In 2025, Rocking Robots’ video reporting focused on a sector moving from experimentation to early deployment. The platform’s most-watched videos of the year show how robotics, AI vision, and humanoid systems are increasingly leaving controlled demo environments and entering factories, infrastructure, and real operational settings.
Report from Stuttgart: Humanoids Now Part of the Automotive Workforce
The European Robotics Forum 2025 is being hosted for the first time in Germany, in Stuttgart, a key center of the automotive industry. On the first day, part of the discussion focused on the increasing role of robotics in manufacturing. Mercedes-Benz’s COO delivered a keynote on the company’s robotic strategy, highlighting its use of 30,000 robots and the recent deployment of humanoid robots in its factories. In this video, Marco van der Hoeven, Editor-in-Chief of Rocking Robots, discusses the inevitable rise of humanoids in industry.
Report from Stuttgart: Humanoids Now Part of the Automotive Workforce
From Tools to Teammates: Robots at the Heart of Industry at Automatica
At Automatica 2025 in Munich, the message was unmistakable: robots are no longer just functional machines—they are integral components of a broader, intelligent ecosystem shaping the future of industrial work. Editor-in-Chief of Rocking Robots, Marco van der Hoeven, shared his insights in a video report from the show floor, emphasizing how this year’s event underscores a major shift in how robots are perceived, implemented, and integrated.
From Tools to Teammates: Robots at the Heart of Industry at Automatica
Humanoid Robots Enter the Real World
The Humanoids Summit in London provided a look at the state of humanoid robotics, moving beyond flashy prototypes to examine how these machines are being tested, deployed, and adapted to real-world needs. Across panels, keynotes, and demonstrations, developers and researchers outlined both the promise and limitations of today’s humanoid platforms, from industrial work to eldercare and open-source innovation.
Automatica: Autonomous Dish Sorting Robot for Commercial Kitchens
At Automatica in Munich, Yaskawa demonstrated a practical and increasingly relevant combination of robotics and AI vision: an autonomous dish sorting and loading system designed for commercial kitchens. Developed in collaboration with machine builder Meiko and Dutch AI Vision company Fizyr , the robot addresses a pressing need in the hospitality and foodservice industry—automating repetitive and labor-intensive dishwashing tasks in environments facing chronic staff shortages.
Automatica: Autonomous Dish Sorting Robot for Commercial Kitchens
Video: Report from SPS 2025
Rocking Robots was present at SPS 2025 in Nuremberg, where the latest developments in industrial automation came together. In our new video report, we show how AI, digital twins and compact actuators are shaping the next phase of robotics on the factory floor. The video highlights the key trends visible this year, from the rapid rise of industrial AI to the increasingly close integration of IT and OT.
Cboost showcases autonomous railway robot at Vision, Robotics & Motion 2025
One of the most eye-catching—and certainly the largest—installations at Vision, Robotics & Motion 2025 was the autonomous railway maintenance robot presented at the Cboost stand. This robot is specifically designed to detect and (de)mount bolts and clips on railway tracks without human intervention. It replaces a traditionally manual task, often requiring full track closures, with a more efficient, safer, and autonomous process.
Cboost showcases autonomous railway robot at Vision, Robotics & Motion 2025
Humanoid Robots and AI Vision Are Transforming Manufacturing
At first glance, this year’s edition of Vision, Robotics & Motion may have seemed familiar to returning visitors, with rows of robotic arms, grippers, and automation platforms geared toward the manufacturing industry. But a closer look revealed a quiet yet profound shift: the rise of advanced AI vision and the growing presence of humanoid robots.
Humanoid Robots and AI Vision Are Transforming Manufacturing
AI Vision as the Brain of the Robot: Fizyr’s Strategy for Scalable Automation
At the Automation & Robotics conference in Delft, Fizyr presented a new perspective on robotic vision, highlighting its role as the “brain” that enables robots to act intelligently in real-world environments. Rocking Robots sat down with CEO Ken Fleming to discuss the company’s philosophy, technology, and future roadmap.
AI Vision as the Brain of the Robot: Fizyr’s Strategy for Scalable Automation
Report from Stuttgart: Humanoids, AI, and Geopolitics Key Themes at ERF 2025
In this video by Rocking Robots, Dr. Werner Kraus, Chair of the European Robotics Forum 2025, discusses the Forum’s main themes. AI and humanoid robotics remain central, with a growing focus on Europe’s strategic positioning versus the US and China. Dr. Kraus highlights increased interest from industry, citing a recent survey showing demand for cost-effective humanoids—especially upper-body dexterous variants. Entrepreneurship and scaling robotics from lab to market are also prominent topics. Geopolitical considerations, including Europe’s autonomy in robot and military technology production, add further urgency to the discussions at this year’s Forum.
Report from Stuttgart: Humanoids, AI, and Geopolitics Key Themes at ERF 2025
Video: Vision Takes the Lead in the Next Wave of Robotics
At the Automation and Robotics Conference 2025, hosted by Fizyr, Fredrik Malmgren, CEO of Cognibotics, discussed a clear shift in industrial automation: vision technology is moving from support function to central intelligence. “The vision system used to be just a tool to identify where to pick,” he said. “Today, it’s taking over the whole dexterity — everything that happens in the image.” The Rocking Robots team sat down with him to discuss trends in robot vision.
Kinsey Fabrizio: ‘Humanoid robots and AI key themes at CES 2026’
At CES Unveiled Europe, held in Amsterdam, Rocking Robots sat down with Kinsey Fabrizio, President of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the organization behind CES. In this exclusive interview Fabrizio shared her insights into the trends that will shape CES 2026 in Las Vegas.
Kinsey Fabrizio: ‘Humanoid robots and AI key themes at CES 2026’
Trends
A recurring theme across the top videos is the changing role of robots in industry. Coverage from European Robotics Forum in Stuttgart highlighted how humanoid robots are beginning to appear alongside traditional industrial automation in automotive manufacturing. In a video report from the event, Rocking Robots examined how major manufacturers are positioning humanoids as a complement to existing robotic fleets rather than a replacement, signaling a gradual but structural shift in factory automation strategies.
This transition was echoed at Automatica in Munich, where several of the most-viewed videos were recorded. Reporting from the show floor emphasized how robots are increasingly embedded in broader, intelligent systems that combine AI, perception, and software orchestration. Rather than focusing solely on mechanical performance, exhibitors highlighted adaptability, integration, and the ability to operate in complex, human-designed environments.
Humanoid robotics formed another major thread in the 2025 video lineup. Coverage from the Humanoids Summit in London explored how developers are moving beyond high-profile prototypes toward pilot deployments in industry, healthcare, and research. The focus shifted from spectacle to practical questions around reliability, safety, and economic viability, reflecting a more mature phase in the humanoid discussion.
AI vision emerged as a unifying technology across many of the most-watched videos. Demonstrations at Automatica showed how vision-guided robots are taking on tasks such as autonomous dish sorting in commercial kitchens, addressing labor shortages in foodservice environments. In interviews and conference reports, companies such as Fizyr positioned vision systems not as peripheral sensors, but as central decision-making components that allow robots to interpret and act in the physical world.
Several videos also highlighted robotics applications beyond the factory. At Vision, Robotics & Motion 2025, Rocking Robots covered the presentation of an autonomous railway maintenance robot by Cboost, designed to automate inspection and maintenance tasks traditionally performed manually on active rail infrastructure. The strong interest in this video reflects growing attention to robotics in infrastructure, mobility, and public works.
Industrial automation trends were further explored in the video report from SPS in Nuremberg, where AI, digital twins, and tighter IT/OT integration dominated discussions. Rather than showcasing isolated innovations, the coverage focused on how these technologies are converging on the factory floor.
The list also includes forward-looking interviews, such as a conversation with Kinsey Fabrizio, President of the Consumer Technology Association, who outlined humanoid robots and AI as key themes for CES 2026. This perspective linked industrial developments with broader technology trends shaping the global innovation agenda.
Taken together, Rocking Robots’ most-watched videos of 2025 document a year in which robotics increasingly intersected with real-world constraints and applications. From humanoids in automotive plants to vision-driven automation and autonomous infrastructure robots, the videos reflect an industry that is steadily translating technological advances into operational reality.
