Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV) and robotics innovator Robust.AI announced a strategic partnership to co-develop AI-powered collaborative robots (cobots) aimed at accelerating automation in warehouses and industrial environments. The collaboration combines Aptiv’s portfolio of advanced perception, computing, and software solutions with Robust.AI’s robotics expertise and human-centered design.
The joint initiative seeks to deploy scalable, efficient, and safe robotic workflows that integrate Aptiv’s machine learning technologies with Robust.AI’s platform architecture. Aptiv will contribute its PULSE Sensor, a compact surround-view camera paired with ultrashort-range radar, and its Radar ML and Behavior ML models, which provide real-time perception and dynamic path planning capabilities. Robust.AI brings its Carter cobot, equipped with AI-powered optical sensors, decision-making models, real-time simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), a patented holonomic drive system, and a force-sensitive handlebar that transfers control instantly to human operators.
Carter is a multi-functional cobot capable of performing three tasks on a single platform: fulfillment picking, point-to-point transport, and mobile sorting. Its software-defined architecture allows rapid deployment of multiple workflows, delivering productivity gains, workflow optimization, and continuous learning through data-driven insights. The cobot’s adaptability enables customers to reconfigure Carter dynamically to meet evolving operational requirements.
“Aptiv, together with our strategic partners, is enabling the future of the intelligent edge through technologies that sense, think, act, and optimize in real time,” said Javed Khan, Executive Vice President and President of Software, Advanced Safety and User Experience at Aptiv. “By combining Aptiv’s perception, compute, and software capabilities with Robust.AI’s robotics platform, we are accelerating the deployment of AI-powered solutions that deliver measurable value across multiple industries.”
Rodney Brooks, co-founder and CTO of Robust.AI, added that integrating Aptiv’s AI models and real-time operating systems enhances Carter’s ability to safely collaborate with human operators in dynamic, close-quarter environments. “This partnership allows us to leapfrog other advanced solutions, bringing enhanced productivity and efficiency benefits to new industries,” he said.
The collaboration leverages Aptiv’s Wind River platforms, including the VxWorks real-time operating system and Helix Hypervisor, to provide low-latency operation, virtualization, and flexible system design for complex automation applications. Aptiv’s global integration capabilities, resilient supply chain, and production scale—demonstrated through the deployment of advanced technologies in millions of vehicles worldwide—allow Robust.AI to focus on its core strengths in human-centric robotics while ensuring cost-effective, scalable delivery.
