Insider Brief
- A coalition of robotics and automation companies launched a new industry group called Robots for America aimed at accelerating adoption of robotics and physical AI across U.S. manufacturing.
- The coalition said it was formed following requests from officials tied to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Senate seeking a unified policy framework around robotics and manufacturing automation.
- Founding members include Formic, Machina Labs, Standard Bots, Dexterity, Path Robotics, Chef Robotics and GrayMatter Robotics, with policy priorities focused on reducing automation deployment barriers, workforce development and autonomous logistics infrastructure.
A coalition of robotics and automation companies launched a new industry group called Robots for America.
Unveiled at the SCSP AI+ Expo in Washington last week, the coalition said it was formed following requests from officials at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Department of Commerce, the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Senate seeking a unified industry policy framework around robotics and manufacturing automation.
Founding members include Formic, Machina Labs, Standard Bots, Dexterity, Path Robotics, Chef Robotics, GrayMatter Robotics, Mytra, Mujin, Viam and the Digital Manufacturing & Cybersecurity Institute, among others.
“The U.S. has every ingredient it needs to lead the next era of manufacturing,” said CEO of Formic and Robots for America Founding Member Saman Farid. “The companies, the technology, the facilities are all here. What has been missing is a coordinated policy framework that removes the real barriers standing between American manufacturers and the automation they need. That is what Robots for America exists to build.”
According to the coalition, advances in physical AI and robotics are creating “an inflection point” for U.S. manufacturing as labor shortages, rising operating costs and global industrial competition increase pressure on domestic factories to automate.
The group said small and mid-sized manufacturers remain particularly vulnerable because many lack the capital, technical expertise and operational flexibility needed to deploy robotics systems at scale. Robots for America said one of its primary goals is reducing those barriers through policy changes and broader industrial coordination.
RFA’s initial policy framework focuses on five areas where federal action could accelerate robotics adoption:
- Lowering the financial risk of robotics pilot programs.
- Modernizing tax treatment of automation investments.
- Streamlining permitting and regulatory approvals.
- Expanding workforce development for robotics deployment.
- Enabling autonomous logistics across supply chains.
Industry executives participating in the launch argued that the next phase of manufacturing competitiveness will depend heavily on how quickly U.S. factories adopt flexible automation and robotics systems capable of adapting to changing production demands.
Over the next several years, Robots for America said it plans to focus on building political representation for robotics and automation companies in Washington while expanding access to robotics technologies for manufacturers across the U.S. industrial base.
More innformation on the group’s plans can be found at robotsforamerica.org.
Featured image: Robots for America Founding Members at AI+ Expo panel discussion, “Robots for America: Driving American Industry Forward.” From left to right: Micah Murphy (New American Industrial Alliance), Nick Ayala (GrayMatter Robotics), Edward Mehr (Machina Labs), Dean Banks (Formic). (Credit: Robots for America)
