“Integrating embodied AI and humanoid robotics into industrial applications opens up entirely new production possibilities for our customers,” said Thomas Ernst, Chief Sales Officer & Chief Technology Officer at PIA Automation. 

PIA said the shift is driven by increasing product complexity and less predictable demand, which are pushing manufacturers to adopt more adaptable production strategies. Humanoid systems are being positioned as a way to support tasks in assembly, logistics and other operations where traditional automation has been difficult to implement.

The company is partnering with robotics firm AGIBOT through a joint venture, Joybot Manufacture, to develop and industrialize humanoid systems. The collaboration spans the full value chain, including research and development, as well as production and assembly of robotic hardware.

The company outlined several humanoid platforms under development, including I-Bot, an industrial robot with a mobile base designed for smart factory environments that can collect data, support precision manufacturing and navigate complex production areas. Additional systems include P-Bot, a service-oriented humanoid designed for multimodal interaction in public settings, and A-Bot, a compact unit intended for research, education and interactive applications. The full line of available bots can be seen here.

PIA also plans to establish manufacturing capacity in Europe to support localized, large-scale production of humanoid systems, with the goal of accelerating deployment in industrial settings.

The move highlights a broader shift toward embodied or physical AI: systems that combine physical robotics with real-time sensing and decision-making, allowing automation to expand into applications that require adaptability and interaction with dynamic environments.

As manufacturers continue to balance automation investment with workforce needs, humanoid robotics and embodied AI are emerging as potential tools to extend automation into more complex, human-centric tasks.