Knapp has opened a “robotics and AI innovation hub” in Boston, saying the new unit will grant its existing robotics center in Graz, Austria, direct access to one of the world’s leading research and technology ecosystems. Knapp founded KNAPPRobotics.ai Inc. to drive the development of intelligent robotics solutions and accelerate achieving their industrial readiness. The unit, located in Somerville, Massachusetts, will have a team of 30 to 35 employees by early 2027. The hub will build closer ties with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to drive its focus on AI, computer vision, robotics, and product development. While Graz will stay the center for robotics development, logistics know-how and achieving industrial readiness, Boston will serve as an international innovation and technology hub for specific industrial applications. As the group-wide business owner of robotics, KNAPPRobotics.ai unites product management, development and implementation under one roof, shortening development cycles, accelerating product launch and paving the way for robotics to become a scalable product and solution business. At the core of its endeavors are physical AI systems that can perceive their environment, make decisions and perform physical tasks reliably, such as piece picking, bin picking and cycle counting. Overarching these systems is the KNAPP Brain, a platform covering solutions for AI, computer vision, grip point calculation, motion planning and continuous learning.