Industrial robotics could soon take on more dangerous jobs as a new partnership between technology firms aims to deploy intelligent machines capable of operating in harsh environments. Edge computing company ADLINK Technology and robotics developer Under Control Robotics have announced a joint development agreement to build advanced AI-powered robots for sectors where human labor is both scarce and exposed to risk.
The collaboration combines ADLINK’s edge AI computing platforms with the autonomy software developed by Noble Machines, a robotics startup backed by Under Control Robotics. Their goal is to create bi-pedal, bi-manual robots—machines designed with human-like mobility and manipulation skills—capable of performing heavy-duty tasks in industries such as manufacturing, mining, construction, energy, petrochemicals, and public utilities.
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At the core of the system is ADLINK’s DLAP edge AI platform, built on the NVIDIA Jetson Thor architecture. The hardware is designed for industrial environments, offering multi-voltage power inputs, support for up to eight GMSL cameras, multiple Ethernet ports, and wireless connectivity through 5G or Wi-Fi modules. These features allow robots to process data from multiple sensors in real time while operating in extreme conditions such as vibration, heat, or dusty environments.
The robotics platform integrates this hardware with Noble Machines’ autonomy software, which handles perception, reasoning, and coordinated full-body motion. The result is a system intended to replicate the decision-making and physical capabilities of human workers—particularly in tasks that require both mobility and manual handling. According to industry estimates from the International Federation of Robotics, global installations of industrial robots surpassed 500,000 units in 2023, highlighting the rapid growth of automation across heavy industries.
Ethan Chen, general manager of edge computing platforms at ADLINK Technology, said the partnership expands the company’s hardware role beyond support systems into next-generation robotic platforms. Wei Ding, CEO of Under Control Robotics, added that combining industrial-grade hardware with advanced autonomy software could help overcome durability and deployment challenges that have slowed robotics adoption in complex environments.
The companies plan to begin exploring early deployments in sectors such as construction and energy, where workers frequently face exposure to heavy loads, vibration, and extreme temperatures. If the technology proves capable of reacting reliably to unpredictable conditions, it could accelerate the shift toward autonomous machines performing tasks traditionally considered too complex—or too dangerous—for automation.
