DigiKey, onsemi discuss the intersection of robotics and physical AI - The Robot Report

DigiKey and onsemi recently explored how advancements in sensing technologies and physical AI are driving the evolution of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), which have the potential to transform industrial and commercial sectors. AMRs utilize a variety of sensors—including lidar, cameras, ultrasonic detectors, and radar—to enhance safety, improve productivity, and navigate complex environments. Similar to self-driving vehicles, AMRs employ technologies such as simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) to create real-time maps and localize themselves, enabling them to operate beyond controlled indoor settings into more unpredictable outdoor environments. These developments are supported by improvements in sensor integration, edge computing, and AI, which collectively make AMRs more autonomous, adaptive, and capable of performing a wider range of tasks safely alongside humans. The discussion also highlighted the shift in communication protocols within AMRs, moving from traditional CAN (Controller Area Network) to the newer 10BASE-T1S Ethernet-based protocol, led by onsemi. This protocol offers higher data rates (10 Mbps