Editor’s Note: This is the first in ASI’s four-part series on how AI and open source robotics are quickly changing industrial manufacturing in 2026.
More than 1,000 industrial robots have been deployed since late 2025 to usher in a new era of AI-powered automation and open industrial manufacturing.
These first-wave Physical AI units—machines that can “see, think, and feel” with human-like intuition—are already active across 21 industries, according to the Cisco 2026 State of Industrial AI Report released in March.
The report surveyed more than 1,000 operational technology (OT) decision-makers across 19 countries. It found that 61 percent of industrial organizations have moved past the “experiment” phase and are now using AI in their live operations.
Industrial robots powered by AI are connected to a new, open ROS 2 (Robot Operating System 2) ecosystem where robots work together across brands and manufacturers.
“When we talk about these next-generation robotics ending ‘black box’ automation, we mean that systems that used to be proprietary in nature are starting to become more transparent,” said Brad Tompkins, President of Automations Solutions Inc. (ASI).
“If you bought an industrial robot in the past, the proprietary software was essentially a ‘black box’—you could see what went in and what came out, but you couldn’t see how it worked inside.
“You couldn’t see the code, you couldn’t easily tweak it to do something new, and if you wanted to get it to ‘talk’ to another piece of equipment, such as a camera made by a different company, you had a complex and expensive project on your hands,” Tompkins said.
From ‘Black Box’ to Glass Box’
With today’s open source robotics, the black box is becoming more of a glass box.
There are still proprietary restrictions in place, but the global open-source project known as ROS 2 is encouraging public sharing of some blueprints, schematics, and even some source code.
The project is maintained by a global community and a non-profit called the Open Source Robotics Foundation (OSRF). The open-source project is free for anyone to use, modify and build upon. No single robot manufacturer owns it.
And it’s changing the way robot manufacturers do business.
Over the past few months, robot manufacturers have begun designing and selling robots with new software that supports the open-source project, and hardware that can be driven directly by open-source commands.
This new, less guarded approach to brand secrets means developers can expedite many projects by building on shared resources without starting from scratch, Tompkins said.
“And that’s good news for manufacturers, because it means much greater flexibility for their automation projects,” Tompkins said.
Open Source Robotics: The New Standard
Fanuc became the first industrial robot manufacturer to adopt an open source robotics approach late last year, with the release of a new software interface that connects Fanuc CRX collaborative robots to the ROS 2 ecosystem.
“This allows users to leverage open-source tools for advanced automation, research, and industrial deployment,” Tompkins said. “It doesn’t quite pull back the curtain on how a Fanuc robot operates, but it does pass a message to what is behind the curtain in a way the robot can understand.
“And that means the robot can play with anyone.”
Although Fanuc is the first to take its new ROS 2 Driver to market, other manufacturers are expected to quickly follow its lead. As the world’s largest manufacturer of robots, Fanuc’s move is likely to set the new industry standard.
Open source robotics is expected to have a significant impact on industrial manufacturing – especially in combination with new technology that is allowing Physical AI to move from lab to live production floors.
Next-generation robots are already having measurable impact on production scale, speed and capabilities, Tompkins said.
“Instead of just following a fixed script, these robots adapt to their surroundings in real-time,” he said. “AI allows them to operate at a 1 millisecond speed.”
The bottom line? “Things are about to move a lot faster in industrial manufacturing,” Tompkins said.
“With AI-assisted processes, projects can be streamlined, better tailored to unique production needs, and scaled quickly. If you don’t move quickly, you may be surprised by how fast this new technology allows the competition to leave you behind.”
Industry statistics echo that prediction.
Of the leaders surveyed for the Cisco 2026 State of Industrial AI Report, 25% said AI is already having a “transformative effect” on their company – double the number from just a year ago.
Robot Simulation: Test and Diagnose Virtually
Last month, next-generation robotics technology took another leap forward when Fanuc and NVIDIA announced a collaboration to use “Digital Twins”—virtual copies of a factory floor—to train robots before they ever reach the physical plant.
This allows automation projects to be built and tested in a photorealistic virtual world, where every movement is perfected before a single bolt is turned on a production floor.
Virtual models allow manufacturers to train their employees in a risk-free environment and diagnose equipment issues remotely, ensuring that necessary adjustments happen in minutes, not days.
The global industrial sector has been quick to embrace this new level of flexibility, and things are moving rapidly.
According to Data Insights Market—a leading global provider of industrial and tech sector analysis—the market for robot simulation software is projected to reach over $12 billion by 2030.
“If you have been waiting for the right time to modernize, this is it,” Tompkins said.
Seeing, Feeling, and Reacting Robots
Have questions about what open source robotics and Physical AI could mean for your operation? We’re here with the answers you need.
This week, ASI is breaking down the technology behind next-generation robotics one bit at a time, in a series of daily blog posts. We’ll explain exactly how voice commands, new safety features, and incredible dexterity are ready to work for you.
In our week-long series, we’ll show you how new transparency allows robots to:
- See: Using 3D cameras to find parts in a messy bin.
- Feel: Using sensors to “touch” a shifting bag of flour and adjust its grip.
- React: Using AI to “think” through a path to avoid a human worker without stopping the line.
Be sure to check out our informative series every day this week – and if you have specific questions about your plant, our engineers are standing by with answers.
Next in this series: A detailed look at the “Big 3” technologies making next-gen robotics possible.
