sophie Borgne, Schneider Electric’s Water & Environment Segment President, illustrates how automation and AI are transforming even the most unexpected sectors, from water treatment to energy management. Smart systems optimise efficiency, reduce carbon footprints, and manage complex operations – yet their potential depends on the people behind them. Borgne’s advocacy for diverse voices in STEM underscores a wider lesson for industry: innovation thrives when teams bring different perspectives, curiosity, and courage to the table. In 2026, the factories, grids, and water networks being reshaped by AI and robotics are only as effective as the humans guiding them. Launching Automation
News in print at Hannover Messe captures this pivotal moment – where fascination meets responsibility. The first edition spotlights pioneering firms, explores pressing issues like cybersecurity, digital grid management, and power systems, and examines the promises and limits of humanoid technology. Our aim is to provide readers with insight into the machines, systems, and strategies shaping industry today, and the approaches needed to harness them safely, effectively, and ethically. So yes, while we remain very much human, the metaphorical idea of robots ruling the world is no longer science fiction. Physical AI is our present, quietly but profoundly changing production, logistics, and the way we collaborate with machines. Combined with a renewed look at ideas from the past – DC power in factories, digital grid monitoring, and smarter water systems – 2026 feels like a crossroads: a place where old and new intersect to redefine what is possible. And while there may be more than one kind of dance on the factory floor – call it the Robot, the Robo-Boogie, or something else entirely – it is clear that humans remain central to the choreography, even as robots increasingly set the rhythm of industry.
“Robots rule the world, and the humans are dead.” At least, that was the tongue- in-cheek warning in a cult song by New Zealand-based pop duo Flight of the Conchords.
W alk the Hannover Messe press preview in 2026, however, and the joke feels strangely prescient – not literally, of course, but metaphorically. Physical AI is everywhere. Humanoids are no longer the stuff of science fiction; they are appearing on factory floors (albeit still in proof- of-concept form) across Europe, the US, and Asia. The dystopian future imagined in song has arrived in fragments, and it is fascinating, exciting, and, yes, a little unnerving. Take Humanoid (p30), a UK-based firm trialling wheeled humanoids with Ford in Germany. Its robots have been ‘working’ autonomously: lugging 8kg loads, dextrously selecting car body parts from storage, and moving them securely across the facility to a kitting table. Yet the trials also highlight the gaps: voice instructions for new tasks are hit-and-miss, safety protocols demand constant vigilance, and integration with human teams remains an iterative
process. Manufacturers readily admit that physical AI is powerful, but far from perfect. Exhibitors at Hannover Messe illustrate the breadth of this industrial shift (p10). Agile One is demonstrating a humanoid capable of complex industrial tasks, while igus presents Iggy Rob, designed for flexible, collaborative material handling. These machines signal a move from experimental prototypes to operational partners in industry. Yet they also raise pressing questions: how can reliability be ensured, accidents prevented, and trust maintained between human and machine? The answers are still evolving. Cybersecurity is another critical frontier. In this edition, Manoj Rajashekaraiah, Principal Engineer at Analog Devices,
Written by Lucy Barnard, Editor, Automation News
examines the industrial security standards shaping the safe deployment of physical AI (p24). As humanoids generate data and connect to networked systems, robust safeguards are essential. Operational excellence now goes hand in hand with digital resilience, and any lapse can have real-world consequences on the factory floor. While armies of robot workers are still emerging, manufacturers are also
“While armies of robot workers are still emerging, manufacturers are also looking backwards to move forwards.”
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