Top 10 automated warehouse developments of January 2026

January 2026 was a busy month for the automation in the warehouse. Our readers were drawn to stories about new partnerships, new products, and insights on what to expect in this year.

Here are the 10 most popular articles on this site from last month. Subscribe to the Automated Warehouse Newsletter to stay updated and have the news delivered straight to your inbox.

10. Universal Robots teams up with Robotiq and Siemens on palletizing

Universal Robots, part of Teradyne Robotics, and Robotiq unveiled a robotic palletizing system at CES 2026. The companies created the system in collaboration with Siemens. The system combines Robotiq’s PAL Ready workcell with Universal Robots’ UR20 force- and power-limited robot arm. Read more.

9. Simbe releases Tally 4.0 mobile shelf-scanning robot in January 2026

Simbe Robotics launched Tally 4.0, the latest generation of its shelf-scanning robot for its Store Intelligence platform. Tally empowers retailers to not just capture, measure, and execute upon inventory data more effectively, but also to strategically transform their business, said the company. Read more.

8. Warehouses are becoming decision systems, says AutoStore exec

For a long time, warehouse design was a fairly linear exercise. You built capacity, installed equipment, trained teams, and then worked hard to keep everything running according to plan. Today, that plan changes faster than most facilities can keep up, explained AutoStore. Read more.

7. Radial surpasses 25M picks for scalable fulfillment with Locus Robotics in January 2026

Radial, which supports e-commerce operations, has picked more than 25 million units with partner Locus Robotics in its warehouse in Shepherdsville, Ky. Locus said the milestone demonstrates how its automation and robotics-as-a-service, or RaaS, model delivers greater scalability, operational resilience, and consistent high-volume performance. Read more.

6. Kardex enhances StoreX Calculator for AutoStore planning and expansion

Planning to deploy an automated storage and retrieval system, or ASRS, can be complex, but tools to help are improving. In January 2026, Kardex Solutions launched an enhanced StoreX Calculator in partnership with iAutomate. Read more.

5. How to rewire your WMS to prepare for a connected future

For decades, the warehouse management system, or WMS, served as the operational lifeline of distribution centers as a reliable conductor of receiving, picking, and shipping workflows. However, the traditional WMS was essentially a transaction engine as a system designed to record, validate, and execute processes within four walls. Read more.

4. Humanoid and Siemens complete logistics robot proof of concept in January 2026

SKL Robotics, which does business as Humanoid, and Siemens said they have completed a proof of concept demonstrating the use of a mobile manipulator in industrial logistics. The project involved Humanoid’s HMND 01 wheeled Alpha robot. Read more.

3. PepsiCo plans to improve supply chain with Siemens, NVIDIA digital twins and AI

PepsiCo in January 2026 announced a multi-year collaboration with Siemens and NVIDIA to transform plant and supply chain operations through digital twins and artificial intelligence. PepsiCo plans to apply digital twins to reshape how plant and warehousing facilities are digitally simulated and tested. Read more.

2. Interact Analysis sees uncertainty for warehouse automation in 2026

Heading into 2025, the macroeconomic climate appeared relatively positive, said Interact Analysis. Interest rates were expected to fall, global economic uncertainty had dropped to pre-pandemic levels, and automation vendors were reporting rising project leads. Read more.

1. Amazon acquires truck unloading developer Rightbot

Truck loading and unloading is a strenuous task, in all kinds of weather, that is ripe for automation. However, competition is stiff. Amazon has acquired Rightbot Technologies, which developed a robot for unstructured load handling. Read more.