As part of the partnership, FANUC has developed a new Physical AI system for industrial robots that integrates the latest innovations from Google Cloud, including Gemini Enterprise – Google’s secure, enterprise-grade generative AI platform.
Physical AI refers to the integration of cognitive intelligence with physical action, enabling robots to perceive their environment through sensors, make autonomous decisions and carry out tasks independently. FANUC robots support Robot Operating System (ROS) – the industry standard open platform for robot control – of which Google is a prominent contributor and maintainer through their Intrinsic robotics AI group.
FANUC’s robotics portfolio is designed for broad compatibility with established technologies, including support for Python programming for AI development, high-speed communication interfaces for external robot control and seamless integration with PLCs for straightforward operation.
Since unveiling its Physical AI system at the International Robot Exhibition last December, FANUC has seen rapid uptake, with over 1 000 robots already deployed in Physical AI-related applications.
At its New Product Open House in May, the company showcased a next-generation Physical AI Robot System powered by Gemini. The system was shown to be capable of understanding natural language instructions, recognising objects and autonomously directing FANUC robots to perform assigned tasks.
This new AI-powered agent system enables both collaborative and traditional industrial robots to operate together within a single cell, responding to simple human commands and coordinating tasks with minimal programming input.
In parallel, FANUC is providing full support for robot control within Google Intrinsic’s development environment, Flowstate. The software is fully interoperable with ROS and enables rapid development of adaptable AI-driven automation solutions, leveraging FANUC’s open platform architecture.
FANUC is also participating in Google DeepMind’s Gemini Robotics Trusted Tester Program, contributing to the advancement of foundational AI models for robotics and helping to shape the future of intelligent automation.
For further information contact Fanuc South Africa on TEL: 011 392 3610 or visit www.fanuc.co.za
