International Federation of Robotics
Robot 'Otto' wins IERA Award 2025
The 'Award for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Robotics & Automation' (IERA) 2025 goes to Otto from Rockwell Automation, an autonomous mobile robot (AMR). Otto is the first AMR built to handle heavy loads in factories in robot fleets of more than 100 units.
Otto robots are designed for the automation of material handling. They transport parts, pallets and supplies through factory halls without human intervention. Technically, the systems consist of the vehicle hardware and software tailored for autonomous operation, factory integration, fleet control and remote analysis. The software was developed to control the continuous operation of some of the world's largest fleets of autonomous mobile robots. The robot's navigation functions are secured in a standardized way.
"The Otto robot has set new standards of global significance in the development of autonomous mobile robots," said Susanne Bieller, Chair of the IERA Awards and Secretary General of the International Federation of Robotics.
Transportation and logistics
Transportation and logistics applications occupy a prominent position in professional service robotics worldwide: In 2024, annual sales increased by 14% according to the latest World Robotics Annual Report from IFR. The market share of the transportation and logistics application class accounts for a total of 52% of all installations.
The finalists
The other three finalists for the IERA Award 2025 were: Spanish automation company Aldakin with its robotic processing head that significantly reduces the emission of hazardous dusts when processing composite materials. Fourier Rehab from Shanghai in China presented the 'ExoMotus M4', an advanced lower limb rehabilitation robot designed to restore mobility to patients with neurological and musculoskeletal impairments. Youibot from Shenzhen in China presented a two-armed humanoid robot 'MAIC-X' for industrial inspection.
The IERA Award
The IERA Award was established in 2005 and is presented annually by the Industrial Activities Board of the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society and the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). It recognizes the achievements of innovators of value-adding ideas and entrepreneurs who turn these ideas into world-class products.
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