Rockwell Automation acquires Clearpath Robotics, based in Ontario, Canada, a company in the field of autonomous robotics for industrial applications. Clearpath's OTTO Motors division offers autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) as well as fleet management and navigation software. According to the company, when combined with Rockwell's partnerships in stationary robotic arms, solutions such as Independent Cart Technology and programmable logic controller (PLC) offerings, the addition of OTTO Motors' AMR capabilities creates a complete portfolio of advanced material handling solutions.

According to Interact Analysis, the market for AMRs in manufacturing is expected to grow by approximately 30% per year over the next five years, reaching an estimated market size of $6.2 billion by 2027. This acquisition is expected to contribute one percentage point to Rockwell's revenue growth in 2024.
The data from Rockwell's offerings and OTTO Motors' AMRs will be used in software-as-a-service information management applications based on artificial intelligence, such as Rockwell's Plex and Fiix applications. This allows Rockwell to offer a unified solution for manufacturing.

Founded in 2009, Clearpath began providing robotics technology to the global R&D markets and launched its OTTO Motors division in 2015.

The acquisition will be funded by a portion of the proceeds from the sale of Rockwell's stake in PTC. It is subject to customary regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024. Upon completion of the transaction, Clearpath will be part of Rockwell's Intelligent Devices business segment.