NexCOBOT Sees Physical AI Moving in Stages

Single-source brief: NexCOBOT says plants still need proof of safe, reliable robot operation.

What Changed

NexCOBOT reports more requests from makers of legged robots and mobile manipulators.

Jenny Shern, NexCOBOT’s general manager, told The Robot Report requests rose beginning last year.

She said NexCOBOT controllers support both traditional robots and newer robot types.

NexCOBOT exhibited at the Robotics Summit & Expo.

The company offers motion controllers, safety controllers, components, and design consulting.

What It Means for Plants

Shern described AI-native robots as systems built to use AI from the start.

She said these robots can adapt to changing conditions and new inputs.

Traditional robots usually follow set instructions in structured work areas.

For industrial use, Shern said reliability and safety remain critical requirements.

She expects adoption to move in stages. Systems must first prove themselves in real work settings.

The supplied evidence provides no throughput, payback, or installed-site results.

Integration and Unknowns

Shern said software can improve faster than robot hardware.

She said modular platforms and standard interfaces could add AI tools to existing robots.

Hardware still needs longer design, test, and rollout cycles, according to NexCOBOT.

That means software updates may move quickly. Safety checks still take time.

NexCOBOT said it is scaling open, functional safety controllers and filling global orders.

The company did not disclose its internal finances. Independent deployment proof was not supplied.