By Christian Davies,Michael Acton
Publication Date: 2026-03-09 13:23:00
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Nvidia and ABB Robotics are partnering to produce a new generation of autonomous industrial robots for clients including Apple supplier Foxconn, which is trialling the machines.
The companies said on Monday they were integrating ABB’s robot training software with Nvidia’s Omniverse simulation platform to produce robots that can be trained in virtual environments and be used by a range of industries.
The new robots, which are being tested by Taiwanese consumer electronics manufacturer Foxconn and will be commercially available in the second half of this year, can train themselves as they gather more experience, the companies said.
Marc Segura, president of ABB Robotics, said that by closing the disparity in performance between robots trained in virtual environments and their “digital twins” operating in the physical world, the system would speed deployment and reduce costs, enabling small and medium-sized companies to afford industrial robots for the first time.
“We have removed the last barriers to making industrial and physical AI a reality at a global scale,” said Segura.
The installed cost of robotic arms currently ranges from $40,000 for collaborative robot arms, or “cobots”, to up to $500,000 for industrial-scale robot arms, a high-cost hurdle for smaller manufacturers.
ABB Robotics is in the process of being acquired by Japanese…
