ARTO is a project combining collaborative robots (cobots) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automate functional test procedures for civilian and military aircraft certification. This paper proposes a Deep Learning (DL) and eXplainable AI (XAI) approach, equipping ARTO with interaction analysis capabilities to verify and validate the operations on cockpit components. During these interactions, forces, torques, and end-effector poses are recorded and preprocessed to filter disturbances caused by low-performance force controllers and embedded Force Torque Sensors (FTS). Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) then classify the cobot actions as Success or Fail, while also identifying and reporting the causes of failure. To improve interpretability, Grad-CAM, an XAI technique for visual explanations, is integrated to provide insights into the model's decision-making process. This approach enhances the reliability and trustworthiness of the automated testing system, facilitating the diagnosis and rectification of errors that may arise during testing.

A rendering of Tesla's humanoid, known as Tesla Bot or Optimus. As I write this, we are all eagerly and skeptically awaiting Elon Musk's update on Tesla's new Optimus robot. Musk said he will unveil a prototype of Optimus at Tesla's AI Day on Friday. Let's be frank, Optimus feels a bit dystopian, as if we're all going to be eminently replaced by a sleek, slender, cold electronic robot. It feels like Optimus inhabits a world of beautiful black and white design, while the rest of us get to drive around in stainless-steel Cybertrucks overseeing our hole-drilling operations on Mars.

Six to ten years ago, exhibitors at Automate were promoting bin-picking in many, many booths. Bin picking wasn't mentioned this year because it is an available option these days. For the last six years vendors have been promoting human-robot collaboration in manufacturing. Here's what I saw this year at the big Automate and ProMat trade shows held last month in Chicago. Chicago's huge McCormick Place Conference Center was once again home to the Automate and ProMat trade shows: Automate for robotics; ProMat for material handling solutions.