Standard Bots, an American robotics company, has just doubled the size of its manufacturing space in New York and created a powerful new robot that can lift up to 66 pounds. This expansion shows how the company is working to bring more robot manufacturing back to the United States.

New Robot Combines Strength and Safety

The company's new robot arm can reach about 6.5 feet and lift objects weighing up to 66 pounds - about as much as a medium-sized dog. What makes this robot special is that it combines this strength with safety features that allow it to work alongside humans.

"This new facility marks a pivotal moment for Standard Bots as we scale to meet growing demand for American-made robotics," said Evan Beard, co-founder and CEO of Standard Bots.

The new robot is designed for industries that need to handle heavy items or large parts, such as car manufacturing, airplane building, and shipping warehouses.

Teaching Robots by Showing, Not Coding

One of the most interesting things about Standard Bots' robots is how they learn. Instead of needing someone to write complicated computer code, these robots can be taught by demonstration.

The company uses artificial intelligence technology from NVIDIA, a major tech company, to make this possible. A person can show the robot what to do, and the robot learns from watching. This makes the robots much easier to set up for new tasks.

After showing the robot what to do, users can fine-tune the instructions using special software called NVIDIA Isaac Sim. The company plans to make this "teach-by-showing" system available to more customers in 2025.

Made in America

While robot use is growing worldwide, most industrial robots are made in just four countries: Japan, China, Germany, and South Korea. Standard Bots is trying to change this by manufacturing their robots in the United States.

The company's new 16,000-square-foot factory in Glen Cove, Long Island (New York) will help them build more robots locally. They plan to officially open this new facility on June 12.

"Robotics has been the unlock for the repatriation of manufacturing, but the potential has been hindered by two major barriers: cost and flexibility," explained Quentin Clark from General Catalyst, a company that invests in Standard Bots.

Growing with Strong Financial Support

Standard Bots has received over $63 million in funding from investors including General Catalyst, Amazon's Industrial Innovation Fund, and Samsung Next. This money is helping the company grow and develop their robot technology.

Robot installations in manufacturing increased by 31% globally in 2022, according to the International Federation of Robotics. In the automotive industry specifically, robot installations increased by 10.7% in 2024, reaching 13,700 units.

The company will be showing their new robot at the Automate trade show in Detroit next week, where visitors can see the technology in action.

As more companies look to bring manufacturing back to the United States, Standard Bots hopes their easy-to-use, American-made robots will help make that possible.