EPISODE · May 21, 2026 · 13 MIN
Chapter 3: How Robotics Technology Is Evolving: Then vs. Now
from Automate Now · host Formic
Not long ago, industrial automation was the exclusive domain of automotive giants and Fortune 500 manufacturers — multi-million-dollar installations, years-long implementation timelines, and engineering teams most companies could never afford. Today, that world looks almost unrecognizable. In this episode, the Formic team traces the dramatic evolution of robotics technology: from hard-coded, cage-enclosed machines that couldn't tolerate variance, to flexible, AI-powered systems that any manufacturer can realistically deploy.The episode covers the rise of collaborative robots (cobots) that work safely alongside people, the emergence of Vision-Language-Action models that allow robots to interpret spoken instructions and adapt in real time, and the current state of humanoid robots — promising, but not yet the factory-floor game-changer the headlines suggest. From palletizing to case packing to labeling, the Formic team walks through how each end-of-line application has evolved from custom-engineered, single-SKU hardware into modular, plug-and-play systems accessible to manufacturers of nearly any size. The barriers that once made robotics exclusive are falling fast.Key Takeaways:Automation has shifted from exclusive to inclusive — what once required Fortune 500 budgets is now accessible to small and mid-sized manufacturersCollaborative robots (cobots) work safely alongside people without safety fencing, operate at lower speeds, and can be reprogrammed quickly for different tasksVision-Language-Action (VLA) models are the new frontier — allowing robots to interpret spoken commands, use context, and act in unstructured environments without rigid pre-programmingHumanoid robots show real promise for general-purpose labor but are still in early commercial stages — for core end-of-line tasks, simpler specialized systems still lead the wayPalletizing, case packing, case erecting, and labeling have all evolved from single-SKU custom builds into flexible, modular systems with fast ROI and minimal floor space requirementsAI is dramatically reducing deployment time — many platforms now "learn by demonstration," putting sophisticated automation within reach of any manufacturerAutomate Now is written by the Formic team — Saman Farid, Danijel Lolic, Molly Garrison, Brooklyn Kiosow, and Shawn Fitzgerald — and edited by Brooklyn Kiosow. Formic helps U.S. manufacturers automate for the first time through Full Service Automation: no large upfront investment, no in-house robotics expertise required. If this episode made you think about where automation could work in your facility, start the conversation at formic.co.0:00 Intro — From Exclusive to Inclusive 0:52 Production Automation: Then vs. Now 1:56 AI: The Game Changer in Robotics 3:20 Humanoids: What's the Big Deal? 4:40 Evolution of Palletizing 5:51 Case Packing: Plug-and-Play 7:00 Case Erecting, Sealing & Labeling 8:09 Where Are We Now? 8:58 Key Takeaways
What this episode covers
Not long ago, industrial automation was the exclusive domain of automotive giants and Fortune 500 manufacturers — multi-million-dollar installations, years-long implementation timelines, and engineering teams most companies could never afford. Today, that world looks almost unrecognizable. In this episode, the Formic team traces the dramatic evolution of robotics technology: from hard-coded, cage-enclosed machines that couldn't tolerate variance, to flexible, AI-powered systems that any manufacturer can realistically deploy.The episode covers the rise of collaborative robots (cobots) that work safely alongside people, the emergence of Vision-Language-Action models that allow robots to interpret spoken instructions and adapt in real time, and the current state of humanoid robots — promising, but not yet the factory-floor game-changer the headlines suggest. From palletizing to case packing to labeling, the Formic team walks through how each end-of-line application has evolved from custom-engineered, single-SKU hardware into modular, plug-and-play systems accessible to manufacturers of nearly any size. The barriers that once made robotics exclusive are falling fast.Key Takeaways:Automation has shifted from exclusive to inclusive — what once required Fortune 500 budgets is now accessible to small and mid-sized manufacturersCollaborative robots (cobots) work safely alongside people without safety fencing, operate at lower speeds, and can be reprogrammed quickly for different tasksVision-Language-Action (VLA) models are the new frontier — allowing robots to interpret spoken commands, use context, and act in unstructured environments without rigid pre-programmingHumanoid robots show real promise for general-purpose labor but are still in early commercial stages — for core end-of-line tasks, simpler specialized systems still lead the wayPalletizing, case packing, case erecting, and labeling have all evolved from single-SKU custom builds into flexible, modular systems with fast ROI and minimal floor space requirementsAI is dramatically reducing deployment time — many platforms now "learn by demonstration," putting sophisticated automation within reach of any manufacturerAutomate Now is written by the Formic team — Saman Farid, Danijel Lolic, Molly Garrison, Brooklyn Kiosow, and Shawn Fitzgerald — and edited by Brooklyn Kiosow. Formic helps U.S. manufacturers automate for the first time through Full Service Automation: no large upfront investment, no in-house robotics expertise required. If this episode made you think about where automation could work in your facility, start the conversation at formic.co.0:00 Intro — From Exclusive to Inclusive 0:52 Production Automation: Then vs. Now 1:56 AI: The Game Changer in Robotics 3:20 Humanoids: What's the Big Deal? 4:40 Evolution of Palletizing 5:51 Case Packing: Plug-and-Play 7:00 Case Erecting, Sealing & Labeling 8:09 Where Are We Now? 8:58 Key Takeaways
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Chapter 3: How Robotics Technology Is Evolving: Then vs. Now
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