AI and GenAI are transforming robotics: ABB robotics global head

Robotics is transforming multiple sectors in India, particularly the automotive industry, fueled by advancements in artificial intelligence, generative AI, mechatronics, vision, and mobility, according to Sami Atiya, president of robotics and discrete automation at ABB Ltd. Robots of the Switzerland-based electrification and automation company have painted about 65% of the cars manufactured in India, he said, adding that robotics is now capable of handling more complex tasks. In July, when Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd selected ABB’s PixelPaint technology for its new electric vehicle paint facility, ABB India deployed 73 robots, “significantly reducing the paint shop floor footprint by 30% and lowering energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions", Atiya said. The investment helped ABB develop a solution that “enables robots to autonomously map and navigate their environments, eliminating the need for fixed routes like magnet stripes". “Robots handle repetitive, undesirable tasks, allowing companies to grow and hire more people," Atiya said, adding that ABB Robotics has partnered with Gujarat-based New Age Makers’ Institute of Technology to establish a school of robotics in India.