Compared with Industry 4.0, where humans mainly act as supervisors, Industry 5.0 elevates human expertise and contextual understanding. The objective is to allow people to focus on high-value cognitive tasks while being supported by intelligent machines that handle routine, hazardous or precision-intensive work.
STAMFORD, CT—Humanoid robots are one of the hottest topics of 2026. But, despite all the hype, many manufacturers plan to cautiously approach the technology.
Although Industry 5.0 is still a relatively new term, engineers are already talking about another buzz word called Physical AI. The term refers to augmenting physical systems with intelligence that scales.
NORMAL, IL—Rivian Automotive Inc. will assemble its much-anticipated R2 on a "technologically advanced production line that runs on smart and connected digital systems."
CAMBRIDGE, ON—Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada plans to deploy humanoid robots at its assembly plant in Woodstock that builds RAV4 sport utility vehicles.
AUSTIN, TX—John Deere and Mercedes-Benz are among several companies that are investing more than $500 million in Apptronik, a startup that has developed a humanoid robot called Apollo.
